Blink To See

Awaken the Instinct

Such an interesting word:

Pareidolia

We've all experienced it before. When you see an animal or face in the clouds, that coathook that looks like an angry octopus, or a tree stump you swear keeps smiling at you. That instinct exists in all of us and it's called Pareidolia!

Learn more about pareidolia

So many benefits from

Pareidolia Responses

Observations change dramatically when awakening the normally dormant instinct called pareidolia. It puts in motion an ability to see and smell familiar objects in unfamiliar places, offering a treasure of responses that can help you in your everyday life!

See how the responses can help you

Keep at it

Practice Makes Perfect

Using the pareidolia instinct stimulates the development of noteworthy applications. Current initiatives include explorations in the fields of therapy, education, medicine and nature applications. Practicing pareidolia has been shown to help trigger memories, stimulate writing, encourage exercise, and promote socialization and sharing.

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Understand pareidolia's

Multiple Directions

Scientists for hundreds of years used the pareidolia instinct for recognizing early signs of diseases such as Parkinson's, Lewy Body, schizophrenia and dementia. It enables the understanding of neurological conditions and visual processing. Artists use the hidden images that can challenge observers and trigger emotions. Formations are used to interpret religious orientations. And the gaming community uses it for engaging and immersive experiences.

Check out some publications about pareidolia

Get in contact for

Guest Speaking

Author and photographer, Pat Bernstein, shares her story following brain surgery after discovering the natural ability of noticing alternative images while hiking in the woods. Photographing these images led to an exhibition at the American Visionary Art Museum, the initiating of new research direction at Johns Hopkins Medicine, introducing the instinct to visitors at the Irvine Nature Center, lesson plans developed for public school classes, and incentivizing management to apply the skill for staff integration. She is available for speaking engagements.

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Have questions?

So, what is pareidolia?

...and how do I learn how to do it?

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a stimulus (usually an image) when the mind perceives a familiar pattern or shape of something where none actually exists. It is a form of illusion. Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations, shadows, comical appearances of religious figures on toasts and other everyday objects.

Eyes wide open

Seeing recognizable shapes in your surroundings is like turning pages in a book and becoming aware of something new. Common is the experience recognizing faces or animal formations in clouds. Unrecognized is linking the sighting with the scientific identification of using the instinct defined as pareidolia: the ability to see and hear familiar images in unrelated places. A wonderful resource for these images can be found walking in the woods with nature's carving on trees, rocks and mud piles waiting to be noticed.

Learn more about pareidolia

Reading into the Responses

In the 1800's scientists used the recognition of the alternative images as signals for diseases e.g. Parkinson's, Lewy Bodies, schizophrenia, and dementia. To date, no studies incorporate responses when pareidolia is activated.

The pareidolia instinct promotes thinking outside the box and creates noteworthy applications of these responses. Scientists previously used the ability to see pareidolia images as signals for varying diseases. We are now developing awareness and applications using the responses that produce useful outcomes. Associate with pareidolia sightings is feeling satisfaction with a smile. Now stretching that experience generates responses that can be used in therapy, medicine, nature and education. And that message needs to be told.

Observable responses when pareidolia images are recognized:

  • Produces smiles of satisfaction
  • Encourages sharing experiences
  • Inspires writing
  • Enables artwork applications
  • Triggers memories
  • Stimulates inventive activities
  • Engages intergenerational exchanges
  • Gives excuses for walking
  • Builds one's confidence
  • Applicable for all ages
  • Activity for physical & mental limits
Did you know?

Thanks, NASA!

NASA circulated a press release showing the surface of Mars with a look-alike image of Beaker, a character from The Muppet Show. This similar image was identified with the scientific word: pareidolia, defined as our ability to see familiar objects in unfamiliar places. Nestled in the right lobe of our brain, once activated this instinct enhances our ability to notice these familiar formations in natural surroundings.

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Publications

From Pat Bernstein's book to medical journals to online publications there's quite a lot to talk about with pareidolia and its benefits.

Read about more pareidolia publications