Show me optical illusions

20 must-see optical illusions that will blow your mind

Optical illusions come in many forms, from horses and tigers to moving shapes and floating ships. Whatever it is, we just can't get enough of them. Optical illusions are a fascinating look into how our brain perceives images based elements like colour, light and surroundings. Social media loves them too, with many optical illusions going viral as they baffle millions of people. Optical illusions have been around for centuries and in many different cultures, delighting and confusion people in equal measure.

There are several different kinds of optical illusions, and most usually fall in one of four categories. First there are physiological optical illusions. These are the 'true' optical illusions – images that make us interpret them the wrong way, for example a still image that appears to be moving or an image that appears to be a particular colour when it isn't. These are caused by physiological factors in the way our eyes and brains interpret elements such as brightness, angles, or movement.

Then there are cognitive illusions, which are just as fascinating because they can be interpreted differently by different people. The classic examples of these are the optical illusions used in psychological texts, where an image could be interpreted in two different ways. And finally there are literal optical illusions, which aren't exactly illusions since they've been created intentionally to confuse the mind. Well-known artists such as René Magritte created these kinds of illusions. There are also accidental optical illusions caused by things like atmospheric phenomena and the similarities or the position of an object at a particular moment (see the floating ship below).

We've picked out some of our favourite optical illusions of each kind in our round up of must-see optical illusions below. We've included some classics from the past and some new creations too, all to leave you bewildered and amazed. If you're left wanting more, check out this illusion that shows us the most intense shade of orange we've ever seen. Or if you want to have a go at creating your own illusion, make sure you have a look at our guide on how to download Photoshop so you have the tools you need to make digital designs.

01. The hypnotic circle optical illusion

Created by Brusspup, the first optical illusion in our list is a bit of a geometric trick. The white circles appear to form a circular shape that rolls around the inside of the circumference of the red circle. But of course, this is an optical illusion so that couldn't actually be the case. The white circles are actually all moving in a straight lines, the timing just happens to create the illusion that they're moving in a circle. See the full video if you don't believe us!

02. The spinning vortex optical illusion

One type of optical illusion that we can't get enough of are those that appear to be moving but they're actually still images. These are examples of what are known as physiological optical illusions – they're caused by the over stimulation of the brain’s senses as a result fo the eye seeing too much colour, light, movement or dimensions to be able to process. 

With its purple and yellow vortex-like design, this one's hypnotic, but we promise it's not a gif or a video. It's a completely still image. What happens is that the combination of the different patterns, light and levels tricks your mind into thinking it's moving when you let your eyes wander over the design. Concentrate on the very centre of the image and you should be able to see it stop.

03. The rotating horse optical illusion

The rotating horse optical illusion has us all asking, which way is it turning? The geometric equine kind of looks as though it snakes around, and many users on TikTok have theorised about the direction of the horse, but we still have no idea which way it turns.

04. Van Gogh Starry Night optical illusion

We're seeing stars with this trippy Van Gogh optical illusion. By staring at the rotating image above, the famous illustration will come to life in a flurry of swirls and movement. It's a great example of how our brains will twist an image based on how our eyes adjust to what they're seeing, and I could stare it for hours. Considering the original painter was a well-known addict to anise-flavoured spirit absinthe, maybe this is exactly how he envisioned the original painting.

05. How many horses are there?

Another equine-themed illusion, this one has been confusing viewers since the 1970s. The design begs the question, how many horses are in the painting? And despite how many times we counted the horses, we never got the answer that the artist, Bev Doolittle, revealed as correct.  This is an optical illusion of a different kind. It's what's known as a literal optical illusion since it was created intentionally by the artist to hide or disguise things in plain view, without relying on our minds to trick us. We love them all the same.

06. The cat on the stairs optical illusion

This feline-themed optical illusion has divided the internet. It seems as though no one can decide whether the cat is walking up or down the stairs in this post. While the illusion has been doing the rounds online since 2015, we're still none the wiser about the direction of the cat. See our pick of the best animal optical illusions for more animal-oriented treats.

07. The hidden tiger optical illusion

From small cats to big cats. This is another clever illustrated optical illusion from an artist. Can you spot the hidden tiger in the picture? No, not the first tiger you see, the one that's showing us its teeth. The hidden tiger. We promise it's there lurking there in the image, and you'll kick yourself when you see it. This one is also a literal optical illusion, but one with an amusing cognitive element that made us smile.

08. The impossible slide optical illusion

If you're a really big fan of optical illusions, how about one that you can 3D print? That's exactly what Struck Duck did with this mindbender. In this optical illusion, a ball that appears to roll UP the 3D printed slide, defying gravity. But if you watch the full video, you'll see the illusion depends on the angle that you view it at.

09. The Phantom Queen optical illusion

This mind-boggling video features the 2021 winner of the Illusion of the Year contest. The Phantom Queen optical illusion sees the reflection of an invisible queen piece on a chessboard. The video pans round to reveal a clever 3D shape that aligns with the pattern of the chessboard. Hidden under that shape is the Queen, making it look as though she wasn't even on the board. 

10. Moving pictures 

This mystical moving optical illusion was created by artist Akiyoshi Kitaoka . The design uses the 'anomalous motion phenomenon' to make it look as though it's moving when in reality its a totally static image. Our brain tricks us into thinking the photo is moving because of how the image hits our retinas at a particular location. 

