29+ Cases of Pareidolia We Can't Unsee

Culture

| LAST UPDATE 04/05/2022

By Tiana Blanco

Pareidolia is the tendency for our eyes to become deceived when we spot a meaningful image within an otherwise meaningless object. Here are hilarious instances of this phenomenon that made us do a double-take.

Sneezing Kitten

It may not be so noticeable at first, because, well, we can't take our eyes off the sweet puppy eyes. But if we look closer (and a little more in the southern region), the case of pareidolia becomes obvious.

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Reddit via u/VintageRice

The white section on this black dog eerily resembled his infamous arch-nemesis animal - a cat. But not just an ordinary cat, it's a sneezing kitty! The funny image was posted on Reddit and quickly received many reactions. One user wrote, "Bless you, dog chest kitty."

A Sweet Elephant

It's clear a professional baker didn't bake this delicious sweet treat because otherwise, the batter probably wouldn't have spilled out and created such an interesting pareidolia case. The cupcake has accidentally been formed into the shape of an elephant.

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Reddit via u/Skyblue_Monty

The dessert even has a long trunk, body, head, and to complete it all, there's even an eye. "If someone could do that on purpose every time, it could be the next trendy thing," one Reddit user commented about their idea. We can't lie - animal-shaped cupcakes sound like a good party theme to us!

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Rusty the Dog

It's common for many cases of pareidolia to appear in wood, thanks to the many lines that it has. But less than often is there a chance that people have spotted faces or familiar shapes in rust. That was until this Reddit user stumbled upon this coincidence.

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Reddit via u/XiaoRJ

While at first glance, the image may look like a puppy, it is, in fact, not. "A cute dog, but actually just rust," the person who shared the picture said in the caption. Rust that was formed on what looks like a restroom wall accidentally turned into the shape of the furry friend. Reddit users even began calling the dog "Rusty."

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Lizard on a Slope

It's not so rare for lizards to be spotted hanging out on the sides of mountains. Yet there is something quite different amount this reptile... he's formed out of snow! Despite looking practically identical to the real green animal, this lizard just looks like he's one.

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Reddit via u/mcspecies

But in reality, he is probably just what was left behind on a snowy mountain top. A Reddit user named SisterAimee explained, "That lizard looks like the remains of a blizzard." And let's just say they're probably right because (hopefully) there isn't really a lizard that big!

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Twinning Dog & Banana

While many furry pets may accidentally start looking like their owners, it's not usual for the fruits in people's homes to resemble their animals! Except that wasn't the case when it came to this person who stumbled across a slice of banana that looked identical to their puppy.

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imgur via cloudyaero

The two even have the same facial expressions! With the sunken in dark eyes and unhappy looking frown, it's difficult to comprehend this was an unplanned accident. But we can't deny that it is pretty hilarious. Although based on this dog's face, it doesn't seem like he thinks so.

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Dragon in Driftwood

This driftwood doesn't just look like a piece of wood. Perdolia has us seeing a completely different object. If we look closely, we can spot a dark eye on a large head that resembles an imagined creature: a dragon. And once our eyes have seen the animal, we can't go back to seeing it as anything else.

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Reddit via u/MarliePwns

And we're not the only ones who think so. After a Reddit user shared the image on the platform, another user commented, "This is one of those things I would never spot, but I can't unsee now that I've seen it." Even the lower area of the wood makes it seem like the dragon has teeth!

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The Egg Shell Snail

Believe it or not, this picture is not of a very white snail. In fact, it's actually not of a snail at all! The thing pareidolia does to our perception is fascinating because this image is actually of a broken hard-boiled egg - one that happened to break in all the right places.

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Reddit via u/monkeyman9608

Because this protein-filled snack somehow formed not just the hard shell (literally) of the small insect but also the snail's head and even its eyes! How remarkable. One Reddit user teased, "Friendly little snail has decided to come out of his shell," and another cracked a joke, "So which came first, the egg or the snail?"

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The Fruit Goddess

The inner white pith of oranges typically forms weird shapes, but it's not so often that those shapes eerily resemble a familiar image! Except that was what happened when this Imgur user opened up the fruit to enjoy a delicious snack. The inside of the orange looked nearly identical to the shape of women - but not just any woman.

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Imgur via brianingram

The white parts look like the goddess Venus, and it seems like many users on the social media platform thought the same thing. One person commented,  "Praise the sun!" While another gave the orange figure the name "Flame Princess." In our opinion, that nickname truly does fit the picture!

