pareidolia
noun
par·ei·do·lia ˌper-ˌī-ˈdō-lē-ə 
-ˈdōl-yə
: the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern
The scientific explanation for some people is pareidolia, or the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness. Think of the Rorschach inkblot test.
Pamela Ferdinand
compare apophenia Pamela Ferdinand
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The second experiment was similar, except both real faces and pareidolia images were randomly combined in the trials. Jennifer Ouellette, Wired, 14 July 2021 Because of its trademark kidney grille, BMW's cars always suffer from pareidolia. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Sep. 2017 This photo is just the latest in a long list of odd objects that have caused excited viewers to fall foul of the phenomenon of pareidolia. Fox News, 30 June 2017
Jennifer Ouellette, Wired, 14 July 2021 Because of its trademark kidney grille, BMW's cars always suffer from pareidolia. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Sep. 2017 This photo is just the latest in a long list of odd objects that have caused excited viewers to fall foul of the phenomenon of pareidolia. Fox News, 30 June 2017 Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Pareidolie, from Greek par- para- entry 1 + eídōlon "image, reflection" + German -ie -ia entry 1 — more at idol
First Known Use
1962, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
pareidolia
noun
par·ei·do·lia ˌper-ˌī-ˈdōl-ē-ə, -ˈdōl-yə
: the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful, image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern
The human brain is optimized to recognize faces, which could also explain why we are so good at picking out meaningful shapes in random patterns. This phenomenon, pareidolia, could be responsible for a host of otherwise unexplained sightings, such as the face of the Virgin Mary on a toasted cheese sandwich. New Scientist
compare apophenia New Scientist