Apophenia: Detecting Patterns That Don’t Exist

  Do you know someone who always uses the same pen in their exams because they feel it brings them luck? Do you think that going outside without an umbrella will make it rain? Have you ever felt that you’ve somehow transmitted a message to someone to call you with your thoughts? All of these are examples of apophenia. It’s a phenomenon that any of us can experience at some point in our lives. On the other hand, it can be pathological. If you consider our examples, you’ll see that they all have one thing in common: a connection between…