Perceptual Distortion
When sensory data is misinterpreted or altered, it can result in a skewed impression of reality, which is known as perceptual distortion. Numerous things, including emotional states, cognitive biases, cultural influences, and prior experiences, might lead to this misperception.
The phenomena known as pareidolia—the propensity to recognize faces or other recognizable features in random or unclear stimuli—is an actual example of perceptual distortion. For example, despite the absence of a face, one may perceive a face in the patterns of clouds or tree bark. The reason for this distortion is because the brain tries to give ambiguous inputs order and meaning, which leads to the appearance of familiar forms or patterns when none exist. Because of perceptual distortion, the person perceives faces or familiar objects subjectively even when there is no objective existence.