See Jesus in Toast? Science Explains the Mind Trick

By Cari Nierenberg, NBC News

See Jesus in Toast? Science Explains the Mind Trick

November 16, 2012 Updated Nov 16, 2012 at 10:52 AM PDT

People have claimed to see Jesus in their burnt toast. Others have spotted the Virgin Mary in a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich, or seen a vague resemblance to Elvis in an oddly shaped potato chip.

Is this rock looking at you? Researchers showed subjects a group of images, like this one, to find out who was most likely to see faces on inanimate objects.

These folks aren't wacky or crazy, and they don't need their eyes examined. They're experiencing what's known as the illusory face perception, a tendency to see face-like areas in non-human things. They may see facial features in nature (in cloud formations or rock ledges) or inanimate objects (food or household items).

Now, a small study from Finland, published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, has attempted to find out what types of people are most likely people to pick up on these visual perceptions.

There is much more to this story from NBC News, to read about it CLICK HERE.

To submit a comment on this article, your email address is required. We respect your privacy and your email will not be visible to others nor will it be added to any email lists.