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In 2004, Florida resident Diana Duyser sold this 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich for $28,000. Can you see the Virgin Mary's image in the sandwich?
You might have scratched your head in wonderment when a 10-year-old cheese sandwich sold at auction for a cool $28,000 simply because people thought they saw the face of the Virgin Mary in the folds of the stale food.
But there’s a long history of people finding meaning in mundane objects. And scientists now say they know why this happens -- and how it works.
We’re wired to pay attention when we see objects that remind us of something we already know, says Joel Voss, an assistant professor at Northwestern University. Our brains automatically identify similar objects and then organize them according to type. That’s why we can look at a baseball cap and a fedora and know right away that both are hats, Voss explains.
After noticing so many examples of people seeing familiar -- and highly meaningful -- images in ordinary objects, Voss and his colleagues started to wonder what parts of the brain might be sparking when this happens.
So the researchers rounded up 10 volunteers who were willing to lie in a brain scanner while looking at a bunch of squiggles. The study volunteers were asked to rate the squiggles on a scale of 1 to 5 as being meaningful, or not, as the images flashed by.
By meaningful, the researchers meant, did the abstract scrawls remind volunteers of something real, like an animal or a face?
Each time a squiggle passed by, various parts of the visual cortex flashed bright, including a region at the front known to be involved in analyzing the meaning and importance of data that the eyes are transmitting to the brain.
Next the volunteers were then asked to look at a larger series of squiggles -- which also contained the ones that had already been viewed. The instructions to the volunteers this time were to pick out the ones that had flashed by in the first part of the experiment.
Again, various regions of the visual cortex lit up as the volunteers watched the squiggles flash by. But, intriguingly, the frontal region stayed quiet when “meaningful” squiggles flashed by again.
Story: Jesus toast under the Christmas Tree?
What this means, Voss says, is that the volunteers’ brains had cataloged these squiggles in the earlier viewing as faces or animals or something else meaningful to them. That meant that this time there was no need to analyze the shapes again.
The purpose for all this brain circuitry is most likely to promote our survival, Voss says. Back when we were evolving on the savannah it was important to recognize anything that looked like a predator.
Thus, if you were wandering out at night you needed to recognize which shadows might be menacing. “If you failed to identify the shadow that looked vaguely like an animal, you might get eaten,” Voss says.
In the modern world, we still are looking for important patterns. So now, when we see potato chip that looks like Elvis, our brains just think they’re seeing another manifestation of The King, himself.
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Leave a Comment:
I don't see anything but I find it wasteful and pointless to spend $28k on a piece of toast, no matter whose face appears on it! What purpose does it serve??
Feed ones ego.
If I could get 28k for a piece of toast, I would! That would not be pointless to me. I am going to be watching my toast a lot closer from here on out. I wonder what toast with an image of Lady Gaga would go for? How about Roseanne? Wait! How about an image of Hot-in Miami?
I guess I'm different...I see toast in the face of Jesus
Three easy letters.................L S D.......!!!
Looks like one of those ......"Walk into the light!!!"" Spooks to me!
28k for a piece of toast!?! Insane!! Wonder what they would pay to own Cheesus.
http://sarahxdylan.blogspot.com/2009/05/picture-of-cheesus.html
StMiller, voted best comment today. ROFL
It was refreshing to see for once that post #1 wasn't someone bashing my beliefs just because Jesus was in the article.
Freedom from prosecution? Yeah right...nothing holding back the masses of haters...
This just proves religious people are sheep and easily manipulated... even to the point of paying 28k for old toast! LOL... what would Jesus do?
Now here's the rest of the story: the piece of toast was, indeed, bought for $28,000. By a dude who owned a casino in Las Vegas. He proceeded to display it prominently in a case in the front of his casino. His casino attendence, and also his earnings, picked up considerably after doing this, as gamblers were attracted by the "picture" to come in, say a few prayers of hope, and then go to the tables or slots where they lost as usual. He probably made his money back several times over. The lady who had the piece of toast made out OK too ($28,000 richer!). So the real "losers" here are the people who prayed in front of the toast and then lost money gambling. But I'm sure that SOMEONE prayed over the toast and then went inside and WON a lot of money, and now credits it to the piece of toast! Go figure....
You can see what you want when your nuts, its called hallucinations.
Much like religion all you need is faith, not reality.
Well... I really guess that it depends on what YOU think Jesus, God, or Mary. Also it depends on religion and your mind! I can see a face and kinda how they see Those... but... I ALSO AGREE!! They shouldnt pay 28k for that piece of toast... lol! BUT im going to watch my toast more.. I NEED THE MONEY!! haha
What is wrong with those people?! That is not Jesus or Mary on the toast but is, indeed, Scarlett O'hara herself. The likeness is amazing lifelike, can they not see this??
That's what I was thinking. Some actress from the 20's or 30's. My first impression was Betty Grable.
Looks like Greta Garbo to me -- LOL!
Faith is a belief system for humans. It allows us to think there is a higher conscious out there looking out for us. In a way we would be different without that. Some people need more assurance and see things that to them reinforce that belief. A sign from God for example can help replace doubt. I guess let the belief be in each person as to weather to believe a piece of toast is a sign. For me a sign would have to be more then a piece of toast. Because if indeed we have a higher conscious looking out for us as humans. I would hate to think they are trying to communicate through toast.
We might be more humane if we didn't believe in such fairy tales.
Faith is a belief system for Neanderthals. The simple truth is that the superstition you hold to is ancient mumbo-jumbo created to explain the environment (they didn't know what a world or a universe was at the time), and manipulate others (religion is also an early form of politics and government). Fortunately, the Greeks realized that reason and logic is a MUCH better belief system because it is not based on imagination and hope (i.e. faith). Of course humans have many traits that evolved over thousands of years that make them susceptible to religion and the belief in fantasy. Those traits include curiosity, creativity, fear (of death), and imagination - but the primary reason is because we are social animals and are programmed to follow the groupthink. These traits also led to art, music and literature and can be understood and channeled through education. It is no coincidence that the more educated you become, the more likely you are to NOT believe in religion, gods, angels, faith and the after-life.
