“Pareidolia” is a term given to the human tendency to find patterns where none are understood to exist. In the world of the paraweird, it’s typically used to disprove images or audio of so-called “paranormal” experiences. The most basic example is seeing a face in the clouds, or a rock that looks like a celebrity, but can also include things like Electronic Voice Phenomenon. It’s almost always wielded dismissively by skeptics and critics; “that’s just pareidolia, it’s not real. If you think you see a face in that tree, you’re crazy.” This concept has also been used to widely dismiss things like Astrology, Divination, and a significant amount of religious/spiritual experience.
I think it’s worth unpacking this a little more, because I believe there are attitudes on display here that illustrate deeper problems within the way we interact with our world, with implications.
Here’s something you might not know: seeing patterns in things is normal. It’s how humanity has survived for so long. This is pretty mainstream stuff here. It has an evolutionary purpose if you want to see it from that angle; that face you’re seeing in the bushes might be a leopard or bear that’s stalking you and your friends. If some humans weren’t able to find patterns where others didn’t, we wouldn’t have things like medicine, astronomy, seismology. There are excellent reasons to see “patterns that aren’t there.”
As this is the case, why is pareidolia considered dismissible at best, or pathological in the extreme?
Can you guess?
Can you?
It’s because of a Nazi.
Seriously. Here’s the story in three parts (clicking the images will bring you to the text pages on Wikipedia):
So a Nazi scientist decided that “the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things” isn’t “normal” human behavior, it’s evidence of the beginning stages of schizophrenia.
This isn’t to disparage mental health, psychiatry, or psychology (although it’s always good to disparage Nazis); however, it’s kind of interesting to break down this idea a little bit and ask some questions:
- Who decides which “nebulous patterns” are “real?”
- What determines the value or meaning of a pattern experienced this way?
- What about cultures in which finding patterns in this fashion aren’t just normal, but are part of daily existence?
- Can non-real “entities” (a la Liminal Ecology) manifest as patterns that some people can learn to recognize?
There aren’t any super-duper clear answers to these questions, but I personally believe that our lack of ability to engage with these questions is a huge factor in our current struggle with the impacts of climate change and our lack of a relationship with our ecosystems. Cultures in which ecology is participatory, whether ancient or modern, understand that by finding patterns where others don’t see them, whether they appear as faces in the wood or as patterns in the flights of birds, can be a healthy way to interact with “the Life Force,” however it’s defined. A culture that is NOT dismissive of someone seeing a spirit in the face in a tree, or a message in the clouds, or a salamander dancing in a campfire, is far less likely to destroy the *very alive* ecosystem in which they are a component.
You’re less likely to cut down a grove of trees if you see Dryads in the patterns in the wood. You’re also more likely to act on major decisions more thoughtfully if you consult the patterns in a Tarot deck before making them. For all of the disdain much of modern society places on these ideas and on this way of interacting with the world, it’s difficult to argue that our current way of life is doing a better job at taking care of everyone and everything.
Unfortunately, these very reasonable behaviors are now pathology. And there are some very real dangers in seeing patterns without any kind of context or discernment! In paranormal investigation culture, it leads to an obsession with finding the demonic in everything, or “ghost bros” exploring the same places over and over, or claims that fear/hatred/evil/etc. are the primary drivers behind paranormal phenomenon. If all you see are scary ghosts, that’s all you’re going to find.
But on a social level it’s even worse. Dangerous conspiracy theories, MAGA/Q, racism and prejudice, “synchromysticism” of the Secret Sun variety (it’s a website I won’t honor with a link), herba/pesti -cide culture, the complex meanderings of capitalist economics– these all have measurable and observable negative impacts on our world, many of which are part of our current society’s terminal diagnosis.
However, are these problematic examples proof that pareidolia is “wrong,” or are they more proof that we’ve lost our ability to do it right? Or, in other words, the ability to see patterns where “there are none” isn’t the pathology; it’s what we choose to DO with those patterns that determines their value.
So how DO we do it right?
As a society, it’s likely too late. We’re essentially in palliative care mode at the moment. That’s a big part of the problem with the approaches listed above, especially of the Conspiracy Theory/MAGA/Q variety. It’s all doomcore. Doom-ination. Finger pointing and blame. It’s seeing evil entities where there are none, and marginalized communities suffer as a consequence.
