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It seems the universe is constantly making fun at our expense. One of the ways it does that is by trying to disorientate us. Whether it's a rock that looks exactly like a human heart or a cloud formation that disguised itself as a floating ocean, optical illusions are all around us.

The technical term for this "flaw" in our sensory system is pareidolia, which means the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none.

While many of these moments come and go, as Bored Panda showed in our previous publications here and here, some people manage to take a picture of whatever it is that's tricking their brains. Continue scrolling to check out the latest examples of pareidolia that we found!

#1

Incredible Cloud Formation That Appeared To Look Like An Ocean In The Sky

Incredible Cloud Formation That Appeared To Look Like An Ocean In The Sky

Theresa Birgin Lucas Report

#2

Lace Bug (Stephanitis Typicus) Looks Like Stained Glass

Lace Bug (Stephanitis Typicus) Looks Like Stained Glass

xkzdiffuser Report

The term pareidolia is derived from the Greek words para, meaning something faulty, wrong, instead of, and the noun eidōlon, meaning image, form, or shape. Pareidolia is a type of apophenia, which is a more generalized term for seeing patterns in random data.

To get a better understanding of human vision, we contacted Dr. Jess Taubert, who was awarded the ARC Future Fellowship and is currently working at the University of Queensland, analyzing the aspects of social cognition that are grounded in visual recognition.

"A lot of our cortex is dedicated to processing visual input, particularly the things (objects and people) that we look at," she told Bored Panda. "When we focus on something, our brain builds a high-fidelity representation of that thing which includes information about all of its physical properties but also things like 'do we recognize that specific chair as the comfortable one from our office' or 'do we like that specific person.' Outside of where we are looking, which is called our periphery, is a different story. Despite how it feels, we don’t have a good sense of the objects and people in our periphery."

#3

The Wear And Scuff Marks On This Boat Look Like An Island In The Sea

The Wear And Scuff Marks On This Boat Look Like An Island In The Sea

supremo92 Report

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mythicmuffins avatar
Muffin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ive seen this all over the internet but it still is so beautiful

bookcrazyteen avatar
BookCrazyTeen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You could tell me that this was a painting on the side of a boat and I wouldn’t question it.

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#4

I Snapped A Photo Of My Dog Through A Window Screen That Looks Like An Old Painting

I Snapped A Photo Of My Dog Through A Window Screen That Looks Like An Old Painting

PhatWalda Report

#5

The Way My Windscreen Froze

The Way My Windscreen Froze

Liamers Report

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MargyB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like some of that glacier is about to fall off and a tsunami is going to take out those people on the raft!

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Dr. Taubert said that in order to understand why we see meaning where there is none, we need to know that "our perception of the world emerges from a confluence of computations in different parts of the brain, some of them are in the visual cortex (which receives visual input from the eyes) but there are other influences from the circuitry responsible for memory, attention, and motivation. And these regions all talk to each other to make decisions about what we are seeing in an iterative process."

"We likely experience pareidolia because when something in the environment has face-like features, these features automatically ping the visual cortex, which sends a signal that propagates throughout the brain to query what it thinks we are seeing. Although the visual cortex very quickly realizes it’s made a mistake, the rest of the brain likely makes the decision that, truth aside, the tree trunk or the cup of coffee does look a lot like a face."

#6

My Friend Found A Tree Within A Tree

My Friend Found A Tree Within A Tree

4rch7ek Report

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Christopher Bowers
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like atiny person walking up to the tree hill too just below it. But anyone getting Winnie The Pooh vibes from the way that tree looks?

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#7

Glasslands. Chinese Rice Fields From Above Takes Form Of Stained Glass. One Giant Artistic Puzzle

Glasslands. Chinese Rice Fields From Above Takes Form Of Stained Glass. One Giant Artistic Puzzle

airpixels Report

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#8

Wife Took This Photo, She Pointed Out That The Base Of The Antlers Looks Like Cat Paws. Can't Unsee

Wife Took This Photo, She Pointed Out That The Base Of The Antlers Looks Like Cat Paws. Can't Unsee

wtf_did_I_justsee Report

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One of the most popular examples of pareidolia is the Shroud of Turin, a cloth bearing the image of a man — which some believe to be Jesus — who appears to have suffered trauma consistent with crucifixion.

The negative image was first observed in 1898, on the reverse photographic plate of amateur photographer Secondo Pia, who was allowed to photograph it while it was being displayed in the Turin Cathedral.

Some visitors to St. Mary's in Rathkeale, Ireland, say a tree stump outside of the church resembles a silhouette of the Virgin Mary.

Others think that damage to the Pedra da Gávea, an enormous rock outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, created an impression of a human face.

