Things that look like other things are often referred to as pareidolia. A vague stimulus from an image or sound is being perceived as significant. A slight pattern in an object is perceived in our brain and linked to something we know in real life, such as a face or a religious symbol. A well known example of a pareidolia is the backmasked song Stairway to Heaven. When listening to this song backwards you are supposed to hear a hidden message. These subliminal messages are often merely a creation of our brain and will not be perceived unless someone points out what we should hear. When we know what we should hear or see, our brain will adapt itself to hear the hidden message.

Pareidolia are often seen in dynamic elements of nature such as the clouds in which we see faces. Also rocks, smoke, trees and space are generous sources of pareidolia. The pareidolia effect is god's gift to religion, spiritualism and conspiracy freaks everywhere. Pareidolia are used to construct myths, legends and miracles. Best known are the Loch Ness monster, Big Foot, UFO aliens, Ghost stories and the dozen other Jesus, Maria and Allah apparitions taking place all over the world.

Other terms used to refer to things that look like other things are apohpehnia and simulacrum. Apophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data. Simulacrum is an insubstantial, superficial, or vague likeness or semblance. For the convenience I will not make a difference and call everything: "Things that look like other things".

In this post I will set up a list of the the top 20 things that look like things, otherwise known as pareidolia.

#20. Boulder with Skull image

This picture was taken in Canada in July2005 by Dr. Alex Watson in the Rockies. Found at Fortean Times: The world of strange phenomena, a website with several interesting simulacra. The skull depiction seems so real you would think it was hand crafted.

#19. Tree face

There are many pareidolia to be found in trees. Some are quite remarkable, other are just plain farfetched. Of the latter, the Lady of Watsonville is probably the best known example. The Watsonville exemplar shows the contours of Virgin Mary in an oak tree, but it takes quite some effort and comparison to actually see what the big fuss is about.

The tree depicted right here though, can't be mistaken for anything else but a genuine tree face. It's shocking this tree wasn't cast as an Ent for Lord of the rings. Credits go to Conrad Mackinnon at Forteantimes.

#18. Jesus in a tortilla

You could build a website with just religious apparitions. Everywhere in the world Jesus is being discovered on many different objects. Some see an opportunity and create a pareidolia on purpose to make money from the generous pilgrims. The Jesus in a tortilla from Mario Rubio was what started all this. In 1978 this lady was rolling a tortilla when she suddenly noticed Jesus' depiction. Soon over 8000 pilgrims flocked to her house in rural New Mexico to examine the tortilla.

To this day many other religious and non religious apparitions are discovered on many different objects. Ranging from linoleum tables to hospital windows.

#17. The enraged cloud man

When you're in a dreamy mood and you're staring at the clouds in the sky, you could be lucky enough to see a pareidolia. Cloud watching is a much beloved activity at the Cloud Appreciation Society and they couldn't be more wrong! Clouds are the best source for amazing pareidolia. This snowman-ish looking enraged creature shows much emotion as it's about to hammer an object with it's fist. Very beautiful picture by Allison Summey, captured in January 2008 in North Carolina.

#16. The Big Squeeze

Robin Simmons made this picture while hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, California. In the center you see a rock that resembles a man's head and shoulders. "It looked like he was trying to release himself from the vice-grip of the pressing boulders", Robin said at forteantimes.

#15. The Devil in Elizabeth's hair

When Elizabeth took the British throne after George VI's death, a new currency design was to be made. Released in 1954 this banknote immediately caused havoc as many saw a devil appear in Elizabeth's hair. The series of paper currency came to be known as the "Devil's head" series. Because the remarks did not stop, the bank of Canada decided in 1956 to edit the obscure hair fragment so the devil would no longer be visible.

Rumor has it the bank note was edited this way by an IRA member, but this has never been proved. This might just as well have been a coincidence.

#14. Dog stain on wall

This picture speaks for itself. If you don't see the dog, you clearly need to check your eyes. I don't have much information on this picture and could not confirm this to be a natural occurrence. The composition seems so realistic it almost has to be a man made wall print.

#13. Face from Man on Mars

If you haven't yet seen this picture or read about it, you seriously need to stop having a life. Since 1976 this has been all over the internet, on TV, in comic books and movies. This face looking mesa (a mesa is an elevated area of land with a flat top) is situated in the Cydonian region on Mars. The face has been a source for many theories of long lost Martian civilizations. Of course, theories of which none were true. Nonetheless, the idea that it is a pyramid made for an ancient Martian leader still exists.

#12. Mother Teresa Cinnamon bun apparition

The cinnamon bun that made International news.

