Comments on: August: A Busy Month for Religious Sightings!

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:06:48 +0000

There are a few well-known, well-established, and well-studied cognitive theories that explain why people perceive things like this. Namely (in order of underlying to specific):

Apophenia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia
- Apophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.

Pareidolia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
- psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse.

and of course:

Confirmation bias - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
- confirmation bias is a tendency to search for or interpret new information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions and to avoid information and interpretations which contradict prior beliefs.

Put all of those together, a dash of religiously-motivated ignorance and.....voilà! jesus/God/Mary faces in things....

*golf clap*

(of course, the religious will look at this and say, "that's just scientific mumbo jumbo..." and thereby demonstrate Confirmation Bias...

By: JesusFreak

JesusFreak — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Oh by the way, the Virgin Mary appeared to me in a dream, I suppose that's a figment of my imagination right?

For those who believe no explanation is necessary,
For those who do not believe no explanation is possible.

By: JesusFreak

JesusFreak — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 07:57:38 +0000

I just got done watching the movie Jesus of Nazareth excellent movie! In it Jesus says, "I have come to give sight to the blind and to take sight away from those who can see." He also says, "If you were blind, you would be without sin, but since you say you see, you are with sin."
If you want to look it up in the Bible The whole story is there, John 9:1-41. Or just go here. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=9&version=51&c ontext=chapter

By: allen

allen — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:40:42 +0000

wow wow wow what can i say well this pics say allot ;]

By: Glenn Mitchell

Glenn Mitchell — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:58:57 +0000

I think we have another one!

By: lady

lady — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:06:24 +0000

Well..I don't believe that jesus is our savior and i'm not a christian. If these things mean so much to these people and they find them so inspiring why would they sell them e-bay? I'm not being rude or mean; just innocently inquiring. I think if people are moved so much by something physical they aren't spending enough time with god in their spiritual lives.

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:35:56 +0000

Hey guys !

Whether what these people have seen us true or not, if certainly proves the immense faith and love they have for God. For we always choose to see what we want to. So instead of critisizing them, lets appreciate the fact, that in their times of trouble and difficulty, they seek the Lord and He comforts them by showing that He's there for them.

And if you would so strongly believe that God actually came to you in some form, I think you would be blessed and the most happiest of all.

By: danielle

danielle — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:39:11 +0000

these images r starring to creep me out now yet they're pretty cool!

By: emma

emma — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:38:32 +0000

as im reading some of these comments i am outraged and i think if you dont have nothing nice to say why even leave a comment. i feel that i have to apologize for the idiots who apparently have no faith and i will pray for them. i only wish that i had a picture of the image of the Virgin Mary that i was very luky to see when i was at a bad point in my life. i believe the ones who left those neggatory comments maybe just your faith is not strong or you could just be week minded. your in my prayers. for the ones who were chosen to get something so awsome you just have to know you are blessed.

By: onur

onur — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:18:31 +0000

self comfort

By: humble believer

humble believer — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:40:59 +0000

ok people I am first going to say dont knock or rag on someone because they feel that they have seen Jesus or the Virgin Mary. Everyone believes differently. I love Jesus and I am a believer, some of the pictures I could see why they would say what they saw,others are questionable. I am not here to say that they are not sighting but what I will say is Dont be so judgemental if you dont believe thats your chose but dont knock someone else because they believe.

By: Rhea

Rhea — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:49:15 +0000

I always find these 'sightings' not a testament to people's faith, but a testament to people's gullibility.

By: Sophia

Sophia — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:34:41 +0000

This is miracles, and it is to believe that mary our mother and jesus are always there with us....to guide us protect us....they are always besides us but we cannot see them.....but we should never fail in believing in them...they are our world and very close family members.

By: maria

maria — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:16:27 +0000

that is so cool did he eat a virgin mary or what

By: Jose

Jose — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:40:11 +0000

You know, religion is solely based on faith and not on what someone saw or appeared to have seen. To be a religious "person" you must first walk with faith, then and only then you will know what religion is all about. I've been around people who think they know what it takes to be religious and how everyone else will burn in hell because they're not like them. Sad to say I see them all the time. I understand the comments listed, although some really are unapproppriate and hurtful, this is what people have see to understand according to them Gods will as a sign. Well what ever makes you a believer so be it just don't forget to be human like everyone else we share the earth with.

By: Aramax

Aramax — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:24:17 +0000

Well... can you point me out to something that resemble something completly absurd and purely evil.

Example: Ronald McDonald likeness on a piece of wood. Or the name BUSH written on some alligator.

Why dont we see those?

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:12:28 +0000

God, I hate when people see these. They're images that appear in the shape of a person. But no matter what the shape, it its a man its jesus and a woman its the virgin mary. Theyre brains have been pumped so full of religious crap that they automatically believe its Gods work. But its not. And dont call me ignorant, I know my bible stuff.

By: edward

edward — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 01:14:31 +0000

This is serious stuff guys. Do not take it lightly. If it biulds someones faith, so be it. If another person does not have a care for the one who created him and sustains him, it should be no reason to depise the one who does.

By: margot

margot — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:49:52 +0000

it does look more like gun than god... i suppose people like god more than guns

By: Phillip Milano

Phillip Milano — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 01:45:47 +0000

Virgin Mary image on soap I searched "Virgin Mary Image" items on ebay and came across an amazing story in which the Virgin Mary appeared on a piece of soap. The auction listing is at Link or search "BVM soap" on ebay

By: Doubter

Doubter — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:43:27 +0000

I'm sorry, but Mary was only a virgin if you don't count anal.

By: beepbeepitsme

beepbeepitsme — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 05:00:40 +0000

RE The Virgin Mary
The Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus Appear On A Potato
http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2006/09/virgin-mary-and-baby-jesus-a ppear-on.html

By: ted

ted — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:35:38 +0000

That's Old Testament.
According to the New Testament, you can now eat shrimp and not have to be circumcised.

Loved the ultrasound. I wonder if the doctor told her she'd be having twins.

By: Scott Taylor

Scott Taylor — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:46:25 +0000

That could not possibly be the face of Jesus in the shrimp tail! The book of Leviticus makes god's opinion of shrimp very clear. Leviticus 11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you Stolen from God Hates Shrimp.

By: fritzy

fritzy — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 14:38:09 +0000

I believe that alligator has the word GUN not GOD.Alligators can be deceptive

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 02:36:40 +0000

That one on the plywood looks more like the guy in the painting "The Scream".

By: sam

sam — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 01:18:32 +0000

lol @ dead red...some of those are reeaalllly stretching it. i can't even see the one in the oyester.

By: dead_red_eyes

dead_red_eyes — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:41:49 +0000

what the hell is it with people and finding the virgin mary in things? serisouly. this morning i took a dump and it looked like the pope, but you don't see me freaking out over it.