11. What's hiding amongst the stripes?

Next up on our list of optical illusions is this eye-crossing striped affair, shared by Dr Michelle Dickinson on Twitter. It springs into life when you shake your head vigorously from side to side (carefully!). An image will start to appear amongst the lines. Which type of furry friend do you see appearing?

12. Spinning discs optical illusion

This is an illusion, featured in Clive Gifford's book Eye Benders , and inspired by experimental psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka . No, like the first optical illusion we saw in our list, this is not a GIF but a still image – though the wheels appear to turn in front of your eyes. This happens because of how your eyes process an image, scanning it repeatedly while autofocusing and adjusting. Like in the previous example, there's a way to make it stop – try focusing on one single wheel.

We're seeing stars with this trippy Van Gogh optical illusion. By staring at the rotating image above, the famous illustration will come to life in a flurry of swirls and movement. It's a great example of how our brains will twist an image based on how our eyes adjust to what they're seeing, and I could stare it for hours. Considering the original painter was a well-known addict to anise-flavoured spirit absinthe, maybe this is exactly how he envisioned the original painting. 

13. How many numbers optical illusion

This number-themed illusion had the internet utterly stumped as it asked the question, how many numbers for you see? At first glance, it looks as though there are only three numbers, but the closer and harder you stare, the more numbers start to appear. There are seven numbers in total, but what numbers are they exactly? 

14. Floating ship optical illusion

Most optical illusions seem to be handmade or digital creations, but every now and again an example appears out in the wild – and these incredible 'floating' ships might just be the most mind-boggling phenomenon we've seen. A walker was stunned to see a boat hovering above the water in Cornwall, and a photo of his discovery quickly went viral. This is one of what is a whole sub-genre of optical illusions – accidental optical illusions.

15. The union flag optical illusion

Ever wondered what colour-blind people can actually see? #OnThisDay in 1985, Horizon had the answer via the London Underground map, while viewers stared at a dot to make the Union flag appear in red, white and blue on a blank screen. pic.twitter.com/b1cyJscgzTJanuary 7, 2021

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Observing the world in all its colourful glory is something many of us take for granted. But how different do things look if you're colour blind? In a video created by the BBC back in 1985, an optical illusion featuring the Union flag was created to educate people on how colour blindness works. 

Viewers are asked to stare at the dot for 20 seconds, after which the screen goes white and, due to a "three receptor phenomena" the flag will appear in its original red, white and blue colours. This, as the narrator explains, is due to said phenomena forcing other colour receptors to take over when some "start to tire".  Despite the illusion first being shown over 35 years old, it's still completely mind-boggling. Still celebrating Jubilee Day? Make sure you also see the Queen Elizabeth II optical illusion!

16. Rotating boxes

These boxes are clearly spinning on the spot, right? Nope! They are, in fact, totally still, with the illusion caused by the flashing background. Focusing on one of the cube's corners stops the spin so you can prove to yourself what is actually happening. Shared by Twitter user @jagarikin , you can find out more about this illusion here.

17. The 2-in-1 spinning optical illusion

This hypnotic optical illusion actually has two mind-bogglers in one. Depending on where you look at the design, the dots will either appear to change colour or completely vanish. Simply follow the light grey spot around or stare at the cross in the centre for 30 seconds to experience the design's multiple illusions. This one, created by Lenstore, made it to our pick of the best optical illusions we've seen this year.

18. What colour is the circle?

Created by the same people behind the optical illusion above, this optical illusion employs a similar concept, but is no less fun to look at despite its simplicity. The circle appears to change colour as it moves from left to right on a gradient background. But it doesn't. The circle actually stays the same colour, all that's changed is the colour of the background that you're seeing it against. This is because the brain perceives colour differently depending on what is surrounding an object. We love an optical illusion with a scientific explanation and that gives us something to bear in mind when using colour in design.

19. The world's oldest optical illusion?

People have marvelled at the joy of optical illusions for a long time, but just how long? This piece of sculpture at Airavatesvara Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, is a contender for the oldest optical illusion around. Among the stunning 12th-century Dravidian architecture and carved ornamentations of chariots and avatars, there appear to be two conjoined creatures with a single head. Focus on the creature on the right, and you should see an elephant, while if you cover the body and legs of the elephant, the animal on the left is clearly a bull.

20. Super Illusion Brothers

スーパー錯視ブラザーズ pic. twitter.com/bLkFhBOCeUNovember 20, 2020

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This mesmerising optical illusion will melt your brain. Dubbed 'Super Illusion Brothers', it depicts a bunch of figures walking up the steps and jumping off the top. Doesn't it? You won't be surprised to hear (this is an optical illusion post, after all) that, no it doesn't. Those little green people are actually completely static. This is a ‘bright phi' illusion, which plays with our brain's perception of bright objects. 

According to Stanford University  (as spotted by 7News ), this is a "basic effect" whereby "If a bright point appears at one position, and then reappears at a position shifted to the right, we tend to see a single object moving left to right." Good to know.

If you've been loving these optical illusions and would like to have a go at creating your own, then make sure you check out our roundup of the best Adobe Creative Cloud discounts, or just scroll down to check out some of the latest deals.  

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Georgia started her freelance career working for CB in 2018, and since then has worked across the site on news, ecom, SEO content. .. basically anything and everything. Georgia is a slave to the style guide, a logo geek and loves all things London Underground (its branding history, and not at rush hour). 

30 Optical Illusions That Will Make Your Brain Hurt

From spinning circles to disappearing dots, these insane optical illusions aren't what they appear to be. Are you ready to have your mind blown?

