Ghosts, Magic, and Pareidolia

We see things that don’t exist, we do things that don’t make a difference, and we believe in things that are fantasy. Why? Don’t we know better? As always, the logical answer is yes, but as humans, we are not ruled by sense of logic and rationality. It just feels better sometimes. A dog probably knows he shouldn’t ruin his owner’s new shoes, but sometimes he just can’t help it. Yes, I just compared us to dogs.  

We can’t help but be a little bit superstitious. This is when we feel that an illusory cause-and-effect relationship exists. This can be caused by any number of things such as conditioning. It gives us a sense of control and certainty about the world and thus the feeling that we can affect outcomes for ourselves. This may not be true, but it’s a comforting and secure feeling versus feeling that we are at the mercy of the universe’s randomness.

We can’t help but have some magical thoughts. This provides a sense of certainty in that we are able to process and understand the unexplainable— even if it is incorrect. For some of us, magical thinking arises because we are rather intuitive thinkers versus reflective thinkers—intuitive thinkers go with their gut reaction and make connections and assumptions more naturally.

We can’t help but see faces in toast, butter, and clouds. Why is that? Because of pareidolia, which is the human tendency to see patterns, especially faces, in random static noise. We see them because they help us survive and thrive—quicker pattern recognition led to quicker hunting, killing, and thinking. Now that we don’t need to think in those terms most of the time, pareidolia still occurs because we are always trying to make sense of the world by comparing it to old knowledge we possess and seeing what preexisting models it might fit.

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Brain Blunders: Uncover Everyday Illusions and Fallacies, Defeat Your Flawed Thinking Habits, And Think Smarter (Or Just Less Stupidly) By Peter Hollins

Get the audiobook on Audible at https://bit.ly/brain-blunders

Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home

Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://www.PeteHollins.com to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.

For narration information visit Russell Newton at https://bit.ly/VoW-home

For production information visit Newton Media Group LLC at https://bit.ly/newtonmg