pareidolia

Definitions

The tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as interpreting marks on Mars as canals, seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in music.

countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“This last⟳ is called by Dr. Kahlbaum, changing hallucination, partial hallucination, perception of secondary images, or pareidolia.”

“Pareidolia underlies several forms of divination.”

“Pareidolias aren't solely limited to images. When I was a youngster, I remember⟳ listening to The Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields" over and over to hear⟳ what seemed to be "I buried Paul."”

“Pareidolia is a state of mind⟳ where a vague or unclear image is perceived to be something recognizable, regardless of whether it's something you expect⟳ to see⟳. The most famous example of pareidolia is the familiar face⟳ of the Man in the Moon.”

CEFR level