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Dancing Projector

Although this projector is not a real-life living thing, this specific one sure does look like he has a pep in his step! Because with those flying arms and legs and even the eyes, nose, and mouth, we can't help but perceive this object as a dancing projector!

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Reddit via u/claporga

Many Reddit users commented on how graceful the ballerina-looking projector was. "That thing looks adorable," one person commented. "I know! I want to SQUISH him," another replied. But while others that he was so cute, others thought it was hilarious, "Can't...stop...laughing."

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Smiley Car

This pareidolia case is not difficult to spot, one quick glance at this image and all we can see is a face. In fact, it's actually hard to imagine that it's anything but. Except in reality, what we're looking at in the picture is a car... a very happy car indeed.

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reddit via u_nearpractical

The way that the "eyes" have formed makes this face look like it's giving us a smirk. And thanks to the shape of the mouth that the snow has created on the car, the smug is even more prominent. And, of course, we can forget about the tiny nose that happened to perfectly land in the middle of the face!

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The Sorting Cone

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise may see something other than a cone after looking at this picture. The way the orange traffic cone was smashed down accidentally left it with indents that happen to look nearly identical to the shape of a face! But those who have seen the wizardry world series may see it as a specific face.

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Reddit via u/tiatiaaa89

It looks like The Sorting Hat, which in the movies told all the kids of the wizard school to which Hogwarts table they belonged. It seems like this cone isn't just in charge of where people cross on the street but also of our favorite wizards' destinies. One Reddit user even named it "The Categorizing Cone." LOL.

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Catty Cup of Tea

Many are arguably already familiar with latte art that is enjoyed by coffee drinkers. But unfortunately, those who prefer a cup of tea don't usually get fun designs on top of their warm beverage. That was until this Reddit user came along, who looked down their drink and noticed a small kitty.

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Reddit via u/HowAboutNo69

Of course, there wasn't a real cat in the tea, but instead, the bubbles came together to coincidentally form the shape of the furry animal. How adorable! Many users of the app started to crack jokes about the happy accident. "It looks shocked," one person wrote, "Because its tail fell off!" another replied.

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Surprised Doorknob

It looks like this doorknob wasn't so thrilled that someone had pulled off their handle! With the open shocked mouth and its wide eyes, pareidolia makes it look like this object has a stunned facial expression. We have the perfect placement of the nails and dents to thank for that.

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Reddit via u/MonsterPooper

And, of course, the Reddit user who accidentally yanked just a tad too hard. "Pulled the door handle off, and he was as shocked as I was," the user captioned their post. Quickly the hilarious responses started rolling in, to which the user who posted the pic answered, "Like stealing a dummie/pacifier from a baby."

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The Prickly Dinosaur

We all know that dinosaurs have been extinct for hundreds of years, but this cactus has us second-guessing that. The giant plant isn't just the same height as the large dinos were, but the shape of its branches makes it look like it has the same mouth and the arm length of a T-rex.

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Reddit via u/P10_WRC

But it's not just the abnormally tiny arms that both the cactus and tyrannosaurus rex share - it's also the fact that both the plant and the animal have a green color. It's almost like it was meant to be! Sometimes pareidolia provides us with hilarious things to look at.

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Pole Dancers

No... not that kind of pole dancer. These two poles have accidentally tipped over in a way that makes it like the two are swaying away. The chains seem to be the arms thanks to pareidolia, and the lower pole looks like she's doing the infamous dance move, the dip.

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Reddit via u/Axel-Magoche

The Reddit user who shared the funny coincidence they stumbled upon captioned the pic,  "I wonder which song was on." And honestly, we, too, have been wondering the same thing. But, luckily another user offered a punny suggestion, "The chains of love." That sounds about right!

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A Feeding Mother

Some cases of pareidolia end up looking adorable, but in other instances, the outcomes created by nature are just pure comedy! For example, these rock formations can be perceived as a baby infant eating his dinner - with the tiny little nose, closed eyes, and puckered up lips.

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Reddit via u/xaeminn

The resemblance is so uncanny that once it's been spotted, it's almost hard to unsee it. After sharing the picture on Reddit, many users began commenting with their funny jokes, with one person teasing that the baby seemed to be "kinda old to be breastfed." LOL.

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Knee Twins

Who knew that body parts other than our face could look like...well, a face. But as it turns out, thanks to the evidence of this picture, our knees are capable of looking like they have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth! And if that is not convincing enough, the circles around the features make it look like an actual head.

