The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Pareidolia
"There is an universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object, those qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by a natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, ascribe malice or good- will to every thing, that hurts or pleases us. --David Hume*
Pareidolia is a type of illusion or misperception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being perceived as something clear and distinct. For example, in the discolorations of a burnt tortilla one sees the face of Jesus. Or one sees the image of Mother Teresa or Ronald Reagan in a cinnamon bun or a man in the moon.

Under ordinary circumstances, pareidolia provides a psychological explanation for many delusions based upon sense perception. For example, it explains many UFO sightings, as well as the hearing of sinister messages on records played backwards. Pareidolia explains Elvis, Bigfoot, and Loch Ness Monster sightings. It explains numerous religious apparitions and visions. And it explains why some people see a face or a building in a photograph of the Cydonia region of .."

Source Skeptics Dictionary


How do you personally factor this into Paranormal Sightings, or unexplained sightings?

When I got turned I hung up two ordinary red towels on my window because I am now very photosensative.

It has been on my profile since day1. Level 1.

The red Towel on my profile was not hung in any special way and yet it seems to have an image upon it which is very revealing.

No jokes, no alterations, no manipulation.I think it knocks images of jesus or mary on bread into a cocked hat.

I won't mention the thousand crows that settled opposite...LOL also witnessed.

Non believers always want more...how say you?

Pareidolia seems to be describing whenever we look at things such as objects we create images from it, however i don't believe it explains the sightings we see UNintentionally. We know we're pulling images from things when we look at them, but when you witness something very suddenly without explanation, that's a whole different thing.

Alien Nation,
Pareidolia

My question was. How do you factor Paradilia into personal accounts of sightings.

am I to understand that the thread pattern of your towel is abstract?

Ferial, have you ever seen something that initially
you thought to be phenomenal, that upon closer inspection was a mundane object, or trick of the light?

In my bridge squat, new guest would be freaked out by what sounded like a mummbling old man in the creek
(a very distinct "voice") it was actually a combination of wind, and swirling/gurgling water.


Paraphidilia is a fine example of why accounts of sighting should be presented in context to the environment, and atmosphere.

I would say majority of things we cross could probably be explained away with a little investigating but sometimes you witness things, even with other people that can't explain it or understand it and sometimes it's not easy looked into...i think it just depends on the situation if anything and if one has a rational mind enough to go figure it out.

Yes some things are difficult to conjour up, wish I could I,d be loaded!

Well of course people do this, which is why nothing is ever "just the wind knocking a branch against the building" its gotta be a dead loved one watching over, or some other malarky. Or like how when your eyes are playing tricks on you due to our shoddy at best night vision its "shadow people."

It also has to do with our ego and our sick nature of scaring ourselves, combined with an already sleep deprived brain, plus the aforementioned tendancies to ascribe human qualities to most everything you got a ghost or othersuch poppycock.

ink blot tests, lol

Well i suppose that you could show the same ink blot to a 100 fifferent people and each would give a new thought as to what they percieve it to be.

We all see what serves "our" purpose and fuels "our" needs. It only makes sense that we would do so.

very interesting.. i agree with Doru on this, we see that which we want to see based on our emotions, personal experiences, or circumstancesa at that particular point in time. what i would like to know is, do we always see the same thing in the same place ie the towel: is it the same image each time, or has it altered any, and what do you make of that if it has changed any?

Well you have clinically described it in your opening thread, and I do not disagree I simply point out that it is one of the aspects of human "nature" that make us unique. It gives perspective to reality and is the major source of art and creative beauty. also art and creative could be added while describing the inventiveness and strange avenues that science and technology have gone down.
The problem with a black and white view of reality is that it lacks color and texture, it lacks perspective. in my opinion based on my ideas gleaned with the very same process you have described in your opening statement.

It is the significance placed on the alleged sighting that makes me curious.

What a person invest in the alleged sighting.

Why Catholics are so desperate to claim sightings of the Virgin.

