Living in the age of social media, we’re all too used to seeing manipulated, photoshopped images going viral online.
But some of the trickiest and most confusing images and illustrations have been around for centuries.
Optical illusions, perhaps more commonly known today as visual illusions, are images that use artistic, photographic or psychological techniques to play with visual perception – with confusing images causing shifts between the eyes and the brain when we try to interpret them.
Writing in a scientific journal Trends in cognitive science in 1997the late Professor Richard L. Gregory said, “Visual illusions provide evidence for perceptual processes, particularly the use of knowledge about objects and work rules to see.
Here are 8 visual illusions that will have your eyes — and your mind — playing tricks on you.
Stare at one of those circles for too long and you’ll see the ones around it flashing gray or black, when they’re all actually white.
Photo: pixabay
Created in 1955 by Italian psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa, Kanizsa’s triangle creates the illusion of a triangle in the center of the image when there is none. Rather, the effect is created by subjective contours.
Photo: JPI Media
This legendary illusion allows some viewers to see vases or chalices for the first time, while others might see the outlines of two human faces on its edges to experience the “Gesalt Switch” and perspective shift. . What do you see?
Photo: Getty Images via Canva Pro
This illusion went viral in 2022, with the traditional seal or donkey illusion taking on new life as many said they could see a mermaid or fish in the illustration. What can you see?
Photo: Twitter/Canva Pro
