APOPHENIA
NOUN
the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things (such as objects or ideas)
What psychologists call apophenia—the human tendency to see connections and patterns that are not really there—gives rise to conspiracy theories. - George Johnson
ORIGIN
From German Apophänie, from Ancient Greek ἀποφαίνω (apophaínō, “to appear”), from ἀπο- (apo-) and φαίνω (phaínō, “appear”), coined by German psychiatrist Klaus Conrad in 1958.