Before jumping on in we have one question on our minds: what is an optical illusion? Optical illusions are visuals that tend to be deceptive to the eye and brain. This is based on numerous factors including varying colors, patterns, lights, and more! When looking at these images what we see gets sent to our brains, and a false perception is created as the image our brain processes isn’t actually what is in front of us. Different people will often see these illusions differently which is completely normal since everyone’s brain works in different ways—talk about perspective!

Do you think you have what it takes to figure out these optical illusions? There are so many types of illusions and we’ve rounded up the best of famous illusions, color illusions, pattern illusions, illusory motion illusions, and literal illusions. Scroll on down to see 30 of these illusions in their respective categories and put your mind to the test! Once you’re done, don’t forget to check out these visual puzzles and brain teasers that will leave you stumped.

Famous illusions

Cafe wall illusion

Barsukov Vladimir/shutterstock
These lines appear to be angled up or down, but the horizontal lines are actually all parallel. Need proof? Try covering the top and bottom of one line of squares with a piece of paper. No slants to be found!

Muller-Lyer illusion

Peter Hermes Furian/shutterstock
Which horizontal line is shorter: the top or the bottom? Trick question—they’re the same size, even though your mind perceives the one with outward wings to be longer. While these optical illusions seem hard to figure out give yourself a break and check out 20 rebus puzzles that are almost impossible to solve!

Zöllner illusion

Courtesy Lenstore
Are these long diagonal lines parallel? They sure don’t look it, but they are! Removing the smaller “stitch”-like lines shows the truth about this optical illusion.

Scintillating grid illusion

©mark/shutterstock
An oldie but goodie, you may have seen the scintillating grid illusion before! Your brain thinks there’s a black dot inside each white circle—until you focus on each individual white circle. Then you realize it was never there at all. These images can be quite deceiving so put your eye to the test and see how many triangles are in this puzzle.

Spinning dancer illusion

My favorite ambiguous illusion is still the Spinning Dancer: which direction is she spinning in? pic.twitter.com/DKvQ1fVh59

— Tommy Maranges (@tommygents) May 16, 2018

This infamous silhouette of a dancer changes direction but do you know how? It’s all based on your bistable perception—when our brain sees a 2D in two different perspectives. The reason why we believe it moves is because our brains are trying to create space around the dancer!

Ponzo illusion

A Ponzo illusion is designed to trick you into believing that both yellow lines are different in length, smart art! pic. twitter.com/5aEJflcE1W

— Viking UK (@uk_vikingdirect) July 21, 2016

One of these yellow lines seems longer than the other. If you look closely, you’ll realize they’re both the exact same length. It’s based on our perception and we tend to see this image with a linear perspective which makes the top yellow line look longer than the yellow line at the bottom. Imagine driving and seeing a line up ahead. As you get closer the line appears to be larger and when we pass it, it appears smaller! If this was easy, check out 25 of the hardest riddles ever.

Elephant optical illusion

How many legs does the elephant have? At first glance, the answer maybe be obvious – but look a little closer, and this fiendish illusion reveals itself.

Today we have some fun optical illusions for you to try out! See how tricky it can be for your brain to accurately interpret the images from your eyes. We will reveal the answers in a post later! For more fun optical illusions, check out https://t. co/yPLTUVucu6 #kidsweekatCORE pic.twitter.com/kp1oysj15G

— CORE uWaterloo (@COREuWaterloo) April 24, 2018

The elephants we see have four legs but this one is throwing us a doozy. If we look closely you’ll see this elephant also only has four legs! Artist Roger Shepard left natural space blank causing confusion and making our brains think the space is supposed to be a leg. Still confused? Cover up the feet and you’ll see the four legs.

Illusory motion illusions

Spinning seeds

iulias/shutterstock

Your eyes will keep jumping to the spinning sunbursts of seeds—even though they’re all staying still. Give your eyes a break and solve 11 of the most famous riddles in history.

Rotating circles

eurovector/shutterstock

When your eyes dart to one seemingly spinning circle, the others around them appear to start rotating. Your eyes don’t know where to look! Find out what a red spot on your eye means.

Hypnotizing

Mark Grenier/shutterstock

Looks like the background is spinning around a circle, but both are staying completely still. Boost your brainpower even more with these brain games.

Moving right along

Guten Tag Vector/Shutterstock

It looks like the background underneath the sphere is moving downward, like a conveyer belt or a slow treadmill. But we promise this is a completely still image!

Ripple effect

Skripnichenko Tatiana/Shutterstock

Are you sure the circles in this image aren’t moving? Are you sure they’re not rippling in a wavelike motion? But really—are you positive? This happens because of a lag in the way we process looking at one aspect of the image to another causing our brain to think there is movement. Our smarts are being tested! Continue your momentum by solving 12 logic puzzles.

Spinning colors

Andrey Korshenkov/Shutterstock

Optical illusions like this will leave you dazed and confused. The colors seem to be swirling around, even though it’s a still image.

Pattern illusions

Hidden message

llliiioiiilll/shutterstock

Lose your focus a bit (seriously—try to go a little cross-eyed) and you’ll spot a secret message hidden in the black dots. Take a closer look, though, and the words will disappear from sight.

Innie or outie?

De V/shutterstock

Is the smallest point of this black and white illusion pointing in or sticking out? It’s anyone’s guess due to the contrasting lines.

All about perspective

Iva Villi/shutterstock

Can you figure out which of these windows is bigger? Not only are they the exact same size, but their tops and bottoms are also directly in line with each other. Talk about a new perspective! Keep challenging the way you view things by looking at 25 photos of everyday things taken from a side you rarely see.

