It is common for people to see shapes in clouds, and it is a phenomenon known as pareidolia. Pareidolia is the tendency for the brain to perceive meaningful patterns or shapes in random stimuli, such as clouds, inkblots, or rock formations. The human brain is optimized to recognize faces, which could also explain why we are so good at picking out meaningful shapes in random patterns.
Write down what you see in each of the images presented. Indicate animals, faces, imaginary creatures, or anything else that your mind recognizes in the picture.
Art Activity: Blow paint through a straw on a piece of paper until a recognizable image emerges. Give your painting a title.
How does pareidolia relate to your recovery from a mental health challenge? Is pareidolia the same thing as a hallucination? Is there a connection between pareidolia, anxiety, and schizophrenia?
How have artists like Salvador Dali and Giuseppe Arcimboldo used pareidolia in their art? What does pareidolia teach us about human perception as it relates to mental health? Can the images we recognize help us understand ourselves and can we interpret them like we do the images in our dreams?
