What happens when imagination meets perception, and ordinary objects come alive? We explore the science of pareidolia.

Summary: Our minds are wired to find meaning, even in randomness— which is why sometimes we can see faces and patterns in everyday objects. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore how this phenomenon, called pareidolia, can shift how we experience our surroundings and open ourselves to more creativity, connection, and calm.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Pause and settle: Take a few slow breaths and allow yourself to slow down. Let your mind soften its focus.
2. Choose your space: Look around your home, your walk, or wherever you are. Everyday objects work best— walls, trees, clouds, shadows.
3. Let curiosity lead: Notice shapes, textures, or patterns that catch your eye. Don’t try to find something, just observe.
4. See what appears: Allow your imagination to play. Do you see a face, an animal, a tiny scene hidden in plain sight?
5. Stay with it: Notice how it feels to find meaning in randomness. What emotions or memories come up?
6. Reflect and return: Take a final look around. Does your space or the way you see the things around you feel any different now?

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

MALIK MAYS is an Oakland-based musician who also releases music under the name Mahawam.

Learn more about Malik here: https://mahawam.com/bio

ANTOINE BELLEMARE-PEPIN is a neuroscientist and artist, who researches the connection between pareidolia and creativity.

Learn more about Antoine here: https://tinyurl.com/233w9rym

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

Why Going Offline Might Save Us: https://tinyurl.com/e7rhsakj

How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh

Related Happiness Breaks:

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yzp9hykv

Dedicating a little time to tune into your body fortifies you to better handle the stresses of daily life.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find your space: Choose a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable. You can sit, stand, or lie down, whatever helps you relax. If sitting, rest your hands on your thighs; if standing, let them hang by your sides.
2. Begin with your breath: Close your eyes. Inhale slowly to a count of four, feeling your belly and chest expand. Exhale to a count of four, letting your body soften. Notice the temperature of the air as it moves in and out through your nose.
3. Start at your feet: Bring your attention to your feet on the ground. Notice sensations— pressure, warmth, tingling. Gently wiggle your toes. On the next breath, move your awareness to your ankles and calves, then your knees, thanking them for their steady work.
4. Move up the body: With each breath, shift attention upward. Thighs, hips, and lower back, then your stomach. Feel it rise and fall with your breath. Continue up through your back and shoulders, releasing any tension there.
5. Soften the upper body: Turn your attention to your throat, face, and head. Relax your jaw, smooth your forehead, and feel any soft tingling at the top of your head. Then bring awareness to your hands and fingers.
6. Close with awareness: Take a few final deep breaths. On your last exhale, open your eyes gently. Notice how your body feels and carry that awareness into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Mindful Breath Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Breathe Away Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4fjwac6y

We explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.

Summary: When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine what it means to feel hopeful for the future of our planet. Renowned writer and activist Rebecca Solnit shares why she loves uncertainty, what gives her hope, and how hope empowers her. Later, we hear from climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez about why he believes climate hope is scientifically sound, and how much power we truly have to create meaningful change.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Acknowledge the hard stuff: Hope doesn’t come from ignoring reality, it begins with honesty. Naming the fears, grief, or overwhelm we feel about climate change and life’s challenges.
2. Remember uncertainty leads to possibility: Despair often assumes the future is fixed. But history is full of surprises and turning points. When we leave space for uncertainty, we leave space for possibility.
3. Focus on progress, not perfection: Every step forward matters. Clean energy expanding, policies shifting, communities protecting what they love. Small and large wins alike fuel the feedback loop between hope and action.
4. Nourish yourself with beauty, awe, and joy: A sunrise, music, dancing, kindness, or the courage of others can all awaken something bigger in us. Awe quiets despair and helps us see new ways forward.
5. Connect with others: Hope grows when it’s shared. Joining movements, communities, or simply leaning on friends creates a sense of belonging and power. Together, the ants can move the elephant.
6. Practice hope daily: Some days hope comes easily; other days it doesn’t. That’s normal. Journaling, noticing progress, limiting bad news, and showing up in community are all ways to keep practicing.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

REBECCA SOLNIT is an author, activist, and historian. She has written over 20 books on Western and Indigenous history, feminism, social change, hope, and disaster.

Learn more about Rebecca Solnit here: http://rebeccasolnit.net/

PATRICK GONZALEZ is a climate change scientist and forest ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

Learn more about Patrick Gonzalez here: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

Climate, Hope, & Science Series: https://tinyurl.com/pb27rep

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

Related Happiness Breaks:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3uw3hdk3