JJNN: Audio Pareidolia

Welcome again to JJNN for March 10th, 2009. Today I will be talking more about that friend of ours, pareidolia.

Yesterday I talked about pareidolia and how it can make us see images in a random pattern. Well, as it turns out, pareidolia does not just affect the eyes. There is also an audio version of this phenomenon. A good example of that is electric voice phenomenon, or EVP. This happens when people listen to static or audio interference and think that they hear voice or similar sounds. Watch this next video on EVP and than I will point out some things about audio pareidolia that totally discredit the video.



The important thing here is not really the sound. The important thing is the suggestion that that sound is a voice that is saying something specific. Once someone suggests that a sound actually sounds like a certain word, it is hard to get that word out of our head when we hear that sound. For example, listen to the first "EVP" again but go in with the suggestion that the "voice" is saying "Man, it's hot this summer." Do you hear that the second time you listen to it? It is just a noise that our brain is trying to make into something that is important when it really isn't.

Another example of this audio pareidolia is misheard lyrics to songs. The following video is Wishmaster by Nightwish.



The lyrics are:
Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Elbereth
Lorien

A dreamy-eyed child staring into night
On a journey to storyteller`s mind
Whispers a wish speaks with the stars the words are silent in Him
Distant sigh from a lonely heart
"I`ll be with you soon, my Shalafi"
Grey Havens my destiny

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Silvara
Starbreeze

Sla-Mori the one known only by Him
To august realms, the sorcery within
If you hear the call of arcane lore,
Your world shall rest on Earth no more
A maiden elf calling with her cunning song
"Meet me at the Inn of Last Home"
Heartborne will find the way!

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Wishmaster
Crusade for Your will
A child, dreamfinder
The Apprentice becoming...

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

Master!
Apprentice!
Heartborne, 7th Seeker
Warrior!
Disciple!
In me the Wishmaster

OK, now watch this video and see if you can hear the other set of lyrics.