Do You See What I See?: The Possibilities of Pareidolia Research Key points Pareidolia is recognizing patterns, like faces, in random stimuli, aiding survival and creativity. Research links pareidolia to neural activity, creativity, and cognitive flexibility. Tests using pareidolia-induced images may help detect neurological conditions like dementia. Pareidolia can help foster fresh perspectives, improving well-being and encouraging rehabilitation. As humans, we are naturally inclined to recognize patterns, often imbuing them with meaning — a psychological phenomenon known as pareidolia. This can manifest as seeing the face of an old man in the knots of a tree or the shape of an animal in the clouds. Derived from the Greek words para (“beside”) and eidolon (“image” or “form”), pareidolia typically involves identifying human-like features in nature, but it also encompasses perceiving recognizable shapes or forms in objects. Auditory pareidolia, where distinct sounds like voices or music appear to emerge from ambient noise, is another example. Evolutionary psychologists suggest that pareidolia likely played a critical role in survival by enabling early humans to quickly identify faces, predators, or other significant patterns in their environment. Once considered exclusively a symptom of psychosis, pareidolia is now recognized as part of the normal human experience. In particular, our brains have evolved to detect faces quickly, which explains the human tendency to see faces everywhere, including when viewing inanimate objects like electrical outlets or slices of toast. But pareidolia can play other visual or auditory tricks on the mind—causing us to see animals, patterns, or objects in unexpected places or even hear music or voices where none exist. Pareidolia can be used as a window into the mind’s eye, offering clues about how the brain perceives what we sense in the world through our vision and hearing. Researchers are exploring the role that individual differences in personality, creativity, and mood may play in our experiences of pareidolia. Previous research has already used pareidolia-inducing images to investigate the neural basis of hallucinations, for example, and there may be differences in how patients with neurological disorders like dementia or schizophrenia respond to pareidolia tests. Neuroscientists have long recognized pareidolia as a fascinating yet underexplored phenomenon. Studies indicate that individuals prone to hallucinations tend to see patterns more frequently and may develop an expectation of finding them—a clue that there could be a scale of pareidolic sensitivity. Modern research is exploring the broader implications of pareidolia, particularly its potential applications in fields like rehabilitation, mental well-being, creativity enhancement, and diagnostics for neurological conditions. For example, visual hallucinations—a hallmark of certain conditions like dementia with Lewy bodies—may be assessed using pareidolia tests to help with early detection. Ongoing neurobiological research seeks to uncover the brain mechanisms behind these perceptions. Scientists are examining how neural activity shifts during moments of pareidolic recognition—those “aha” moments when an ambiguous stimulus suddenly takes on a clear form. These findings may also shed light on how such perceptions influence visual memory, as once a pattern is seen, it often becomes impossible to “unsee.” By encouraging people to “see in new ways,” this ability could foster creativity and cognitive flexibility, helping individuals adapt to challenges with fresh perspectives. Pareidolia also holds promise in rehabilitation settings, where it may support recovery from injury or illness since thinking outside the box and being adaptable to new situations can be crucial in rehabilitation settings when adjustment to new daily activities is needed. As scientists discover more potential benefits from harnessing pareidolia as a tool, individuals may unlock new ways of thinking, living, and relating to their world, ultimately enhancing their well-being and fostering personal growth. Karen Alexander, MPA, works at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University Featured in Psychology Today Related Posts:How “Arts on Prescription” Could Change the Course…Do You See What I See? IAM Lab Launches…New Research: Think Tank Findings on The State of…Brain Science Cognition Cognitive Neuroscience Creativity Mental Health Neuroscience Psychology Research Science Wellbeing