Ahh ...to build up and support their stand on what they claim to believe.
it has many more aspects than just that I think. but I am tracking with you now.

while I am not going to discount this theory completely.
I believe that there are things in this universe that are beyond human understanding and fall into the spiritual world or the Paranormal realm

Well said.It does amaze me how often more junior Rave members seem to be more open minded.
Please save me the lecture on how open minded people just ignore other evidence, its old hat and does not bear close scrutiny.
I and many others do not, we are educated individuals and that's why its always best to have a few independent witnesses who trust their own Senses.
What is interesting is the default Human position.
The 18 year old ran inside saying "OMG I don't want to know, its just Creepy" just as so many others do.
Which Camp are your senses in, Mulder or Scully? and Why?

My question has always been,

What is the significance to the "vision"?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To answer your Question I feel alot of us see these sightings for confirmation of being able to satify their own personal self. Such as Elvis Fans who do not wish to believe that he is actually dead.

As for the Catholics or an religion It is that they need to know that they are not having blind Faith, now grant it this is just my opinion yet, I truly believe that.

In our minds we *WANT* to believe yet, we want confirmation as well, not sure if I am making sense.
we all have Blind Faith in something, I say that because we have not actualy *seen* God, or Satan etc...

what ever it is you want to see as a reality just for your own peace of mind that your faith in whatever / whoever is not in vain.

hell I see rabbits in the clouds LOL so who really knows why .....

Insecure, Bipolar, simians. Hiding behind elaborately erected belief systems. in an attempt to hide the fact that we might just be alone. (one opinion)

I want to believe is my by-word. I also think that scepticism is healthy. From a purely scientific point of view it is mathematically unlikely that we are alone in the universe. UFO's exist as a fact because the initialism refers to unidentified flying objects of which there are many that lack explanation, however to extrapolate that and assume that they are of extraterrestrial origin is well an assumption and may have no basis in fact.

As to magic or other spiritual phenomena. I remember what I would think of I were born a hundred or so years ago. How much of what we perceive as ordinary would be perceived as magic by someone that had not experienced such thing before, if nothing else they would at least be "wonders". In other words magic is just phenomenon thet science has yet to explain. I think the universe is meant to be mysterious so we have something to explore, ways to satisfy our curious natures. I think that once we understand one thing well we move on and find other mysteries to occupy us and as we grow in knowledge so does our spirituality and what we consider magic grows in sophistication. This is just my idea on the matter.

i think that every thing happens for a reason and that there are no accidents really for most things in life. But for what is described above may it's just an illusion sometimes created by the human brain.

i think what ever happenes to people is fate and nothing else but there are still somethings out there that other beleive in that could be true if i could see them than i would beleive them for sure

When a person approaches me with an account, initially I filter that account, and there are two potential catigories.

1. They are weaving a Yarn, and using bits from digest stories to grandize themselves.

or

2. They actually saw an observable anomily that left an impression on them.


Then those two have sub catigories,

1a; Why are they weaving a yarn?

2a

What was the conditions that led up to the observation.

Dabbler, i have to agree. it seems to me that these two points you've made break this whole thread down into two: the thread that asks why do some folk feel the need to 'big themselves up' with grandiose tales; and the thread that asks, is there some reason or some influential factor that has made one/allowed one to see the unexplainable?

people need to "big themselves up" because they are insecure in there lreal lives.

The desire to wow.. or astonish people is very strong in those who lack personality. They may have missed key development elements growing up. They have no distinguishing character so they
enhance themselves to others by fabricating experiences.

A person who witnessed something is significantly different in their account then a person who is fabricating a tale.


What may impress a peer, may not impress a person who has listened to testimony, in all accounts what is not said, is more telling (of credibility) then what is said.

true. i think that youre correct there its often silence that tells the biggest story

The scripted cadence is the give away.

after being a spooks effect artist, I learned when a person is improving to fit in, and when they witnessed the effect.

The sad thing is, is that a few people in the group witnessed something, and are relating that, while another person is fabricating so they don't feel left out, that person subtracts from the credibility of the groups testimony.

After showing the actual observers the effect that appeared to be phenomenal activity, there is a "relief' in them, while the person that fabricated will often "stick to their story'.

Of course there are always motives, one doubts ghosts or superanatural beings are likely to be swayed by gothic clothing, an assortment of quaint tatoos or piercings. As in the film the Nine Gates, I think these things may often repel true apparitions for they project a charade.Moreover it is the state of mind that is addressed, ignored or accepted as genuine.