Large and small

Peter Hermes Furian/shutterstock

Which blue dot is bigger: the one on the left or the one on the right? Good for you if you guessed the same size! The left just looks smaller compared to the big circles and empty space around it.

New squares

Cosid/Shutterstock

At first glance, the four diamonds in this picture pop right out. But look closer—there’s not a single line creating those shapes. The contrast between the black and white makes your brain assume they exist. Next, can you identify everyday objects by these close-up pictures?

Connected lines

Peter Hermes Furian/Shutterstock

Which of the two lines on the right side of the gray rectangle connects to the one on the left side? As you can see from the image on the right, it’s the one on the bottom (labeled in blue)—not the one on the top! When you can’t see the whole picture (literally), these optical illusions can seriously throw you for a loop.

Wacky squares

Iva Villi/Shutterstock

Some of these optical illusions make your head spin! In the optical illusion on the left, the red squares look warped and crooked, like something out of a funhouse. But on the right, when the crazy arrangement of black and white lines is faded to almost nothing, you can see that the red squares are actually as straight and square as can be. If you think you can handle it, check out 15 word puzzles that will leave you stumped.

Tilted towers

Courtesy Lenstore

Is one of these leaning towers leaning more than the other? It certainly looks like it, but no! The two images are identical; the way they’re positioned next to each other makes the one on the right look steeper.

Squiggly squares

picoStudio/Shutterstock
The lines that make up these squares are completely straight—yes, all of them, even the ones in the middle! The placement of the miniature squares-within-the-squares warps the lines and makes them look curved. If that was a piece of cake, you’ve got golden eyes. Put them to the test even more and see if you can find the hidden object in a sea of watermelons!

Bending lines

Courtesy Lenstore
These red lines might look curved outward—but they’re completely straight!

Hidden arch

Courtesy Lenstore
Under the post, are the lines of this archway meeting in the middle? They sure are! The post makes the lines look mismatched, but sure enough, they connect! Ready to keep making that brain of yours work? See if you can pass a short IQ test and put your smarts to the test.

Standing tall

Courtesy Lenstore
Which of these monsters charging through the catacombs is taller? More optical illusions that use the background to trick you! Without the backdrop, you can see that these two freaky fellows are exactly the same—including their height.

Color illusions

How many colors?

Courtesy Lenstore
Can you figure out how many colors are in this image in total? Did you guess four? Turns out it’s only three! The square in the upper right of this image looks like it contains blue and pink stripes; the one in the lower left seems to have green and orange ones. But, believe it or not, the “blue” and “green” are actually the exact same color!

RELATED: Fewer Than 1 Percent of People Can Pass This Color Test. Can You?

Gray area

Courtesy Lenstore
Which of the labeled squares is lighter in color: A or B? This one’s quite the trick: They’re actually the same color! It’s just the shadow of the green cylinder that makes them look like different colors.

Pair of pears

Courtesy Lenstore

Which of these pears is lighter in color: the one on the left or the one on the right? Neither, these two pears are exactly the same color! Grab a friend or two and see if they can figure it out and when you’re done solve some of the most challenging jigsaw puzzles you can buy.

Courtesy Lenstore

Literal Illusions

Rubin Vase

Vase or face? This is an example of a Rubin Vase, an #opticalillusion named after the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, who first developed the trick. Next time you visit us, come check out The Queen’s Speech- a 3D representation of this illusion! #RubinVase #EdgarRubin

Vase or face? This is an example of a Rubin Vase, an #opticalillusion named after the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, who first developed the trick. Next time you visit us, come check out The Queen’s Speech- a 3D representation of this illusion! #RubinVase #EdgarRubin pic.twitter.com/afET0l3YIT

— Camera Obscura & World of Illusions (@camobscura) November 10, 2018

— Camera Obscura & World of Illusions (@camobscura) November 10, 2018

Upon first glance do you see the figure of a vase or the side profile of two faces looking at one another? It all depends on the color you choose to focus on. If you look only at the black color, the image of a vase will appear prominently. Focusing on the white will show the side profile of the two individuals.

Boring Figure

pic. twitter.com/3kruzTHGcX

— neurocurry (@neurocurry) November 4, 2018

— neurocurry (@neurocurry) November 4, 2018

There’s certainly nothing boring about this optical illusion except that it’s named after its artist Edwin Boring. What do you see when you first take a good look at this image? One can either see a young woman looking away or the side profile of an elderly woman. You can see both however our brains can only focus on one at a time. If these optical illusions have your mind going in full gear, this Mensa quiz will surely continue the momentum.

Sources: 

• Optics4Kids: “Optical Illusions”
• Lenstore.co.uk: “In Perspective”
• Verywellmind: “How Do Optical Illusions Work”
• Insider: “20 classic optical illusions that stump everyone”

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Illusion or optical illusion

• Authors
• Executives
• Job files
• Award documents

Skripnikova K. A. 1

1 MAOU secondary school No. 10, Taganrog

Klintukh E.V. 1

1 MAOU secondary school No. 10, Taganrog

The author of the work was awarded a diploma of the winner of the III degree

Diploma of a student Certificate of the head

The text of the work is placed without images and formulas. nine0028 The full version of the work is available in the "Files of the work" tab in PDF format

Introduction.

We are accustomed to trust our own vision, but it often deceives us, showing us something that does not really exist. At such moments, we are faced with visual illusions - errors of visual perception. Scientists themselves have created many deceptive pictures that clearly demonstrate how limited the capabilities of the human eye.

