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If you were to take a couple of minutes and look around, you’d be surprised by how many faces and familiar-looking creatures surround you. You may ask, 'Where?' Well, everywhere! If you’re still not familiar with the term, let us introduce you to pareidolia. Is this your first time encountering this term? Despite its exotic sound, it's a rather common phenomenon. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it is defined as 'a situation in which someone sees a pattern or image of something that does not exist, such as a face in a cloud.' Now we're on the same page! Haven't we all experienced that at some point?

For some people, it's a delightful coincidence, while others are dedicated to focusing their attention and seeking new examples of pareidolia. What they share is the practice of capturing their discoveries and sharing them with others online. Thanks to this, we've been able to curate this fascinating collection of images featuring various things spotted by people from around the world.

Scroll down to see the best instances of pareidolia spotted and shared by people, as well as to read our interview with the founder of the Stone Face account curating the best images showcasing faces appearing on beach stones.

#1

I Looked Up At The Moon And Felt As If The Moon Was Looking Back Down At Me

I Looked Up At The Moon And Felt As If The Moon Was Looking Back Down At Me

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    #2

    This Duck Has A Perfect Cartoon Dog Face For A Beak

    This Duck Has A Perfect Cartoon Dog Face For A Beak

    Burlapin Report

    Bored Panda reached out to Jules behind the Stone Face Instagram profile. On her profile, the pareidolia enthusiast has so far shared a wide range of nearly 2k examples of stones with some facial features.

    We wanted to know what initially inspired Jules to start searching for and sharing cases of pareidolia in beach stones on her account. We found out that: “I’ve always collected stones. Every holiday, when everyone else was swimming or sunbathing, I would be pacing the beach, head-down, intrigued by the stones and pebbles. I’ve always spotted stonefaces on the beach, but during lockdown I started photographing them and putting them on Instagram. Because the stones have such different personalities, I was soon writing little funny sentences or stories about them. People joined in and soon I discovered that there were quite a few pareidolia accounts out there. People spot faces everywhere and in everything!”

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    #5

    The "Heartwood" Of This Tree Is Shaped Like A Human Heart

    The "Heartwood" Of This Tree Is Shaped Like A Human Heart

    gro- Report

    #6

    I Was Trying To Make A Heart

    I Was Trying To Make A Heart

    martyps Report

    We were curious if Jules could describe one of the most striking or memorable instances of pareidolia that she’s discovered. The founder of Stone Face mentioned her best finds: “My holy grail is finding stones with ancient sea urchins as eyes (like this, this, or this one). Quite a few of my followers (and I follow them too because they are SO interesting) are fossil hunters and they really appreciate the stonefaces and join in with #stonefacesunday!”

    #7

    A Cat Reaching For The Sky

    A Cat Reaching For The Sky

    reddit.com Report

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    Asked what some of the most common reactions or comments Jules has received from Stone Face’s followers were, she said: “Most common reaction is joy! My followers are such a fantastic, eclectic, wonderful tribe of people. They follow every post and comment on it, or laugh, or suggest another take on what they see. I always respond and appreciate every emoji and every like. It’s an ever-growing tribe of interesting, lovely people!”

    #10

    I Accidentally Created A Porcupine By Pouring Instant Coffee Over An Americano

    I Accidentally Created A Porcupine By Pouring Instant Coffee Over An Americano

    fishdust Report

    #11

    Sad Person Sitting On A Ledge

    Sad Person Sitting On A Ledge

    AMoldyHam Report

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    Mistiekim
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’ll be ok sad person - as I understand it, Dawn will take care of those greasy pans

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    Lastly, we were wondering how curating these pareidolia examples on Instagram has affected Jules’ perception of the everyday objects and patterns around her. She shared with us: “I see faces in literally everything now! I’ll go for a run and see faces in the leaves (there are Instagram accounts for just faces in leaves) or on every building or in the clouds. If everyone just stopped and looked, they would see them too.”

