pareidolia (pair-i-DOH-lee-uh)
noun. optical illusion involving the perception of a familiar pattern or meaning where it does not actually exist.
Pareidolia can be seeing a bunny in the clouds, Hitler in a teapot, Jesus in a chapatti, or whatever you want in an inkblot.
Landscape, however, provides some beautiful examples of pareidolia. And now, thanks to the geniuses at Google, NASA, and the makers of some facial-recognition software, they’re fun to find.

Photographs by NASA/JPL

Photograph by NASA/JPL/MSSS

Photograph by Jeffrey Joseph, courtesy Wikimedia. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Jeffrey Joseph at the wikipedia project. This applies worldwide.

Screenshot from Google Maps, 47°47’17.2″N 132°22’58.8″E

Screenshot from Google Maps, 50°00’37.76″ N 110 07’00.86″W

Photograph by Parigot, courtesy Wikimedia. I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide.

Photograph by Ekamaloff, courtesy Wikimedia. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, I, Ekamaloff. This applies worldwide.

Screenshot from Google Maps, 62°50’57.1″N 156°23’27.6″E
Take a look at some everyday pareidolia here. (That Norwegian snowman is unbelievable—but apparently real!)
Fantastic images, Pareidolia in Trees check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/ronswoodspirits/
Thanks Nat geo for sharing such cool images… Pereidolia is such a nice thing… Make any kind of image in your mind maybe I can say “it gives shape to our thoughts “….
Reblogged this on Madhubanitutor.com and commented:
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Also, Sleeping Giant on Kaua’i: http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/regions-neighborhoods/east-side/sleeping-giant and Queen Victoria’s profile on Kaua’i, looking over Nawiliwili: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_photos/4087311974/
Ah! Those are terrific examples of pareidolia, Elena! I love the Sleeping Giant just snoozing in the sunshine. Or rain.