"Pareidolia's Influence on Ancient Cave Art Revealed"
Research conducted by Durham University suggests that pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon where people see meaningful forms in random patterns, may have influenced early human cave art. The study examined paintings of animals in caves in Northern Spain and found that over 50% of the depictions showed a strong relationship to the natural features of the cave wall and were simple in nature, indicating that pareidolia guided the artists' creations. However, the researchers also believe that the art may have been a result of a "creative conversation" between the artists and the cave walls, with both pareidolia and individual creativity playing a role. This study offers the first systematic testing of the theory that pareidolia influenced cave art and utilizes simulated lighting conditions in virtual reality.