- Take a sheet of paper and roll it into a narrow tube.

- Put the tube on your eye and look through it.

- In front of the second eye, place your palm at the level of the end of the tube.

- Hold your hand and look into the distance through the tube at one point. Don't focus on the other hand.

- Wait about 10 seconds, and when it seems to you that the field of vision merges, you will see a hole in the middle of your palm, and in it objects visible with the second eye. nine0013

I was very surprised by what I saw, it interested me. There were many questions:

- Should we trust everything we see?

- Why do we sometimes see what no one else sees except us?

- Why do drawn stationary objects start to move?

- Can we always trust our eyesight?

Therefore, I chose this topic for research. I discovered a lot of new things for myself, friends and relatives. And I would love to share what I have learned with you. Often what we see is deceptive, and much is not at all what it seems at first glance. Even the simplest things can be fraught with the most unexpected discoveries, you just need to take a closer look. nine0013

Relevance of the topic: A person receives the most information about the world around him through vision. Even the ancient philosopher Heraclitus said that "eyes are more accurate witnesses than ears." People use visual illusions in practical activities, for example, in architecture to create certain spatial impressions, to seem to increase the height and area of ​​halls, to change the facade of a building. Visual illusions are used even more effectively in the visual and circus arts. Visual illusions have become the basis of cinematography and television. Virtual visual reality, created with the help of technical means, occupies a huge place in the life of a modern person and is closely intertwined with reality. nine0013

Purpose of work: Systematization of knowledge on illusions. Study of human vision. Find out what underlies the optical illusion - miracles or science?

Hypothesis: is not always what we see, in fact, is such.

Study objectives:

- Get to know the structure of the eye and find out how a person sees.

- Gather information about different types of optical illusions. nine0013

- Find examples of the use of illusions in art and architecture.

- Find out if the real world is really the way we see it.

Object of research : human vision and optical illusions.

Subject of research : causes of optical illusions.
Research methods: study of literature and Internet resources on the topic, comparison of essential features, analysis, comparison, generalization. Creation of layouts demonstrating optical illusions. nine0013

Theoretical part.

Types of illusions.

It is customary to distinguish the following types of illusions:

- Size perception illusion.

- Visual distortion.

- Illusion of color and contrast.

- Illusion of movement.

- Tracking portraits.

- Stereo pictures.

- Illusions of depth perception.

- Figure and ground illusions.

- Impossible figures.

But before moving on to illusions, let's consider how the eye works.

How the human eye works.

Vision is a person's ability to perceive the light, shape and color of surrounding objects, or, in other words, the ability to see them. This happens due to the special light-sensitive cells of our body, which are collected in special organs - the eyes. How is the human eye arranged? nine0013

A person sees as follows (picture 1) :

Light passes through the cornea and the pupil onto the spherical lens.

The lens, like a lens, refracts rays and directs them to light-sensitive cells located on the retina. Light-sensitive cells are of two types and they are called rods and cones. Rods perceive only dark and light, and cones distinguish color.

The optic nerve sends a signal to the brain.

The brain translates the signal into a visual image.

Blind spot.

In the process of research, I learned the amazing features of the structure of our eye. So, for example, there is a blind spot of the eye, discovered by the French physicist Mariotte in 1668. The blind spot is the place on the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball. nine0013

It turns out that because of the blind spot I should see the world around with gaps? It turns out not! We have two eyes, so when an image enters the blind spot of one eye, the other eye sees all the details.

Most commonly, the eye is thought of as similar to a camera or television camera, projecting external objects onto the retina, which is the light-sensitive surface. However, a person has two eyes, our brain is constantly “comparing” what they see and, thanks to this, we have spatial vision. The brain "looks" at this picture and "sees" everything that surrounds us. nine0013

But not everything is so simple:

Firstly, , thanks to the lens, all objects are reflected on the retina upside down, but our brain corrects such a distorted picture.
Second , the image is reduced and due to the imperfect optical properties of the eye, the image on the retina is smeared.

Third, , the eye makes constant movements: jumps when looking at images, small involuntary fluctuations. Thus, the image is in constant dynamics. nine0013

In the fourth , the eye blinks approximately 15 times per minute, which means that the image ceases to be projected onto the retina every 5-6 seconds.

So what does the brain "see"?

In fact, he sees two blurry, twitching and periodically disappearing images, which means that there is a problem of combining information coming through the right and left eyes. There are many scientific directions that, using various experimental techniques, try to understand how we perceive the world around us. One of the most interesting ways to study is the study of visual illusions. nine0013

Illusions are a distorted, inadequate reflection of the properties of the perceived object. Translated from Latin, the word "illusion" means "mistake, delusion." This suggests that illusions have long been interpreted as some kind of malfunction in the visual system.

Here's how it works. Vision is a physical process. But it has nothing to do with photography, which works purely mechanically. It turns out that vision is actually a psychological phenomenon, because it is not the eyes that see, but the brain! nine0013

And the eyes are mechanical instruments for imaging. But when these images reach the brain, the information received is evaluated. The brain cells must determine what they think of the given image.

What helps the brain to determine this? The work that the eye muscles do to see the object is very important. In determining distances, angles, relative positions of objects in space, our eyes move first in one direction, then in the other. Our brain tells us that the eyes have traveled a certain path because the brain has an idea of ​​the energy and time it takes to move the eye in different directions. nine0013

Therefore, one of the causes of optical illusions is clear to us. An example of this is the illusion of size perception.