#10

I Found Dust In My Wine Glass When I Set It Down Next To My Lamp. It Looks Like A Galaxy

I Found Dust In My Wine Glass When I Set It Down Next To My Lamp. It Looks Like A Galaxy

owiekazzowie Report

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D Battle II
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hopefully it's only dust, and you saw this while drinking alone😳

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#11

The Most Beautiful Ice Cave I’ve Ever Explored In Iceland. It Looks Like A Massive Frozen Wave

The Most Beautiful Ice Cave I’ve Ever Explored In Iceland. It Looks Like A Massive Frozen Wave

h0rdur Report

#12

The Way This Ice Has Formed Looks Like A Tiny Forest

The Way This Ice Has Formed Looks Like A Tiny Forest

Jqzzy Report

Then there are the images taken in 1976 by the Viking 1 mission, which supposedly showed a face on Mars that could have been the remnants of an ancient civilization.

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Some even find ways to profit off of pareidolia. Diane Duyser of Miami, for example, sold a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich, which she said bore the image of Jesus, for $28,000 on eBay in 2004.

A more unfortunate case occurred a few years later. A cinnamon bun bearing a likeness of Mother Teresa was first discovered at the Bongo Java Café in Belmont, Tennessee, but after being on display for about 10 years, it was stolen on Christmas day in 2007.

#13

The Way The Light Hits This Spiderweb Makes It Look Like A CD-ROM

The Way The Light Hits This Spiderweb Makes It Look Like A CD-ROM

SweetestSummer Report

We have a number of theories as to the cause of this phenomenon. Some say pareidolia provides a psychological determination for many delusions that involve the senses—they believe pareidolia could be behind numerous sightings of UFOs, Elvis and the Loch Ness Monster, and the hearing of disturbing messages on records when they are played backward.

#15

This Landscape Looks Like Someone Just Dropped A Green Quilted Blanket On The Earth

This Landscape Looks Like Someone Just Dropped A Green Quilted Blanket On The Earth

deliorodrigues Report

#16

Was At The Beach And Found A Shell With Barnacles On It That Make It Look Like An Anatomically Correct Heart

Was At The Beach And Found A Shell With Barnacles On It That Make It Look Like An Anatomically Correct Heart

Cascading-hearts98 Report

#17

My Daughter. Dad, It Looks Like A Giant Piece Of Pizza. I’ll Be The Round Pepperoni

My Daughter. Dad, It Looks Like A Giant Piece Of Pizza. I’ll Be The Round Pepperoni

narlycharley Report

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American cosmologist and author Carl Sagan believed that pareidolia was a survival tool. In his 1995 book, The Demon-Haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark, he argued that this ability to recognize faces from a distance or in poor visibility was an important survival technique. While this instinct enables humans to instantly judge whether an oncoming person is a friend or foe, Sagan highlighted that it could result in some misinterpretation of random images or patterns of light and shade as being faces.

Dr. Jess Taubert thinks that facial pareidolia is so evident because our brain has a strong sense of what a face is.

"From the moment we are born we orient towards faces and face-like patterns so, by the time we are fully grown, we have had a lot of practice detecting faces."

#18

The Top Of My Car Covered In Morning Rain Looks Like A Field Of Sunset Jewels

The Top Of My Car Covered In Morning Rain Looks Like A Field Of Sunset Jewels

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#19

Proud Daddy With His New Litter

Proud Daddy With His New Litter

AutumnHopFrog Report

#20

Found A Treble Clef In My Arby’s Curly Fries Once

Found A Treble Clef In My Arby’s Curly Fries Once

bisforbodkin Report

#21

Dust From A Ramp On My Suede Rollerskates Looks Like An X-Ray Of My Feet

Dust From A Ramp On My Suede Rollerskates Looks Like An X-Ray Of My Feet

supervixen456 Report

Leonardo da Vinci, on the other hand, thought pareidolia was an artistic device. "If you look at any walls spotted with various stains or with a mixture of different kinds of stones, if you are about to invent some scene you will be able to see in it a resemblance to various different landscapes adorned with mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, plains, wide valleys, and various groups of hills," he wrote in a passage in one of his extensive notebooks.

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#23

Rainbow In Front Of My House Looks Like Another Planet

Rainbow In Front Of My House Looks Like Another Planet

NewBeerNewMe Report

#24

Used Match Looks Exactly Like A Mic Stand

Used Match Looks Exactly Like A Mic Stand

SunshineCorgiss Report

We have practical uses for pareidolia, too. Remember the Rorschach inkblot test? It is a projective psychological assessment developed in 1921 by Hermann Rorschach to measure thought disorders for the purpose of identifying mental illness. (It was inspired by the observation that schizophrenia patients often interpret the things they see in unusual ways.)

