Jesus In Shower Mold: The Strangest 'Sacred Sightings' Of 2012

God is everywhere, believers say, but some of the places where he shows up can make even the most devout person say, "Oh Lord."

For instance, earlier this year, Jesus' image reportedly appeared on a moldy shower curtain in Houston, Texas, and a stingray near James Island, S.C.

Meanwhile, the Virgin Mary appeared on a log in Utah and the wall of a Hamburger Mary's restaurant in Ybor City, Fla.

Some strange images were more open to interpretation, such as the crab found near Snohomish County, Wash., that looks, depending on your opinion, Jesus Christ or Osama Bin Laden.

Seeing a Christ-like image in odd places -- like on a breakfast taco -- could be a profound experience to some, and a mere coincidence or simple joke to others.

Nevertheless, there may be a scientific explanation for those who find significance in such sacred sightings.
Researchers at Northwestern University led by Joel Voss say the human brain is wired to look for familiarity and meaning in the most abstract squiggles.

Because our brains automatically identify similar objects and then organize them according to type, we can look at a baseball cap and a fedora and know right away that both are hats.