I was previously aware of a subset of this phenomenon called pareidolia, the tendency to see face shapes in random objects. Examples
Apophenia is the larger over arching term for seeing patterns in unrelated things. Examples include gambling “omens” or some schizophrenic’s tendency to believe random behaviors are signs of a concerted conspiracy or plot against them.
My personal interaction with the apophenia phenomenon is seeing animals, landscapes and characters in the random splotches of tile work or marbled patterns.
Although this term has predominantly come to be used in a pejorative sense, it covers the categories of “patternicity” and “agenticity”
Micheal Shermer defines “patternicity” as: “the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise” and “agenticity” as: “the tendency to infuse patterns with meaning, intention, and agency”
If you argue that ultimately life is meaningless existence; any assertion of “meaningfulness” or “purpose” could be put under this category of “apophenia”.
However, listening to the Youtube channel Theoria Apophasis, Ken Wheeler verbalizes some good points, Why do we cry in a moving movie, or become emotionally charged when reading an excellent book? Because we see “Self” in what is not our “self” Ken then ties this in with ancient Pali scriptures at the core of Buddhism.
“Meaning in Chaos”, or “Self in Not Self”, whatever operational definition you go with, I love the specificity of this word. Even as a medical diagnostic term it still confronts you with meta-physics, beyond measurements and ratios to the world of meaning and pattern and narrative.
What is the opposite of apophenia? Seeing the chaos in order? Apparently randomania
Refusing to acknowledge a pattern you confuse it for a delusion. Which seems very close to what our nihilist post modern world is struggling with. That to see a meaningful pattern of values is delusion.
I keep revisiting this post to add connected thoughts, and every time I return there is more to dig into.
Related musing re: animism would be the religious / ritualistic embodiment of apophenia.