Little Known Ways Your Imagination Can Ruin You

Our imagination can be both a blessing and a curse. Apophenia can be a driving factor in which way we go

An Introduction to Apophenia

The mind - patterns - an introduction to Apophenia

Our mind has immense power, knowledge is the key to unlock the power of the subconscious mind. But, what if we get entangled in the stories based on illusions created by our subconscious mind?

Our mind creates different scenarios by connecting different dots related to specific incidents. It keeps on changing every time we come across new information related to previous incidents.

We have all experienced this. For example, a famous case of an unfortunate mystery death of a celebrity, where everyone has different theories based on the same concept, joining the dots together in their own way.

Our mind is working in the same context continuously without us even knowing. It creates specific stories used for many situations from gossiping to tarot card reading. Re-creating scenarios in our mind to solve the conspiracy theory.

Sometimes, we tend to see different shapes in the clouds based on our imagination. We love to find links and come to conclusions, creating random patterns in our mind as we go.

It is very important to use this potential to improve our creative vision, artistic vision, create mesmerizing music, write brilliant novels among many more examples.

This ability is called Apophenia, but like every coin, there are two sides, Apophenia can be considered a blessing well as a curse.

“Any fact becomes important when it's connected to another.”
Umberto Eco

What is Apophenia?

Man Thinking - What is Apophenia?

It is the ability of the mind to connect the dots and finds meaningfulness in unrelated things. It is the imaginative power to read between the lines to create a meaningful pattern in our mind.

Reasons Apophenia Can Be Considered A Blessing

● It helps musicians to create mesmerizing music, which can touch our soul.

● It helps painters to paint deep thoughts and imaginations.

● It inspires writers to make their pen bleed their emotions and create unforgettable stories.

● It helps in prediction of results in political elections.

● It helps people including to understand hypothetical situations.

Reasons Apophenia Can Be Considered A Curse

● It creates superstitious images in our mind. For instance, if we watch any horror movie and turn back and see a shadow, our minds gets fearful and conjures an image and the feeling of an imaginary ghost.

● It connects our belief if the co-incidence of failure in a certain task took place earlier and stops us from grabbing new opportunities of a similar nature in the present & future.

● It creates the feeling of grudges, fear, self-doubt, and other negative emotions, which can destroy anyone’s life.

A Psychologist’s Viewpoint on Apophenia

Francis Bacon, a pioneer of scientific methodology, noted in one of his aphorisms that “human understanding is of its own nature prone to suppose the existence of more order and regularity in the world than it finds.”

Causes of Apophenia

Causes of Apophenia

There is no confirmed reason why it happens. Most of the undefined reasons lie in the conditioning of our mind.

We are gifted with this amazing power with some limitations. With practice, some people are able to use it to their advantage.

Most of us aren’t aware of it or even know how to unlock it, as their mind has been conditioned to follow others’ instructions.

This can lead to unwanted consequences where people don’t know how to stop it and be able to cleanse their mind.

The problem arises when we overflow in those patterns which can lead to the disorder called schizophrenia, a mental illness where a person cannot differentiate between reality and illusion. 

How to Keep a Check on Apophenia

man meditating - How to Keep a Check on Apophenia

Apophenia is actually present in every human being’s mind. There are different ways to keep a check to get the benefits of this gift:

● Maintain a diary about your feelings on a day-to-day basis.

● Practice mindfulness, it helps in understanding and releasing the negative thoughts that can arise because of bad experiences.

● Read good books, try to bust the myths, as knowledge is the key to unlock the powers of our mind

● If you are feeling trapped in your own illusions, seek help from a psychiatrist.

● Remember, taking help from a psychiatrist is not a matter of shame and doesn’t mean you are mentally sick.

● Try to put yourself in the shoes of others to understand the circumstances behind their acts.

● Take a break from your daily routine and spend time with yourself, doing what you love to do the most.

Takeaways on Apophenia

Beautiful scenery - Takeaways on Apophenia

Everything we get as a gift from the Universe is a form of power; if we use it efficiently, we can be the best version of us and attain success. But, be cautious not to  overflow with the energy, it could lead to disastrous consequences.

● Apophenia is a blessing, if used properly.

● It is helpful in creating a whole new art.

● Apophenia is when we see different meanings in unrelated terms and patterns

● Everything comes with great responsibility, so it will be your choice to make it a blessing or a curse.

● Cleansing of the mind is very important on a daily basis.

It is down to us to understand how to unlock it and use it to our advantage. Without knowledge, patience, and gratitude it won’t be possible.

Keep calm and keep smiling, know your true powers and use your imagination to the fullest to attain your goals.

Further Exploration - Articles & Media

Slate logo

Article: It’s All Connected

Article from Slate discussing how Apophenia connects our creativity, conspiracy theories & delusions

Psychology Today Logo

Article: Being Amused by Apophenia

Psychology today article looking at how we can find both amusement and pleasure in Apophenia

Youtube Logo

Article: What is Apophenia? Seeing Faces In Rocks

Video looking at examples of naturally occurring examples of Apophenia such as rock faces and mountain scenery

A Universe of Consciousness- How Matter Becomes Imagination Hardcover book cover

Book: A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination Hardcover

Book by medicinal expert Gerald Edelman and brain researcher Giulio Tononi looking at cutting edge research about how the brain creates conscious reality and imagination
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Your Take

Do you have any further information or tips on how to control Apophenia? Your take in the discussion below.