One moment you’re eating breakfast, the next you swear your toast has a face that’s smiling back at you. Or perhaps you’re daydreaming and you spot some clouds that bear an uncanny resemblance to your childhood pet…
What you’ve experienced is a something known as pareidolia. It’s our brain’s weird habit of seeing meaningful images, patterns or faces where none actually exist. These “visions” can be creepy or utterly hilarious. So much so, that many people take photos of what they’re seeing so that they have receipts, can check if anyone else sees the same, or simply just want to laugh all over again.
Bored Panda has scoured the net to find some of the best examples of pareidolia. From a very happy humidifier, to tomato that could be easily Satan’s cousin, they’re proof that our brains truly have a mind of their own.
#1 Dried Plant I Found In My Grandma’s Backyard
Image source: West_Bookkeeper746
#2 The Two Faces Of Humidity
Image source: CodeName_Burner
Pareidolia, pronounced par-i-DOH-lee-a is defined as the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. The word originates from the Greek words para, meaning “beside,” and eidolon, meaning “image” or “form.”
We might see a creepy face on a rock formation, the shape of animal in the clouds, or a strange scene in a plate of food. It happens because we are are hardwired to seek out familiar, recognizable and often meaningful patterns.
But while we may look back on moments of pareidolia with amusement, for our ancestors, they were an important part of life. According to evolutionary psychologists, seeing patterns in random objects served as survival mechanism. It helped people to quickly identify faces and threats around them.
#3 Tomato From Grandparent’s Garden. He’s Very Happy To Have Grown
I think they still have it in the fridge. Should we eat it?
Image source: Flimsy_Junket_860
#4 Saw This Tree Branch In Ireland
Swore a large dog was lying in the grass.
Image source: InconspicuousDingo
#5 Example Of Pareidolia
Image source: RRR-Craigyroo
“I think the brain is so carefully wired to process face information that it’s evoked into play as soon as anything even vaguely face shape is present,” says Ed Connor, director of the Krieger Mind/Brain Institute.
If you’ve ever looked up at the moon and seen a face, you’re not alone. But interestingly, people around the world tend to see different figures or faces on the moon, depending on their location, the moon’s orientation and their own lived experiences.
#6 Be Careful At Night, The Elves Are Watching
Image source: ehwhateverz
#7 I Was Very Excited To Come Across This Piece Of Driftwood Yesterday Which Is Clearly Recognisable As A Sunbathing Sloth
Image source: Maria Johnston
#8 Sand Camel
I was dune buggying in Dubai and threw sand in the air for a picture: Camel.
Image source: deleted
“In the United States, skygazers tend to see a man’s face, whereas those in East Asia see a rabbit mixing something with a mortar and pestle. In Japan, they think he’s making rice cakes. In Korea and China, he’s whipping up an immortal elixir,” reveals the Skillshare site.
It adds that it’s not uncommon in New Zealand, for people see a figure of a woman on the moon. They’ve even got a name for her: Rona. “She is a Maori maiden who disrespected the moon and now has to spend eternity there as punishment,” notes the site.
#9 No Crumb Left Behind
Image source: father_of_twitch
#10 This Rock Shark In Naxos, Greece
Image source: deleted
Some people believe pareidolia plays an important part in creativity, and has done so for ages. According to the departments of Archeology and Psychology at Durham University, Ice Age cave art from 40,000 years ago was partly influenced by pareidolia. In fact, researchers from Durham say more than half the cave art they observed was inspired by the cave wall itself.
“For example, the curved edges of the cave were sometimes used to represent the backs of animals like wild horses and natural cracks were used as bisons’ horns. This strongly suggests that pareidolia inspired their works of art,” explains the Skillshare team.