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    #13

    My Knee Imprint At The Gym Looks Like An Ear

    My Knee Imprint At The Gym Looks Like An Ear

    misterkevfang Report

    #14

    I Started Drawing Over To Show What I See In Detail. Here's A Sad Bear Trapped In A Wall

    I Started Drawing Over To Show What I See In Detail. Here's A Sad Bear Trapped In A Wall

    DoeKawaii Report

    #17

    I Overcooked An Egg And It Looks Like A Person Is Trying To Climb Out Of It

    I Overcooked An Egg And It Looks Like A Person Is Trying To Climb Out Of It

    matt_hammond Report

    #19

    A Rock Created Bird-Shaped Window Art On My Car

    A Rock Created Bird-Shaped Window Art On My Car

    AshlynnMartell Report

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    Lara
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You should keep it and frame it when they replace the glass! Its beautiful

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    #20

    This Cactus That Looks Like A Bird

    This Cactus That Looks Like A Bird

    StruparsRightLeg Report

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    #21

    A Piece Of Driftwood That Looks Just Like A Seagull

    A Piece Of Driftwood That Looks Just Like A Seagull

    venomforty Report

    #22

    Unsure If I Saw A Cloud Or A Dragon The Other Day

    Unsure If I Saw A Cloud Or A Dragon The Other Day

    toothfairEEE Report

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    #29

    A Seal In My Potatoes

    A Seal In My Potatoes

    gilligan888 Report

    #32

    My Wife's Bag Has A Grumpy Face

    My Wife's Bag Has A Grumpy Face

    NegativeDog975 Report

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    WindySwede
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "You seriously are telling me they turned me into a MK backpack?"

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    #33

    This Terrier

    This Terrier

    TheLastTsumami Report

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    #34

    The Camera In The ER Looks Like A Surprised Panda

    The Camera In The ER Looks Like A Surprised Panda

    WhiskyEye Report

    #36

    Dragon Tree In The Chellah Necropolis, Rabat

    Dragon Tree In The Chellah Necropolis, Rabat

    aymaneV Report

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    PandaGoPanda
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't tell you how many times I walked in the Chellah, but never saw anything beyond a tree. Will now never be able to unsee the dragon.

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    #37

    I Went Boating On Saratoga Lake, NY And Saw This Cloud That Looked Like A Victorian Lady

    I Went Boating On Saratoga Lake, NY And Saw This Cloud That Looked Like A Victorian Lady

    moon_lova Report

    #38

    Snow Elephant On A NYC "Citi Bike"

    Snow Elephant On A NYC "Citi Bike"

    jakash Report

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    #40

    My Toothpaste Came Out Looking Like A Nose

    My Toothpaste Came Out Looking Like A Nose

    shefearsoblivion Report

    #41

    Water Stain On A Wall That Looks Like A Pirate With A Long Beard

    Water Stain On A Wall That Looks Like A Pirate With A Long Beard

    knee2710 Report

    #42

    The Back Side Of This Studio Microphone Appears To Be Holding Its Head, Screaming In Pain

    The Back Side Of This Studio Microphone Appears To Be Holding Its Head, Screaming In Pain

    FBAHobo Report

    #43

    This Potato Looks Like A Reptile Or A Dino

    This Potato Looks Like A Reptile Or A Dino

    the_way_around Report

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    #45

    Cute Kitty On A Windshield

    Cute Kitty On A Windshield

    REpassword Report

    #48

    I Asked To Have A Motion Sensor Light Installed. I Guess I Should Have Asked To See It First

    I Asked To Have A Motion Sensor Light Installed. I Guess I Should Have Asked To See It First

    brolbo Report

    #49

    These Cameras Look Like A Pair Of Eyes

    These Cameras Look Like A Pair Of Eyes

    zozozomemer Report

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    VioletHunter
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The eyes don't really care for what they see. Where is the excitement around here?

