pareidolia
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Ancient Greek; παρα (para, “amiss, wrong”) + εἴδωλον (eidōlon, “image”).
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
pareidolia (countable and uncountable; plural pareidolias)
- 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.
- 1993, Raymond Moody, with Paul Perry, Reunions: Visionary encounters with departed loved ones, page 13
- Pareidolia underlies several forms of divination.
- 2006, Steve W. Martin, Heavy Hitter Selling: How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy, page 150,
- 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."
- 2010, Rick Emmer, Loch Ness Monster: Fact Or Fiction?, page 81
- The most famous example of pareidolia is the familiar face of the Man in the Moon.
- 1993, Raymond Moody, with Paul Perry, Reunions: Visionary encounters with departed loved ones, page 13
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
tendency to interpret vague stimuli as something familiar
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