Pareidolia

noun

par·​ei·​do·​lia | \ ˌper-ˌī-ˈdō-lē-ə , -ˈdōl-yə \

Definition: the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.

...the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness. Think of the Rorschach inkblot test or cloud formations resembling a familiar shape.

-Merriam-Webster

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I've been fascinated by the psychological phenomenon behind that arcane word as long as I can remember.

I must've been 6 years old, staring at a draping piece of cloth from the bunk bed over me, the room was pitch dark and silent, and despite knowing there was nothing there, I could "see" a face.‌‌

Some years later, I stumbled upon the definition of the phenomenon, and I instantly remembered that experience.

Arguably, most of what we call reality is a convoluted and precarious interpretation of random facts and beliefs that we piece together through our subjective perception at that particular moment.

The events you observe may seem accurate and chronological, but it's not entirely clear to our minds what the differences are between what is real and what seems real to us.

After a traumatic experience, we could be in a perfectly safe environment but still suffer from the recoil of that experience. Similarly, you could be in an arguably bad situation, but your mental framework can hold you up.

This blog is an attempt to set aside the pervasive modern cynicism that I can sense in myself and build that mental framework from a place of curiosity and wonder.