Faith is nothing more than the lazy and ignorant alternative to learning and accepting the facts (i.e. science).
So just because I have "faith" and a "belief in God" makes me lazy and ignorant of accepting facts and science? Can't get anymore stereotypical than that.
That's the Zig-Zag man.
excellent post
How is it that every image I hear about professing to be Jesus looks like some skinny bearde white guy? Given his country of birth and ancestral origin he would have been dark complexed.
I can say truthfully over the years I've seen a lot of things that look like a lot of other things. But, then again the sixties were really good to me.
Oh, just leave the toast in longer. You'll get your Semitic Jesus!
I'm sure if you look hard enough, you'll see what looks like an image of Jesus in anything. That dosen't mean it was put there by divine intervention. I could get a pencil torch and make an image of Jesus on toast, then sell it for a few thousand bucks. Why? Because people will beleive anything because they refuse to use thier damn brains and THINK!
Shawn, Maybe you should go into business. You could make some nice dough. I mean some serious bread. I mean... well, you know. Here's a toast to your new business enterprise! May your kneeds be met, your profits rise, and your opportunities flour!
I'm a christian. I've never seen Jesus in toast before. Why kind of toasters do these people have?
A Nut Toaster! They are all cracked.
It's my wife, I just hope that was Texas Toast being used.
The funny part is, there isn't one painting of jesus while he was supposed to have been alive. How the hell does anyone know what he looks like... For christs sakes you would think if the messiah was even born, commited suicide, and rose again, someone would have painted a picture.
i thought charles manson was jesus...reincarnated...
So does he........!!
There is NO evidence that Jesus actually existed. It seems likely from what I've read from the top religious scholars that study this subject is that Jesus is likely a fable, or a legend, that was derived from the accumulation of mythology related to the messiah figure. Ironically, this is how Christianity itself was evolved from earlier African, Jewish and Pagan religions. If there ever was a real "Jesus" it is very likely that he was just a convenient character to play the messiah mythology.
Hispanics have combine Christianity and Greek mythology
They spell it "Jesus" but pronounce it "Hey Zeus"
Had Michaelangelo not been gay, the Sistine Chapel ceiling would have been painted beige, with a roller.
The father, the son, and the holy toast.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA>>>>>>>>!!!! Nice Kris.
Some people see what they want to see.
Did Jesus say,seek me and ye shall find me in toast? I shall require a scripture and verse,not drug hallucinations.
It was in Peter's letter to the Texans (a lost book of the bible), and is known as the garlic verse. It says: "Jesus said, 'he that casteth away his bread to those less fortunate than himself and liveth on the crumbs shall verily receive unto himself the Texas TOAST, and my portrait, forever and ever, etc...'." A moving passage.
now I know why I see a picture of carmen Electra In my toast! I've Lusted for her since the 90's! lol!
i dont see anything ...but a 28g turd
So that means, everyone who voted for Obama overlooked his failings in the basic pyschological need to complete the picture like the blind spot in the retina does?
No, they were mostly bright-eyed, bushy tailed college students who had not yet come to terms with the soul-crushing, nihilism inducing truth that no matter who wins an election, the American people will always come second to the needs of Mega Corporations and religious zealots.
SP-3268112, Nihilism is just a philosophical position. If the universe is empty and meaningless, and if that is known to be true, then nihilism is the expression of that. That doesn't make it "soul-crushing", anymore than if a child discovered Santa Claus doesn't exist, or, if in the act of falling down, one discovered gravity. It is only soul-crushing to someone who is not prepared to take evidence seriously in order to keep their psychological little crutches alive. What is "soul-crushing" is being that much of a whimp.
SP: So does that mean we can hope to see Obama in the toast sometime soon? I know you liberals think he is the Saviour!
Yay lillian101 for being that troll that has to...can't seem not to...talk about politics somehow.
lillian101 thinking...."Hey! There is a headline about seeing Jesus in toast therefore...my small brain says...those damn liberals and that damn Obama. I just gotta say something!"
You must be the life of all parties. Hey let's invite lillian101...she's great to talk to. I just love how she can't go 30 secs on any subject without bringing it back to politics. She's everything that's right in America and more!!
Yay! Idiotllian101! I couldn't have read this post without your comment on Obama and the Libs. Thank you for completing my life! Now I see your face in the toilet every time I take a ...
If you want to know what jesus look like, look at someone like Yasser Arafat did.
Why do people see religious or pop icons where they're not: because they really want to.
I once saw Kim Kardashian's ass in a plum.
it looks like Jimmy Hoffa
That is absurd...no body even knows what the Virgin Mary looks like...nobody knows what JESUS looks like...read the Bible..you need no other sign that that..
But we NEED A GRAVEN IMAGE! I can't worship without art. Sorry, bud.
I Know what Jesus looks like, he mows my lawn every other Tuesday, a really nice guy too.
Can anyone explain to me why the Virgin Mary on Toast is any more the Virgin Mary than, for example, Lillian Gish? I look at the toast and I see Lillian Gish.
True, Bob. Lillian Gish.
She looks hot. I want to have sex with her. She looks like that Playboy centerfold.
You want to have sex with a piece of toast?
I thought it had a faint Marilyn Monroe similarity.
I thought it looked like Carol Lombard!
On further review, Mary Pickford. for sure.
Looks like me....because "jesus christ looks like me..."
whatever these wackos are smoking i want some ??burnt toast damn