π Pareidolia
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Pareidolia is what happens when you see a meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern like this little guy:
But itβs not just visual! It can relate to auditory and other sensory inputs too, like when people hear hidden messages in songs when played backwards.
Its cousin apophenia is when you find connections or patterns in random or meaningless data. Itβs usually associated with mental disorders such as schizophrenia, but is also typical of conspiracy theorists!
Famous artists have used apophenia and pareidolia in their worka, most notably Giuseppe Arcimboldo β an Italian painter best known for creating portraits made entirely of everyday objects like fruits, veggies, flowers, and books: