Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Apophenia—finding meaningful patterns in unrelated events—is a normal human experience, not a disorder, though it becomes a ...

Apophenia is seeing patterns in random data or events. It helps creativity but can lead to false assumptions. Understanding apophenia improves judgment and reduces stress. Did our AI summary help?

Only Slate Plus members can gift Slate stories. Become a member to share 10 free articles a month. In the opening chapter of Book 1 of My Struggle, by Karl Ove Knausgaard, the 8-year-old narrator sees ...

You've been wearing the same jersey on game days, and your team is on a winning streak. You won a $100 gift card after seeing your lucky number. These are examples of apophenia, which is a tendency to ...