Apophenia is the name given to a cognitive phenomenon, when someone can identify patterns and meanings in random things, vacancies and no real sense.
In short, apophenia is the unconscious action of finding meaning or reaching a conclusion based on incomplete information or coincidences. Is human being's attempt to find a meaning for what is unknown.
For psychologists, apophenia is understood as an error of perception, a characteristic that the human being developed over years of evolution, initially playing a vital role in the survival of the species.
In statistical terms, Apophenia can be classified as a Type I Error, that is, when a certain idea is concluded from hypotheses or incomplete information.
First proposed in 1959 by the German neurologist and psychiatrist Klaus Conrad, apophenias are responsible for the emergence of superstitions, myths, beliefs in paranormal activities, and so on.
All human beings have levels of apophenia – as well as pareidolia – and this phenomenon is a limit that can lead to two distinct aspects: paranoia or creativity.
Apophenia and Pareidolia
Pareidolia is understood to be a type of apophenia, but in a more restricted sense.
Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon present in all human beings, when they are able to identify familiar images or sounds in random things.
The explanation for this phenomenon is that humans have an innate need to recognize faces or shapes of their peers quickly.
Unlike pareidolia, apophenia goes beyond the identification of sound or image patterns, but is related to all kinds of patterns, even those that are purely coincidental.
Learn more about the meaning of pareidolia.