Pareidolia is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none.
(Given an image of jellyfish swimming, the DeepDream program can be encouraged to "see" dogs)
Research suggests that this helps explain why people are often so quick and unhesitating to identify a few lines and a circle as a "face." Cognitive processes are activated by "face-like" objects that alert the observer to the subject's emotional state and identity, even before the conscious mind begins to process or even receive information. For example, threatening a person, thereby providing an opportunity for the individual to escape or preempt a pre-emptive attack. This ability, while highly specialized for the processing and recognition of human emotions, also helps determine how wild animals behave.
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