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Pareidolia

jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
in Heaven
A couple of decades ago, I discovered there was a word for one of my happy, but sometimes weird) ways of seeing or hearing things that aren't really there.

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where people perceive familiar patterns, particularly faces, in random stimuli.

Today's APOD is definitely a Seadragon!

APOD is a great place to practice my pareidolia. Clouds are often dogs or dragons or angels. In certain places, white noise from air conditioners will sound like music. Here at my desk, the AC must be just the right frequency to bounce off the walls and into the enclosed space of the hutch above my laptop. Frequently I hear Mariachi music with trumpets or orchestral music or singing.

I was glad to find out that I'm not crazy, and those of you who know me IRL, shhhhh!!! you'll vouch for me, won't you? Right??? Right!!! :joy:

So, does anyone else have these same happy surprises?

Comments

  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    What's an APOD?
  • W HyattW Hyatt Shipmate
    edited August 29
    Astronomy Picture of the Day - I use it as my browser home page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    My guess would be Astronomy Picture of the Day. Though Assessment of Patterns of Denial (in sex offending mainly it seems) also pops up.
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    Four of us go swimming together most days. We always start off by looking for the pictures in the clouds.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    stetson wrote: »
    What's an APOD?

    I'm so sorry!! It had been my intention to explain and link to the picture!
    This is when I miss the head hitting a brick wall emoji.
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    Well, some things might actually be there, sort of saying hi in a little glimpse behind the veil, as it were, or so I think, in some cases.
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    I habitually look at APOD daily.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    One of my friends is a retired science and astronomy teacher. I frequently email him what I see in the daily APOD. Most of the time he can see it once I point it out to him!

    I had an elderly friend who loved dogs. (She has since gone to her reward!) I took a picture of a remarkable cloud formation and showed it to her. She was delighted to immediately see a great dog in the sky without me giving her any kind of hint!
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