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    #51

    This Tiny Dent In My Linoleum Floor Looks Like An Eye

    This Tiny Dent In My Linoleum Floor Looks Like An Eye

    cerosin420 Report

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    #55

    When You See Her, You Can't Unsee Her

    When You See Her, You Can't Unsee Her

    Organic-Squirm Report

    #57

    A Knot In The Wood Of My Door That Looks Like An Owl Has Been Trapped Inside Of It

    A Knot In The Wood Of My Door That Looks Like An Owl Has Been Trapped Inside Of It

    Andreas_T_Privacy Report

    #58

    These Flowers Look Like A Group Of Tiny 3D-Rendered Chickens Wearing Glasses And Holding A Cake

    These Flowers Look Like A Group Of Tiny 3D-Rendered Chickens Wearing Glasses And Holding A Cake

    oldgood_isaac Report

    #59

    Cloud That Looks Like A Pig's Head

    Cloud That Looks Like A Pig's Head

    nashlad_06 Report

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    #61

    Rain Dripping On My Outdoor Workbench Leg Made This

    Rain Dripping On My Outdoor Workbench Leg Made This

    reddit.com Report

    #62

    This Wasp Nest Looks Like A Mouth

    This Wasp Nest Looks Like A Mouth

    adam_the_caffeinated Report

    #63

    This Knot On This Dresser Looks Like A Smiling Bear

    This Knot On This Dresser Looks Like A Smiling Bear

    DuckMom Report

    #64

    This Gourd Looks Like An Old Kiwi Bird

    This Gourd Looks Like An Old Kiwi Bird

    reddit.com Report

    #65

    I Turned The Lights On And Noticed Someone Has Been Watching Me

    I Turned The Lights On And Noticed Someone Has Been Watching Me

    JBronson5 Report

    #66

    I Came Across This Tree That Looks Like A Woman With Her Arms Raised Above Her Head

    I Came Across This Tree That Looks Like A Woman With Her Arms Raised Above Her Head

    Apprehensive_Arm_330 Report

    #68

    Bob Ross On My Burrito

    Bob Ross On My Burrito

    leahleonarddd Report

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    #71

    The Way My Coffee Spilled This Morning Looked Like A Duck

    The Way My Coffee Spilled This Morning Looked Like A Duck

    reddit.com Report

    #74

    I Accidentally Cut Out A Snail-Shaped Bell Pepper

    I Accidentally Cut Out A Snail-Shaped Bell Pepper

    irishsurname1 Report

    #76

    A Pretty Angry Prisoner

    A Pretty Angry Prisoner

    faces.of.lelgram Report

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    #77

    The Wheel Looks Like A Goose Head Holding A Wheel

    The Wheel Looks Like A Goose Head Holding A Wheel

    brzrkr76 Report

    #78

    Hot Chocolate This Morning

    Hot Chocolate This Morning

    brolbo Report

    #81

    I Found This Face In A Potato. Can't Put My Finger On Who It Looks Like. Suggestions?

    I Found This Face In A Potato. Can't Put My Finger On Who It Looks Like. Suggestions?

    MiloMade Report

    #82

    The Scratched Paint On Our Bathroom Wall Looks Like A Face With A Big Pointy Nose

    The Scratched Paint On Our Bathroom Wall Looks Like A Face With A Big Pointy Nose

    TheKatkaRapu Report

    #83

    This Morning's Coffee Bloom Looked Like A Surprised Bear

    This Morning's Coffee Bloom Looked Like A Surprised Bear

    YogurtGhost Report

    #84

    A Witch With A Black Hood Hidden Under The Lid Of My Yogurt

    A Witch With A Black Hood Hidden Under The Lid Of My Yogurt

    66pp Report

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    #85

    The Folds In This Curtain Creates The Illusion Of A Face

    The Folds In This Curtain Creates The Illusion Of A Face

    justadair Report