Collective Pareidolia

Abstract

This paper discusses a case of collective pareidolia where a group of people perceived non-existent petroglyphs on undecorated rock surfaces, leading to an investigation into the mechanics of shared perception. A university team had recorded thousands of what were believed to be petroglyphs. An invited team of three rock art specialists found no actual grooves corresponding to the recorded intricate images. The study suggests that the visual system’s expectation of seeing certain patterns, influenced by social and cognitive factors, can lead to collective pareidolia, reinforced by peer pressure. This case highlights the limitations of the human visual system and persistence of pareidolic perceptions, which can even become shared beliefs among groups despite evidence to the contrary. It also brings into focus the need of scepticism towards all attempted rock art motif identifications by cultural aliens, as they are always derived via pareidolia.