But, on a personal level it’s easy, and should be FUN. It takes a few adjustments to the way we interact with our surroundings, and it takes learning to do a few things differently on a daily basis, but following these simple steps not only will allow you to embrace pareidolia as a practice, it will help you get better and better at recognizing your place in your local ecology. These aren’t presented in any particular order but hopefully they’ll help you in your own explorations of pareidolia.
- Address “Things” as Persons:
The best way to change the way you think about something is to get into the habit of changing the way you speak. Instead of speaking of plants, animals, stones, soil, water, the sky as things, if we change the way we address them, we can begin to understand them as self-existing entities with their own methods of expression, their own needs, and own contributions to the whole system. Our relationships with other people are different, more valuable, deeper than our relationships with mere “things” that can be “harvested” or exploited or owned. So if you see a “face” in a tree and it helps you think of that tree as a person, that’s GOOD. - Name the Spirits Around You:
Specific locations, trees, or rocks have names that reflect their unique spirit. You can develop a deeper connection by naming special places, trees, or animals in your local area. Speak to them by name, acknowledge their presence, and treat them as individuals with inherent value. Don’t know their name? Ask them! - Learn About Your Neighbors:
Get to know your local ecology. What lives there? What kind of are in the local soil? What kind of clouds are in the sky and what do they mean? Don’t judge– don’t think in terms of “invasive” or “weedy” or “native;” simply think in terms of What Is Present. - Offer Gratitude:
When you interact with nature or objects, practice gratitude. Thank the tree for its shade, the water for its nourishment, or the tool for its utility. Thank your laptop for letting you connect with your online friends. Thank your fridge for keeping your food fresh. Simple verbal acknowledgments or mental notes of thanks help you form a respectful relationship with the world. Once you begin to establish this relationship, the patterns will become clearer, and the spirits will speak with you more often. - Make Talismans:
Keep objects with you that remind you of entities. These could be stones, leaves, or other natural items you’ve gathered with care. Craft lil’ friends and put them in your garden as tutelary spirits. Carry some with you or set up a space in your living quarters to display them. Or, why not both? Make talismans out of found objects or ‘trash.’ Glue googly eyes on EVERYTHING. - Learn to “Read” Nature:
Read everything you can get your hands on by Tristan Gooley. Learn to predict the weather through simple observation. Learn what trees can show you based on where they’re growing, what shape they are, how they move in the wind. Learn how to find water, how to observe animals, how to listen to the wind. - Practice Divination:
Tarot, Astrology, etc. are good, but also the study of natural divination methods like augury, omens, the Liminal Spirit Oracle. They’re all patterns, and the ones you can learn from the I Ching have just the same import as the messages left in the asemic patterns insects make in tree bark. - Have Fun, Embrace Wonder:
Most of the entities you’ll start to discover are cool lil’ guys, like the cutest and weirdest spirits from Studio Ghibli movies. Some might be more mysterious or secretive. Some are ancient, wise, and even dangerous. Exploring these things should be FUN. Interacting with them is NEAT. There’s a reason kids are better at it that adults, as cliche as that might be– doing these things means encountering and embracing wonder. - Teach Other People:
Kids, especially, LOVE having pareidolic fun. Take walks with open-minded friends and start introducing this way of thinking to people who might embrace it. Write down your experiences and let people read them. Share and Enjoy!
These are some basic ideas, of course, but it’s difficult to argue that, as long as you practice these things with a spirit of fun and wonder, you’ll find yourself with a new kind of way to sense the world around you. This is all pretty cursory at this point, but well-established enough that if you’re interested, I hope you’ll take it to heart. I’ll be writing about these subjects a lot, because I honestly think that if we (meaning Anglo-colonial capitalism) hadn’t abandoned this way of thinking and interacting with the world, our kids would have a much better chance of surviving into the future.
I mentioned the Liminal Spirit Oracle up above. This is a system we developed at Liminal Earth that allows you to communicate with your entire ecosystem. Here’s a vid that explains it a little bit. I’m working on a revised, updated edition and hope to have it available sometime relatively soon, but if you’d like a PDF copy, contact me and we can work something out!
@liminalearth Jeremy explains how the Liminal Spirit Oracle can help you communicate with your yard or local nature space. #divination #witchtok #tarot #occult