Illusions.

Size perception illusion.

Consider Figure 2, we have two lines of the same length, but one of them is vertical and the other is horizontal. The horizontal line will seem shorter to us, since it is much easier for the eyeball to move from side to side than up and down. So the brain decides that the horizontal line should be shorter! nine0013

Muller-Lyer Illusion (Figure 3):

One of the most famous optical-geometric illusions is the Muller-Lyer illusion. Looking at this figure, most observers will say that the left segment with outward arrows is longer than the right one with inward arrows. The impression is so strong that, according to experimental data, the subjects claim that the length of the left segment is 25-30% longer than the length of the right one. What is confusing is the brain's habit of evaluating an object as a whole, rather than each of its component parts. That is why an arrow with divergent ends seems to us larger than exactly the same, but with a classic ending. nine0013

Ebbinghaus Illusion (Figure 4):

Try to carefully look at this picture and answer one simple question: Which of the circles is bigger? And don't try to prove that the right is clearly greater than the left, because it isn't. In fact, the circles are absolutely equal in size. Don't believe? Then take a ruler and check for yourself.

This happens because we judge the size of an object, focusing on its environment. Therefore, a circle surrounded by small circles will seem to us larger than that surrounded by large circles, although in fact both figures are the same. nine0013

Visual distortion.

Illusion of non-parallel lines (Figure 5):

Try to look closely at this picture... and understand that all the horizontal lines are parallel to each other. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Do not believe your eyes that the lines are arranged in a "ladder" - this is just an illusion. You just need to look closely to understand it.

Our brain builds distorted images of reality. He is able to create the appearance of something that does not exist in reality and at the same time not notice the obvious. nine0028 The reason for the distorted assessment of the surrounding world is the imperfection of the structure of our eyes. The retina at the point of entry of the optic nerve is devoid of light-sensitive nerve endings, which forms the so-called blind spot. That is, the brain completes some part of the image on its own, focusing on parts of the neighboring background. It saves that the blind spots of both eyes do not fall on one point of the image.

An example of the illusion of distortion is the Witch's House in Odessa (picture 6) :

This is a flat house. Flat people don't live here, you ask. The key to the originality of a flat house can be seen if you move away. The fact is that the side walls of the house are built at an acute angle, due to which an optical illusion is created. Inside, the flat house is a real treasure - the ancient interiors have been preserved here through the efforts of the residents: marble stairs, elegant stucco molding on the ceilings, and forged railings.

There are several versions of the reasons why the house turned out the way it is. According to one of them, during the construction it turned out that there were not enough funds, and the architects simply found a way out of a difficult situation: they brought two side walls together so that the house began to resemble a triangle in shape from above, and at a certain angle it seemed completely flat. nine0013

Another version, which many consider the most likely, is that there was simply not enough land, and it was impossible to deviate from the historical development of the street, so a building so amazing on one side and so traditional on the other side was built.

Illusion of color and contrast (picture 7) .

A very important ability of our vision is the ability to distinguish colors, but this property can fail us. For example, when changing lighting conditions, colors are perceived by us in a completely different way. nine0013

We tend to judge color saturation by the brightness of the background or surrounding objects, so the same painting on a white background will look brighter than if it were placed on a black background. In addition, our eye tends to perceive the color of the observed object depending on the background hue. In this case, the laws of brightness contrast also apply.

Our brain always strives to help consciousness, sometimes it is a disservice, but in most cases the creation of additional contrast by the brain is justified. Receiving information about several multi-colored objects from the eyes, the brain seeks to make them more contrasting. And more contrasting in relation to neighboring objects, that is, the background. nine0013

Illusion of movement (picture 8) .

Moving images are known fun. The desired effect is achieved by using different color combinations, interesting shapes, angled lines, as well as geometric elements of different sizes. Therefore, most of the illusions of movement are built on a regular repetition of fragments of different brightness or color.

Amazing illusions were invented by Japanese psychologist and designer Akiyoshi Kitaoka. When you look at his "Incredible Serpents", the circles begin to slowly rotate. Kitaoka experimentally selected the colors of the fragments and their sequence, in which the illusion is most powerful: "black - blue, white - yellow." It is to such combinations that peripheral vision is most sensitive. Changing the order of alternation of colors sets a different direction of movement. This can be explained by the fact that neurons (that is, nerve cells) of the visual cortex of our brain react at different speeds to light of different brightness. nine0013

“It is possible that the strength of the illusory movement may depend on cerebral blood flow - in the event of a violation of blood circulation, the patterns will move faster. But this is only an assumption, there are no proven facts” ¹ .

There is only one way you can stop the movement: by squinting or by fixing your eyes on a dot in the center of a circle and not blinking. It doesn't help everyone. And not for long...

Tracking portraits.

Everything is explained by the fact that the pupil in these portraits is placed in the middle of the eye. This is how we see the eyes of a person who looks directly at us; when he looks to the side, past us, the pupil and the entire iris seem to us not to be in the middle of the eye, but somewhat moved to the edge. The image in the picture is flat, two-dimensional. However, the viewer also seeks to transfer the perception of a three-dimensional object to the portrait. When we leave at

to the side of the portrait, the pupils, of course, do not change their position -

remain in the middle of the eye. And since, in addition, and the whole face we continue

to see in the same position in relation to us, then we, of course,

¹ Victor Koss neurologist, neurophysiologist, MD, Associate Member of the American Academy of Neurology.

it seems as if the portrait has turned its head in our direction and is following us."

