"Motherhood and Pareidolia: The Phenomenon of Seeing Faces in Everyday Objects"

New research suggests that postpartum women may be more susceptible to experiencing pareidolia, the phenomenon of perceiving faces in inanimate objects. The study showed that postpartum women rated objects with illusory faces as more "face-like" than expectant women and those not pregnant. The researchers hypothesize that elevated levels of oxytocin, the "love" hormone, after birth may contribute to this heightened sensitivity in perceiving faces in objects. However, further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.