Discovered by a customer in 1996 at The Bongo Java Coffee shop in Tennessee (USA), this apparition of Mother Teresa looks like it could easily be made on purpose. The reason it deserves spot #12 is because of its particular story.

The pareidolia attracted thousands of tourists from all over the world to Bongo's coffee shop. The shop took advantage and sold T-shirts, prayer cards and mugs with the bun's image on it. A year later in 1997, Mother Teresa herself wrote a letter kindly requesting to stop selling any merchandise with her face on it. On Christmas day 2005 the bun was stolen from the glass display in the coffee shop. The thief did not take any money, just the bun. That's an awful lot of trouble for just some flour, eggs, butter and milk.

#11. Heart shaped cloud

Love is in the air! Need I say more? Captured by Angelo Storari, from the Cloud Appreciation Society.

#10. Twin Towers Demon

Another classic and very symbolic apparition from a tragic day. This one I instantly related to the devil myself when I saw it for the first time. I was stunned! Of course, considering the pareidola theory which says that a vague stimulus is being perceived as significant, you could just as well say the smoke has a telletubbie depiction it.

#9. Face in the clouds

A perfect face, with every facial aspect present. The hair, ear, nose, mouth, chin and eyes. It even has matching shoulders to support the whole thing. Michael Poole from Scotland should definitely not stop looking at the sky, because he's shooting some nice stuff here.

#8. Rasputin in kitten's ear

Rasputin, clergyman, counselor to the Romanovs and a legendary womanizer lives on in this cat's ear. If you can't see it then first take a look at a picture of Rasputin, then look back. This cat definitely is possessed! Amazing pareidolia of a Mad Monk.

#7. Grilled Cheese Apparition

This piece of Cheese was made by Diane Duyser from Florida. She was stunned when she saw the Virgin Mary face in this little piece of cheese during the autumn of 1994. Since then many things have happened. A true mystic cult developed and a merchandising industry emerged.

In 2004 the piece of cheese was auctioned at e-bay for a mind boggling amount of 28.000$. An online casino had bought the piece of cheese to use as a promotional feature. "It had become a part of pop-culture" said the spokesman of the Golden Palace casino. It certainly did. More then 1.6 million people visited the online auction at e-bay. All this fuss, just for a pareidolia in a piece of cheese.

#6. Pig in the Clouds

Bathing in a pink light of a setting sun, this industrial smoke could definitely be a promotional stunt for Pink Floyd's album "Animals". The cover of the album also has a pig hovering over an industrial zone (though very far away). An inflatable pig is also often used as a special effects feature during Pink Floyd's concerts. Unfortunately I can't remember where I found this picture.

#5. Rock elephan

Beautiful. Nothing more to add. Taken in 2004, south of southwest Iceland. All credits go to Louise Kelly, who sent this picture to the forteantimes.

#4. Man on Mars

A picture from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a man on Mars coming from behind a cliff. Of course, this is merely an illusion, but it certainly does sparkle the imagination. This Martian pareidolia has been roaming the internet since january 3rd 2008 and certainly is a much more realistic looking sign of life coming from Mars (compared to the face on Mars, at #13). The Mars man pareidolia can be seen in full resolution at Nasa's photojournal of Mars (5MB file size).

#3. Cloud apparition: "Divine intervention".

"Divine intervention" over Canada, captured by Dev Irving.

Keimpe Bleeker took this picture of a very low hanging cloud in Friesland, The Netherlands. It looks like a face is trying to kiss the ground. Freaky cloud apparition!

#2. Darth Vader in a Nebula (Space)

The top 5 reasons why this should be #2 in top 20 pareidolia list:
5) Darth Vader is the enforcer of the Galactic Empire's rule (read: he lives in space, where this picture is taken)
4) This is a fictional character that's found in something far away from us.
3) This is not photoshopped as it's an official Nebula picture from NASA.
2) I actually did not need any guidance to know who or what is depicted right here.
1) The picture on itself is mind-boggling beautiful.

If you still have no idea what's to be seen then try this Darth Vader Nebula picture.

#1. Man in forrest

This picture was taken In North Georgia (USA) by Brenda Bowers in 2007 and posted on her blog "Ghost and Angel Pictures". The combination of the natural elements (trees, sun, reflection and water) create a one time apparition in which you undeniably see a man's face. Since a lot of pareidolia are religiously inspired, I can't help but see Jesus' face.

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Sources:

All the pictures come from 3rd party websites. I thank all of those for providing these images.

• http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org
• http://skepdic.com/pareidol.html
• http://www.miraclesofislam.com/
• http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
• http://www.forteantimes.com/community/photos/
• http://ghostpicture.blogspot.com/2007/07/simulacra-jesus-at-sunse.html
• and many other sites