# Seeing objects in the clouds . . . .

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804 "2004-12-08T20:06:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/1 "2004-12-08T20:06:36Z")

</div>

Is there a word to identify the apparently subconcious desire to see “things” in the shapes formed by clouds . . . and I don’t mean actual objects such as birds, airplanes, skydivers, skyscrapers, treetops mountain tops, alien motherships, etc.? Clouds aren’t the only places were things are “seen” (the Virgin Mary’s appearance in a grilled cheese is another example, although I don’t want to limit this to Marian apparitions). I ask this because it woud seem to me that such word could then be applied to folks who look at siutations and “see” things that simply aren’t there or that are merely resemble what they think they see.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/2 "2004-12-08T20:24:49Z")

</div>

I could be wrong, but I’ve always thought the word [simulacra](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=simulacra) was used in that sense.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/3 "2004-12-08T20:28:30Z")

</div>

> [@psycat90](#):
>
> I could be wrong, but I’ve always thought the word [simulacra](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=simulacra) was used in that sense.

The request was for a word for the desire to see not the image seen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/4 "2004-12-08T20:49:04Z")

</div>

[Pareidolia](http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pareidolia)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/5 "2004-12-08T20:54:56Z")

</div>

> [@Peter Morris](#):
>
> [Pareidolia](http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pareidolia)

Dibs on “Pareidolia” for a character name!!

Awesome name for, say… a female halfling bard.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/6 "2004-12-08T20:58:57Z")

</div>

> [@Peter Morris](#):
>
> [Pareidolia](http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pareidolia)

you are the man. muchos gracias. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pyrrthon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@pyrrthon1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyrrthon1)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/7 "2004-12-08T21:03:24Z")

</div>

Great word! I just added it to my vocabulary.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/8 "2004-12-08T21:09:53Z")

</div>

> [@bughunter](#):
>
> … Awesome name for, say… a female halfling bard.

who specialises in casting illusions.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/9 "2004-12-08T22:02:55Z")

</div>

> [@OldGuy](#):
>
> The request was for a word for the desire to see not the image seen.

Ahh, indeed it was. Well, I need to not be so hasty in my reading (at work.) 😉 And, I’d actually never heard that word. I like it.!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-objects-in-the-clouds/278804/10 "2004-12-08T22:17:42Z")

</div>

> [@shijinn](#):
>
> who specialises in casting illusions.

Nay, _simulacra_.