Using today’s Midjourney prompt we are going to hide faces inside our images.
This is an additional post in response to the overwhelming interest in an image I posted in the Midjourney Official Facebook group.
The Pareidolia Phenomenon
The Midjourney prompt, or more correctly, prompts, make use of the brain's tendency to seek out patterns, especially those that are familiar or meaningful. This is known as the Pareidolia phenomenon.
Origins and Evolutionary Perspective
From an evolutionary standpoint, it's believed that pareidolia might have been advantageous for our ancestors. Recognizing faces quickly, even in low-light or obscured conditions, could have been vital for survival. For instance, detecting a lurking predator or identifying a friend from a foe in the wild would have been crucial.
Common Examples
1. Faces in Objects: This is perhaps the most common form of pareidolia. People often see faces in everyday objects, like the front of a car, electrical outlets, or in the patterns of a wood grain.
2. Celestial Pareidolia: The "Man in the Moon" or the "Face on Mars" are examples where people see faces in celestial bodies.
3. Religious Pareidolia: Some people claim to see religious figures in everyday objects, like the face of Jesus in a piece of toast or the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich.
4. Audio Pareidolia: This isn't limited to just visual stimuli. People sometimes hear hidden messages in music when played backward, a phenomenon often referred to as "backmasking."
Neurological Basis
The brain's fusiform face area (FFA) is specialized for facial recognition. When it detects something that even remotely resembles a face, it processes it as such. This is why even a simple configuration of two dots above a line (resembling two eyes and a mouth) can be perceived as a face.
Cultural Impact
Pareidolia has influenced art, literature, and even folklore. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci, in his notes, mentioned the value of examining walls stained with damp or streaked with various stains, to inspire complex landscapes, battles, clouds, and more.
In essence, pareidolia underscores the human brain's incredible ability to find patterns and make sense of the world, even if it sometimes leads us to see things that aren't truly there.
Example Images
Here are some examples of what we are going to create….
Midjourney Prompt Sequence
So here is how to do it.
Check Remix Setting
Go to your /settings and make sure REMIX is ON.
Create Image #1
For this example we are going to create the face of a woman. Use the following prompt, or something similar:
Face of a woman. Enigmatic. Dramatic composition. --ar 2:3 --stop 22
The ‘--stop 22’ parameter tells Midjourney to stop generating the image when it has reached 22%. This will result in a blurred image as follows:
Upscale Your Chosen Image
The next step is to choose one of your blurred faces and upscale it. in this example, I chose image #3.
Perform Some Magic
The next step is to vary this image. To do this choose ‘Vary (Subtle)’ [ don’t use Vary (Strong) ].
On the popup, delete the entire prompt and type in a new prompt. IMPORTANT! - use the same aspect ratio for the second prompt as used in the first prompt. For example, if you used 2:3, be sure to use 2:3 in this next prompt.
In my example, I used the prompt:
a forest clearing at sunset --ar 2:3
Final Steps
Choose the best of the four output images !
In my example, I chose image #4
What Next?
As always, make the prompt your own and try playing with the subjects. Also, give the stop value a tweak, trying out different values to fine tune your output.
Tips:
As I mentioned earlier, use the same Aspect ratio for both image generations.
For the second image, help Midjourney out by using combinations of materials that can easily be manipulated: forest, jungle, rocks, smoke, etc.
Trial and error is key.
And Finally
If you like this prompt, don’t forget to add it to your copy of the AI Prompt Pod. If you don’t yet have a copy, you can find out more HERE.
Masters of Deception : Escher, Dalí & Artists of Optical Illusion
Woooow!!! Thank you so much for this, Andy! I loved, it’s beautiful! Super original ❤️