Pareidolia facts for kids

Satellite photo of a mesa in the Cydonia region of Mars, often called the "Face on Mars". This was given as evidence of extraterrestrial habitation. Later higher-resolution photos from other viewpoints demonstrated that the "face" is in fact a natural rock formation.

Pareidolia parr-i-DOH-lee-ə) is a word from Ancient Greek to describe the phenomenon, that the human mind often perceives familiar patterns in a stimulus, even when they are not there.

Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, the "man in the moon", the "moon rabbit", and hidden messages within recorded music played in reverse or at higher- or lower-than-normal speeds.

Pareidolia is a special case of clustering illusion.

Images for kids

• 

  A more detailed photograph taken in different lighting in 2001 shows how it is a natural rock formation.
• 

  The Jurist by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1566. What appears to be his face is a collection of fish and poultry.

• 

  Salem by Sidney Curnow Vosper (1908), a painting notorious for the belief that the face of the devil was hidden in the main character's shawl.

• 

  Map of Martian "canals" by Percival Lowell

• 

  Given an image of jellyfish swimming, the DeepDream program can be encouraged to "see" dogs

See also

In Spanish: Pareidolia para niños