Gardner's Dragon.

This illusion was created by the wonderful magician Jerry Andrews.

What causes this effect? Everything is simple. When we look at an object, our brain tries to recognize its shape and does so based on everyday experience. When we move, we imagine the trajectory of the object in advance. This dragon is painted in a special way and it seems to the observer that his head is convex, although in fact it is not! The dragon's head is concave. But it is hard for us to imagine this, since we have never seen an animal with a concave muzzle. nine0013

Scientists have proven that the brain of a schizophrenic cannot be deceived - for him the dragon's head remains concave. This is an interesting case where the distortion of reality and self-deception is a sign of a healthy person. The reason why the brain of a schizophrenic refuses to accept an optical illusion is not yet fully understood. Scientists suggest that it is associated with an incorrect (or correct, but certainly "unhealthy") way of processing visual information and pattern recognition. This optical illusion also does not work for some people under the influence of alcohol and drugs. nine0013

Stereo images (Figure 10) .

A stereo image is a flat image in which a three-dimensional image can be seen with the help of a certain focus of the eyes. This amazing visual effect is achieved due to the peculiarity of human vision. It was discovered back in 1836.

Man looks at the world with two eyes. Each of them sees things and objects from their own angle. But the brain, receiving two different images, combines them into a single whole. It is this feature that underlies the creation of stereo images. A stereo image is an image consisting of repeating, almost identical fragments. When processing them, the brain incorrectly connects the points of incidence of the gaze and the angle at which a person looks at the image. As a result, a kind of optical illusion is obtained, in which a flat picture turns into a 3D image

Moreover, the faster a person learns how to watch stereo images, the easier it will be for him to perceive them in the future. But for the development of binary vision, constant training for the eyes is needed.

For children, this task is easier. The fact is that the brain of an adult person gets used to looking and perceiving things based on past experience. The perception of the child in this regard is more flexible. Therefore, those who viewed stereograms in childhood, after a couple of exercises, will easily repeat this in adulthood. If we omit the fact that viewing stereograms is interesting and exciting, you can find some more useful facts about this activity. For example: Eye training to help maintain visual acuity. Positive effect on blood circulation. Relieve tension in the eye muscles. Improving the functioning of the accommodation apparatus. If there are violations of the visual apparatus (myopia, astigmatism, etc.), ophthalmologists highly recommend using stereo images to exercise the eyes. In addition, it will be useful for those people who spend a lot of time looking at the monitor screen. nine0013

Illusions - shifters (picture 11) .

Changeling is a type of optical illusion in which the nature of the perceived object depends on the direction of view. Here attention and concentration of vision play a role.

Changeling is one of the most beautiful and amusing optical illusions. You look at it and see a completely meaningful drawing. But if you flip the picture 180 degrees, then instead of the expected inverted image, you will see a completely different picture!!! nine0332

Illusions of depth perception (Figure 12) .

What is shown: a small piece of cheese or a "head" without a small piece?

In short, our deceit is due to the skill of the artist, who skillfully plays with colors. Also, knowing about color comes to the rescue - dark tones will always look further (deeper) than light shades.
Figure and ground illusions (picture 13) .

The fact is that we always select one object in the picture, making the rest of the objects the background. Sometimes these objects can change places when the background becomes a figure and vice versa.

What do you see?

One of the variations on the Rubin Vase theme ² . You can see only the vase, or you can see two profiles turned towards each other on the sides of the vase.

Impossible figures. nine0033

Impossible figure is one of the types of optical illusions, a figure that at first glance seems to be a projection of an ordinary three-dimensional object, upon closer examination of which contradictory connections of the elements of the figure become visible.

An illusion is created that such a figure cannot exist in three-dimensional space. One of the most common impossible figures is

Penrose Triangle ³ (figure 14).

Impossible figures are obtained by hitting sunlight on a real object at a certain point in time and at a certain angle.

It is worth noting that if we were now looking at the figures themselves, and not at their photographs, we would immediately see that the figure is not impossible, and what is the secret. An impossible object looks impossible only from a single point of view, and since we are viewing an object from two points of view

vision, we immediately see the tricks with which this or that object was created.

The Impossible Triangle in Perth, Australia, was created by artist Brian McKay in collaboration with architect Ahmad Abas. But

² E. Rubin created a classic image of circulating figures

how do they do it? Let's look at it from the other side. Sculpture, also called "Penrose Triangle", which is built from three straight beams of square section, meeting in pairs at right angles, where at the vertices of the triangle, they form a closed angle. nine0013

The illusion of emerging figures.

Illusion of Ludimar Hermann (picture 15):

He discovered this illusion in 1870 while reading John Tyndall's works on sound. Looking at the picture, you see gray spots at the intersection of white lines, but if you look directly at the place where these spots appeared, you will not see anything but white.

Kanizha triangle (Figure 16):

nine0015 The Italian physiologist Gaetano Kanizha decided to prove that it is human nature to see the world around us not as it is, but through various mental models that serve as a kind of filter.

In this figure, we see a white triangle, although in fact there is no triangle on it, except for various geometric shapes.

³ Discovered in 1934 by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd

Conclusion.

nine0015 The paper discusses different types of optical illusions. It turned out that the perception of the same object can be different. It is impossible to say with certainty that everything we have seen is such. The eye of any person sees the world in the same way, but the perception of what he sees is a process of human thinking. Therefore, each person perceives the world in his own way. And everyone's opinion should be respected.