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Reddit via u/plazma421

When Reddit user, plazma421, noticed these women's knees, they couldn't help but snap a pic and share it with the social media platform. "She's having twins," they captioned the image, referring to both knees having identical faces. Honestly, they look more similar than some real twins out there!

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The Sleepy Chair

Arguably we are all too familiar with the worn-out feeling after having a long day. The second we enter our homes, all we really want to do is to slump into a comfy position on our favorite chair. But, after we saw this picture, we can't help but wonder where does the tired furniture go-to for its relaxing time?

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Instagram via @thirddegreebernie

This red seat looks like he had a rough day, and all he wanted was to crouch down and chill. And honestly, can we really blame him? It's probably draining having many humans sit on the chair all the time! One Instagram user joked on the original post,  "Sometimes chairs need to sit down too."

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Faucet Face

We wonder if the architect of this sink placed the faucet and the handle in that exact position for a reason. Because one quick glance at this sink and it looks exactly like a face, a very concerned face as a matter of fact. Pareidolia has our eyes convinced the opening is a mouth, and the nozzles are two eyes.

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Reddit via u/HashTheDankEngine

"And that's when I stopped washing my hands," one Reddit user teased about the sink. "My nose in the springtime," added another person, referring to the season's allergy that often makes people have very runny noses. The jokes kept coming in, with one user writing, "Get the guy a tissue." LOL.

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Face In The Soda

If we were handed this cup of soda, we would have probably freaked out. And we're pretty certain that's what happened to the Reddit user when they spotted a creepy face lingering inside their pop! We have to be honest, we got chills looking at this picture.

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Reddit via u/HOOKMAN-BUTTZ

But luckily, it's not a real floating face - it is yet another haunting case of pareidolia! Our perception was altered thanks to the perfect placement of the shadows that made it look like there was a set of eyes, a nose, and a mouth inside the fizzy drink.

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A Rock With Teeth

It's not too common to run into an animate object that resembles a living creature. So when we do, many of us stop what we're doing and snap a picture of the remarkable cases of pareidolia. Luckily for us, this person didn't forget to take a picture of this incredible rock that happens to look like a shark!

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Reddit via u/gdarb

Somehow nature created many white marks on the grey rock that ended up forming the exact shape of a set of pointy teeth. The design looked nearly identical to a set of real shark teeth. So, of course, users of Reddit who stumbled upon the picture were stunned to see what this random rock looked like.

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A "Crack" On The Floor

The word 'crack' has various meanings, and while this image may make it look like we're referring to the less kid-friendly meaning, we're actually talking about a dent in the ground. But ironically enough, the cracks on the floor somehow formed into the shape of the other definition. LOL.

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Reddit via u/abdlforever

The picture, which was shared on Reddit, made users remember a former episode of The Simpsons. "It feels like I'm wearing nothing at all, nothing at all! nothing at all!" one person joked. "Stupid sexy Flander," another teased, referring to the funny cartoon character.

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Croc & Cola

Ever since Coca-Cola started placing their bubbly drink into soda cans, many people have unexpectedly opened their drinks to find shocking items inside. And that is what the Reddit user who opened this beverage up thought was happening to them. So, they quickly snapped a pic.

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Reddit via u/wikings2

One look, and we can't unsee the alligator looking back at us. Except, of course, such a large animal couldn't possibly fit in such a small can, making this a hilarious case of pareidolia. "Croc a Cola," one person commented about the misshaped bubbled.

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Stick Dog

By now, arguably, most of us are familiar with the metaphor "A man's best friend." The figure of speech is often spoken about puppies, and after seeing this image, it's truer than ever. This stick somehow was naturally carved to resemble a dog, allowing any person to lean on it for support.

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Reddit via u/anonymous

Once this image was uploaded to Reddit, the people on the platform quickly got started doing what they do best: creating hilarious jokes. "To fetch the stick, I must become the stick," one user teased. While another wasn't as creative - but equally as amusing - commenting, "Bark!"

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Scared Peppers

Let's just say if we were the ones who opened the fridge to these three terrifying bell peppers, we would have quickly shut that door! By looking at these items for even just a few seconds, our eyes are believed to be looking at three screaming peppers!

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Imgur via kabloona

With their black beady eyes, teeth that are actually seeds (which is why they are technically a fruit), and their extremely wide opened mouths, it's hard to imagine someone not getting scared of these guys. And we find it quite ironic considering the fact that such sweet peppers accidentally look horrifying.

