# What's the scientific term for why we see images in clouds? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195 "2007-10-27T04:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/1 "2007-10-27T04:31:32Z")
I know there’s a specific, scientific term from psychology or neuroscience that relates to the explanation of why we humans are so apt to see things like images in clouds and so forth that aren’t actually present. I just can’t recall what it is! Little help? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/2 "2007-10-27T04:33:02Z")
pattern recognition? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/3 "2007-10-27T04:52:16Z")
Are you thinking of [anthropomorphism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphism)? ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/4 "2007-10-27T05:09:46Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] pattern recognition? [/QUOTE] That’s in the ballpark, because it is an aspect of pattern recognition is involved in this. But we’re not quite there yet. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/5 "2007-10-27T05:16:05Z")
[QUOTE=MEBuckner] Are you thinking of [anthropomorphism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphism)? [/QUOTE] Thank you for your reply, but that’s not quite it either. What I’m looking for has to do with an evolved, universal neurological trait that provokes our minds into seeing patterns within ambiguous visual data, particularly patterns that are not actually present. This thing-that-I-can’t-recall not only prompts us to see human faces that aren’t actually present, but also things like that crackpot named Key claimed were sexual images in ice cubes in liquor ads (but I’m not referring to subliminal perception or the like). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/6 "2007-10-27T05:16:28Z")
signal-noise error? ---
**Author:** ![Mirasol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mirasol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirasol)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/7 "2007-10-27T05:47:15Z")
[Pareidolia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia) ? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/8 "2007-10-27T06:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=Mirasol] [Pareidolia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia) ? [/QUOTE] Looks like the answer to me. ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/9 "2007-10-27T06:31:48Z")
[QUOTE=Mirasol] [Pareidolia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia) ? [/QUOTE] Yes, that is just the term I was trying to recall. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mirasol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mirasol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirasol)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scientific-term-for-why-we-see-images-in-clouds/424195/10 "2007-10-27T06:45:08Z")
You’re welcome 🙂