Knowing the features of vision, a person can analyze the information received, understand when his eyes are deceiving him, and when the image is real. Such knowledge can get rid of the troubles associated with visual deceptions, make it possible to understand the causes of natural phenomena. The analysis carried out teaches us that one should not always limit oneself to only an estimate by eye, but one should connect logic and make measurements. In general, the study of various illusions is an important part of the study of how human perception, its sense organs and brain work. nine0013

The knowledge gained in the process of research and the accumulated facts made it possible to learn how to create optical illusions and control them. I will show you a model of a cube (the model was assembled by myself) floating in the air. I will conduct an experiment with the refraction of light rays, which changes the real image. I will also show the use of optical illusions in the modern world using the example of a 3d prism (my parents helped me make it).

“Through the eye, not the eye
The mind can look at the world…» ⁴

⁴ William Blake

Information sources.

https://i-fakt. ru/category/illyuzii/

https://billionnews.ru/1529-iskusstvo-illyuzii-19-foto.html

https://novostiifakty.ru/fakty/opticheskie-illuzii-kotorye-sposobny-vzorvat-mozg/

https://www.rostov.kp.ru/daily/26802.7/3836695/

https://habr.com/ru/post/109022/

Application.

Figure 1

How the human eye works.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Muller-Lyer illusion.

Figure 4

Ebbinghaus Illusion.

Figure 5 .

Illusion of non-parallel lines.

Figure 6

Witch House in Odessa.

Figure 7

Illusion of color and contrast.

Figure 8

Illusion of movement.

Figure 9

"Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci.

Figure 10

Stereo pictures.

Figure 11

Illusions are shifters.

Figure 12

Illusions of depth perception.

Figure 13

Figure and background illusions.

Figure 14

Penrose Triangle.

Figure 15

nine0532
Illusion of Ludimar Hermann.

Figure 16

Kanizha Triangle.

Views of work: 3041

Optical illusion: collections of master classes, articles, publications about needlework and creativity

Found 11 threads with this keyword

Late 19th century Russian silver in trompe l'oeil style

Russian late 19th century silver in trompe l'oeil style

Vera Marchenko. Primavera

Trompe l'oeil - optical illusion, snag. At the end of the 19th century, such gifts were often presented by colleagues at work. Many of these things have dedicatory inscriptions. Silver salt shaker on a malachite stand, P. Ovchinnikov's factory, 1870 Casket "Box with mushrooms", silver, gilding, ...

Magical pictures - optical illusions. Mini-game :)

Magic pictures - optical illusions. Mini-game :)

Vincento Magic Jewelry

Can you watch stereo pictures? If yes, then this mini-game is for you! :) Look closely: how many cats and stars can you count? P.S. By the way, we made these 3D pictures based on photos of our jewelry. nine0013

The grandiose optical illusion at the Louvre was destroyed a few hours after the opening

The grandiose optical illusion at the Louvre was destroyed a few hours after the opening

Alexandra Gradova

In 2019, the famous Louvre Pyramid turns 30 years old. The grand opening of the architectural monument took place on April 1, 1989, and since then it has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris. The French authorities decided to take a creative approach to the celebration of the anniversary and invited a contemporary ...

Spinning tops with optical effects - Color overflow and color swirl

Spinning tops with optical effects - Color overflow and color swirl

Playful top

Spinning top in the form of a ball with colored ovals on it and the effect obtained during rotation. The second part of the video is the launch of a spinning top with double balls and colored ovals on each of the balls - the effect when launched resembles a colored whirlwind.

Video tutorial: how to draw an optical illusion "Three hieroglyphs hanging over paper"

Video master class: draw an optical illusion "Three hieroglyphs hanging over paper"

"*" Amimono "*" Olya-Masteritsa

How to draw an optical illusion? You don't need any special drawing skills to do this. It is enough to look closely at how I draw three hieroglyphs "hanging in the air", and you can draw something similar. Even with minimal skills, an interesting volumetric effect is obtained. When looking under ...

I don't see the old woman, do you?

I don't see the old woman, do you? nine0013

Elena Pavlova

Antique optical illusion This illusion has puzzled many. Of course, when you properly consider it, everything begins to seem simple, but not for everyone. Image from category "dual imagery". In the picture you can see a young girl or an elderly woman. Picture for the first time ...

Life in stone. The incomprehensible skill of sculptors.

Life in stone. The incomprehensible skill of sculptors.

World of Needlework in Serpukhov

Post for inspiration. Looking at these amazingly executed sculptures, at least it was difficult for me to believe that this flowing matter is not fabric, not wet silk, not a real veil ... In fact, this is an optical illusion - after all, nothing else is flowing marble! The skill of sculptors . ..

Video master class: making a pendant with an optical illusion

Video master class: making a pendant with an optical illusion

Anna Oriona Jewelry and Lessons

In this master class, I will show you how to lay out a 3D polymer clay pattern on the surface of a pendant. The optical illusion of three-dimensional cubes is an interesting and impressive effect! For work you will need: Polymer clay. I chose turquoise, as well as black and white to make it lighter and more ...

Live Paintings or "reverse" technique

Live Paintings or "reverse" technique

illusionart studio.

We present you a new, unique and inimitable form of contemporary art. On this site you can purchase paintings that will open up a new perception of space for you, as well as show ...

Masters of Optical Illusions

Masters of Optical Illusions

Natalia Sukhova

Hello dear readers! Today I decided to entertain you a little with illusions, or rather, works in this direction.

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