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Alien Looking Rock

Rocks are no newbie when it comes to pareidolia. These stones are very often weirdly shaped, and they end up looking like something they aren't. But this specific one that was found along a beach takes the cake for the craziest rock creation. It eerily resembled an alien.

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Reddit via u/mattythedog

From the pearl shape of the head, the creepy-looking eyes, and the missing nose and mouth, it's no doubt this rock is weird-looking. Especially the spiral design inside the pupil is what makes the inanimate object look so much like an extraterrestrial being. Maybe it's a remnant left behind by a UFO…? LOL.

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The Green Dragon

If we were the ones who stumbled upon this remarkable coincidence, we honestly would have had a fright. Because before doing a double-take this greenery looks basically exactly like an intimidating dragon! The extremely open wide mouth is what really gives it that scary factor.

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Reddit via u/nelad1234

But as it turns out, this is just another case of pareidolia because, in reality, dragons don't exist, and this is just a tree! But with that extra moss that is coating the "dragon's" body, it looks even more mythical and like a character straight out of a movie.

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A Perfect Self Portrait

We have to admit, we think this is one of the funnier pareidolia cases around. Because not only does this leaf have a shape that looks practically identical to a bird - the creator of the portrait was actually a bird itself, which remarkably made this an accidental self-portrait!

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Reddit via u/Koda_Has_A_Top_Hat

Yup, that's right, the flying pigeon pooped itself onto a leaf! "Pigeon poops portrait of itself on a leaf," wrote a Reddit user named Daniel Mason, who left a silly comment, "This isn't necessarily the best bird art I've seen, but it's certainly number two..." Okay, that made us LOL.

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The Hidden Lion

Next up on the list is quite an extraordinary coincidence because this pareidolia case mixes two very different species! While the grasshopper is easily spotted in the image, if we take a closer look (and a bit more in the southern area), another meaningful image can be seen.

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Reddit via u/opi_q

This insect's belly looks like it has a lion that is wearing sunglasses. That's one snazzy-looking cat, if we do say so ourselves. Especially because humans spent loads of money trying to get tattoos to look as cool as that, but all this grasshopper had to do was be born. What a lucky bug.

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A Baked Potato, Literally

While we may have to turn our heads sideways to get the full effect of this pareidolia case, this potato looks like it may be literally baked. The wrinkles and indents that the vegetable has have made him look as though it's the face of someone who is quite tired - and probably feeling in the mood to munch…

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Imgur via meebit

And while many people enjoy eating this hearty veggie, we're gonna guess that Harry Potter would stay far away from this bad boy. Because, according to Imgur users, this veggie looks a lot like he who shall not be named. One user jokingly commented, "Never saw Voldemort smile this way."

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Happy Mountain

Nature is an extraordinary thing. It provides us with beautiful scenery and exceptional views, but sometimes mother nature likes to have a laugh and throw something unexpected at us. For instance, this mountain appears to have a big happy face on top of it.

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Ben Girardi via Getty Images

Thanks to the way the rocks ended up forming together with one another, it looks like a classical emoji smiley face, with two eyes and a large grin. This happy accident can be found located in the Coast Mountains, Pemberton, in British Columbia, Canada.

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Sid the Sloth

Any person who has seen the movie Ice Age may know where we're going with this one. Because pareidolia is making it look like this tree has an outline of one of the film's funniest characters: Sid the sloth. Fans may already know just how identical these lines turned out.

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ColorMeDandy via Imgur

Because the piece of wood perfectly has the sloth's giant far apart eyes, large nose, and funny smile. The resemblance is truly uncanny. We're surprised that this was a natural accident and an artist wasn't the one who came and drew him out. What a crazy coincidence!

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Mountain Man

This snowy white mountain made us do a double-take, because right smack in the middle is a large shadow that is in the exact same shape as a man's head from the side. With the obvious nose, mouth, chin, and even eyelashes, this looks like a real human.

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u_clarkbarniner via reddit

But, of course, no human is large enough to produce a shadow of that size. In other words, this was actually a complete accident! Yet still, we're still not sure what object was able to cause this dark area on the mountain - because the image doesn't show anything atop the alp.

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Eagle In a Flower

It can be easy to ignore the details of flowers, because when they come together, the pretty colors and extravagant petals take our breath away. But the person who happened to examine these orchids a bit closer noticed something odd. There was a small face inside the petal!

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u_kylejaenz via reddit 

The Reddit user noticed a small eagle that is easy to see once we notice the pointy beak and its beady eyes. But that's not even all. The pareidolia becomes even more obvious when we notice that the bird has its wings, thanks to the shape of the flower's petals.

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