Our thanks go to reader Ellen Netherby, who spotted this cormorant – the product of spilt paint and creative thinking – drying its wings on a pavement in Oxcraig Street, Granton.
‘Pareidolia’, according to Psychology Today, ‘is a phenomenon wherein people perceive likenesses on random images—such as faces, animals, or objects on clouds and rock formations. It is not a clinical diagnosis nor is it a disorder.
‘… The brain has an inclination to recognize patterns and apply meaning to what it sees. The fusiform gyrus in the temporal lobe of the cortex activates to process facial recognition. In addition, the tendency for this recognition is an evolutionary byproduct; ancient man was better off recognizing if a face was a familiar friend or an unfamiliar foe.’
[Photo: Terry Gregory, Facebook.]
Other examples reported in the Spurtle have included: a blood-soaked robin and fat rabbit; an elephant calf; and a musical piglet. We welcome future contributions.