#27

The Melting Snow On This Chair Looks Like A Tree

The Melting Snow On This Chair Looks Like A Tree

glassenthusiast Report

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#28

This Stick I Found Looks Like A Burning Torch, Flame Included

This Stick I Found Looks Like A Burning Torch, Flame Included

hoikarnage Report

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littletyne72 avatar
Scout Finch
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Paint the flame red and orange, gather some friends with pitchforks and go yell at someone's house.

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#29

The Pizza Saver On My Pizza Makes The Photo Look Like A Video With A Play Button

The Pizza Saver On My Pizza Makes The Photo Look Like A Video With A Play Button

poranges Report

#30

My Painter Dad Making The Soup Looking Like Edvard Munch's "The Scream"

My Painter Dad Making The Soup Looking Like Edvard Munch's "The Scream"

toko92 Report

#31

Splitting Firewood And Found A Piece Resembling The Sky In "The Starry Night"

Splitting Firewood And Found A Piece Resembling The Sky In "The Starry Night"

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#32

When You Try To Make Peppermint Swirl Soap And It Comes Out Looking Like Raw Meat

When You Try To Make Peppermint Swirl Soap And It Comes Out Looking Like Raw Meat

eeyore134 Report

#33

The Feet On This Bench At My Gym Look A Lot Like An Impaled iPhone

The Feet On This Bench At My Gym Look A Lot Like An Impaled iPhone

thehippestmanalive Report

#34

Ladies And Gentlemen, I Present To You - Pizza Rock

Ladies And Gentlemen, I Present To You - Pizza Rock

charliewarner01 Report

#35

Tea Tree Oil Looks Like A Tree

Tea Tree Oil Looks Like A Tree

This is at the end of lake Cakora in brooms head. It happened after the storm at the beach side of the lake broke out. It drained most of the water. As it drains out a connecting lake with tea trees on the banks, the high tides push the tea tree oily water back up the lake to create these stunning natural masterpieces.

derry_moroney_photography Report

#36

Found A Patch Of Moss Behind A Loading Dock That Looks Like A Tiny Tropical Island With A Palm Tree

Found A Patch Of Moss Behind A Loading Dock That Looks Like A Tiny Tropical Island With A Palm Tree

Smiling_Fox Report

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arik_1 avatar
Arik
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The cheapest private Island... Except if it's in New York city, then it is still around ten million dollars

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#38

The Clear Ice In My Absinthe Looks Like A Chunk Was Cut Out Of It

The Clear Ice In My Absinthe Looks Like A Chunk Was Cut Out Of It

merlinrising Report

#40

I Put Another Type Of Shower Gel On Top Of The Old One Without Stirring, And After A Few Pumps They Start "Raining" Down. Looks Like Melted Wax

I Put Another Type Of Shower Gel On Top Of The Old One Without Stirring, And After A Few Pumps They Start "Raining" Down. Looks Like Melted Wax

baby_balrog Report

#42

The Way The Mud Froze On My Truck Looks Like A Painting Of The Forrest

The Way The Mud Froze On My Truck Looks Like A Painting Of The Forrest

The-devils-usb Report

#43

The Sediment From This Chemical Reaction Looks Like A Marshy Forest

The Sediment From This Chemical Reaction Looks Like A Marshy Forest

reddit.com Report

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spoot avatar
Nimues Child
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many of these look like miniature, intentional artworks. Stunning!

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#44

Found A Piece Of Rock That Looks Like A Steak

Found A Piece Of Rock That Looks Like A Steak

Weidelberg Report

#45

This Cicada I Found Looks Like It Has The McDonald's Logo On Its Head

This Cicada I Found Looks Like It Has The McDonald's Logo On Its Head

Thats_A_Tangy_Malany Report

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juliechevron avatar
Jul Chv
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This ad campaign is getting out of hands... Too far, guys, too far.

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#46

This Cluster Of Golden Oyster Mushrooms Looks Like Covid-19

This Cluster Of Golden Oyster Mushrooms Looks Like Covid-19

breakyourfac Report

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#48

My Cauliflower Looks Like An Atomic Mushroom Cloud

My Cauliflower Looks Like An Atomic Mushroom Cloud

Mission_Acrobatic Report

#49

This Ice Patch I Found That Looks Like A Feather

This Ice Patch I Found That Looks Like A Feather

GreasyCheese5976 Report

#50

The Post Paint Chipped Into The Map

The Post Paint Chipped Into The Map

LolcatXTREME Report

Note: this post originally had 131 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.