Pareidolia
Pronunciation
- RP IPA: /pæɹ.aɪˈdəʊ.li.ə/
- US IPA: /pɛɹ.aɪˈdoʊ.li.ə/
- Rhymes: -əʊliə
Origin
From Ancient Greek; παÏα ("concurrent, alongside") + εἴδωλον ("image").
Full definition of pareidolia
Noun
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 13Pareidolia 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 81The most famous example of pareidolia is the familiar face of the Man in the Moon.