#11 You Better Let Him In
Image source: joshpearson180
#12 Scary Potato Face
Image source: Briangasca_1203_
#13 I Accidentally Created An Ear When Blowing Nacho Cheese Across A Chip
Image source: fruitpockets
#14 This Goat Has A Goat On Its Goat Fur… Goat
Image source: KeyzerSoze85
#15 This Leaf Looks Like An Exotic Frog
Image source: j2e21
#16 The Duck – Avenida Palace Hotel / Barcelona
Image source: Carlos Lopez Martinez
#17 I Love Finding Faces In Floorboards, They Always Make Me Smile
Image source: contentcrafter
#18 Just A Little Bit Of Cream
Image source: ColossalLifeline
#19 Compost Surprise
Image source: minceandtatties
#20 This Plastic Bag Looks Exactly Like A Cat
Image source: deleted
#21 This Shadow Of A Plant Looks Like A Child On A Swing
Image source: jul_j37
#22 Cloud Duck Over The Skies Of Sofia, Bulgaria
Image source: akvarista11
#23 Ripped Sticker Looks Like A Grimacing Face
Image source: gocolbygo
#24 I Grew A Beet That Looks Very Similar To A Heart
Image source: urlocalcommie
#25 My Dog Has A Silhouette Of A Fat Cat In His Fur Pattern
Image source: littledaikon
#26 My 4-Year-Old Grandson Said Look, A Dinosaur
Image source: bayareathrifter
#27 Look At The Doggo
Image source: myfavzzal
#28 These Plants In South Africa Look Like They Have Lips
Image source: xiaoyaplants
#29 No Matter What, It Just Looks Like Two Indian-Style Uncles Peeking In From The Other Side Of The Glass
Image source: chamao_zoo3
#30 This Hand
Image source: smol-milk
#31 Dog And Cat In The Leftover Coffee Cup
Image source: father_of_twitch
#32 Human Heart Pareidolia Pancake
Image source: maoinhibitor
#33 Lifted My Steak And Found A Cameo Of A Victorian Lady
Image source: deleted
#34 This Leaf On My Deck Looks Like A Cat
Image source: Sweetfishy
#35 My Mom Thought This Cactus Was A Dog On Our Hike
Forgot to say that my mom said “poor dog”, I turned around and suddenly she and I are laughing so hard, that’s truly an interesting looking dog!
Image source: -Evergray-
#36 Log That Looks Like A Horse’s Head
Image source: pink-weasel
#37 The Bird In My Husband’s Beer
Image source: elmelb
#38 Zorro
A bottle of detergent fell out of the back of the car last night, and we were too tired to clean it up. This morning, we realized it had created this masterpiece.
Image source: TardisKing
#39 These Shells Look Like Little Butterflies
Image source: pablokris
#40 This Shark Outline In Wood Siding
Image source: Holmes02
#41 Spilled Some Wine At Work And It Looks Like Batman With A Long Cape
Image source: jfreezer
#42 “The Face Of The Giant” Corno Piccolo Of The Gran Sasso D’italia
Image source: digiammarcougofoto
#43 Pareidolia Pics My Dad Took Through The Years. Chicken And Mouse
Image source: Which_Network_993
#44 This Picture My Dad Sent Me Of A Cloud That Looks Like A Shark
Image source: sholbyy
#45 My Chocolate Milk Looks Like The Silhouette Of A Man
Image source: coolbeans182
#46 This “Finger” Made By My Coffee Maker
Image source: PixelPark00
#47 Work In Food Production, Found A Baby Carrot We All Thought Was A Human Finger At First
Image source: AlwaysAlpharius
#48 Watercolor Sank To The Bottom Looks Like An Eyeball
Image source: ineedmoresleepz
#49 A Duck That Looks Like A Red Pepper
Image source: roegetnakkeost
#50 This Puddle Looks Like A Silhouette Of Someone From Behind
Image source: Itstoolongitwillruno
#51 Eye In The Sky
Image source: gOPwbi7qqtWeD9o
#52 I Ate Fried Onion Rings With A Roasted Chicken Which According To My Friends Looks Like A Dog?
Image source: Cigarettes_at_beach
#53 This Slice Of Bread Has Lips
Image source: too-meta
#54 4-Year-Old Kept Complaining About The Monster In Her Room Looking At Her As She Slept. Ohhh
Image source: latro666
#55 Are You Seeing What I’m Seeing?
Like the Japanese lucky cat! The spout even looks like the paw that it’s always holding up.
Image source: Rapscallion1980
#56 Found This Stump That Looks Like Cthulhus Skull
This stump is off the path at the cypress trail at Hammock State Park in Sebring Florida if anyone wants to go look for it.
Image source: extreme_matt
Follow Us
