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Why optical illusions trick our brains

Optical illusion - pictures of illusions with explanations

Don't take optical illusions seriously, trying to understand and solve them, it's just how our vision works. So human brain processes visible light from reflected images.
Unusual shapes and combinations of these pictures make it possible to achieve a deceptive perception, as a result of which it seems that the object is moving, changing color, or an additional picture appears.
All images are accompanied by explanations: how and how long you need to look at the picture to see something that is not really there.

For starters, one of the most discussed illusions on the Internet is 12 black dots. The trick is that you can't see them at the same time. Scientific explanation This phenomenon was discovered by the German physiologist Ludimar Hermann in 1870. The human eye stops seeing the full picture due to lateral inhibition in the retina.

These figures move at the same speed, but our vision tells us otherwise. In the first gif, four figures move simultaneously while they are adjacent to each other. After separation, the illusion arises that they are moving along black and white stripes independently of each other. After the zebra disappears in the second picture, you can verify that the movement of the yellow and blue rectangles is synchronized.

Look carefully at the black dot in the center of the photo while the timer counts down 15 seconds, after which the black and white image will turn into color, that is, the grass is green, the sky is blue, and so on. But if you don’t stare at this point (to amuse yourself), the picture will remain black and white.

Without looking away, look at the cross and you will see a green spot running along the purple circles, and then they will completely disappear.

If you look at it for a long time green dot, the yellow dots will disappear.

Stare closely at the black dot and the gray stripe will suddenly turn blue.

If you cut a chocolate bar 5 by 5 and rearrange all the pieces in the order shown, an extra piece of chocolate will appear. Do this trick with a regular chocolate bar and it will never run out. (Joke).

From the same series.

Count the football players. Now wait 10 seconds. Oops! Parts of the picture are still the same, but one football player has disappeared somewhere!

The alternation of black and white squares within four circles creates the illusion of a spiral.

If you look in the middle of this animated picture, then you will walk down the corridor faster, if you move your gaze to the right or left, then it will be slower.

On a white background, the gray stripe looks uniform, but it is white background change, as the gray stripe immediately acquires many shades.

With a slight movement of the hand, the rotating square turns into chaotically moving lines.

The animation is obtained by overlaying a black grid on the drawing. Before our eyes, static objects begin to move. Even the cat reacts to this movement.

If you look at the cross in the center of the picture, your peripheral vision will turn star faces Hollywood actors into freaks.

Two pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. At first glance, the tower on the right appears to lean more than the tower on the left, but in fact both of these pictures are the same. The reason is that visual system a person views two images as part of a single scene. Therefore, it seems to us that both photographs are not symmetrical.

Which direction does the subway train go?

This is how a simple color change can make the picture come to life.

We look for exactly 30 seconds without blinking, then we turn our gaze to someone’s face, an object, or another picture.

A workout for the eyes... or for the brain. After rearranging the parts of the triangle, suddenly there is free space.
The answer is simple: in fact, the figure is not a triangle; the “hypotenuse” of the lower triangle is a broken line. This can be determined by the cells.

At first glance, all the lines seem to be curved, but in fact they are parallel. The illusion was discovered by R. Gregory at the Wall Cafe in Bristol. That's why this paradox is called "The Wall in the Cafe."

Look at the middle of the picture for thirty seconds, then move your gaze to the ceiling or white wall and blink. Who did you see?

An optical effect that gives the viewer a false impression of how the chair is positioned. The illusion is due to the original design of the chair.

English NO (NO) turns into YES (YES) using curved letters.

Each of these circles rotates counterclockwise, but if you fix your gaze on one of them, the second circle will appear to rotate clockwise.

3D drawing on asphalt

Which direction does the Ferris wheel rotate? If you look to the left, then clockwise, if to the left, then counterclockwise. Perhaps it will be the other way around for you.

It's hard to believe, but the squares in the center are motionless.

Both cigarettes are actually the same size. Just place two cigarette rulers on the monitor, top and bottom. The lines will be parallel.

Similar illusion. Of course, these spheres are the same!

The droplets sway and “float”, although in reality they remain in their places, and only the columns in the background move.

Everything we see in reality we take for granted. Whether it's a rainbow after the rain, a child's smile, or a gradually turning blue sea in the distance. But as soon as we start observing clouds changing shape, familiar images and objects appear from them... At the same time, we rarely think about how this happens and what operations take place in our brain. In science, this phenomenon has received an appropriate definition - optical illusions eyes. At such moments, we visually perceive one picture, but the brain protests and deciphers it differently. Let's get acquainted with the most popular visual illusions and try to explain them.

general description

Eye illusions have long been an object of curiosity for psychologists and artists. IN scientific definition they are perceived as an inadequate, distorted perception of objects, an error, a delusion. In ancient times, the cause of illusion was considered incorrect operation visual system person. Today, optical illusion is a deeper concept, associated with brain processes that help us “decipher” and understand the surrounding reality. The principle of human vision is explained by the reconstruction of a three-dimensional image of visible objects on the retina. Thanks to this, you can determine their size, depth and distance, the principle of perspective (parallelism and perpendicularity of lines). The eyes read information, and the brain processes it.

The illusion of deception of the eyes can vary in several parameters (size, color, perspective). Let's try to explain them.

Depth and size

The simplest and most familiar human vision is a geometric illusion - a distortion of the perception of the size, length or depth of an object in reality. In reality, this phenomenon can be observed by looking at railway. Up close, the rails are parallel to each other, the sleepers are perpendicular to the rails. In perspective, the drawing changes: a slope or bend appears, the parallelism of the lines is lost. The further the road goes, the more difficult it is to determine the distance of any section of it.

This illusion for the eyes (with explanations, everything as it should be) was first talked about by the Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo in 1913. The habitual decrease in the size of an object with its distance is a stereotype for human vision. But there are deliberate distortions of these perspectives that destroy the holistic image of the subject. When a staircase maintains parallel lines throughout its entire length, it becomes unclear whether a person is going down or going up. In fact, the structure has a deliberate extension downwards or upwards.

In relation to depth, there is the concept of disparity - the different position of points on the retina of the left and right eyes. Thanks to this, the human eye perceives an object as concave or convex. The illusion of this phenomenon can be observed in 3D pictures, when three-dimensional images are created on flat objects (sheet of paper, asphalt, wall). Thanks to the correct arrangement of shapes, shadows and light, the picture is mistakenly perceived by the brain as real.

Color and contrast

One of the most important properties human eye is the ability to distinguish colors. Depending on the illumination of objects, perception may vary. This is due to optical irradiation - the phenomenon of light “flowing” from brightly lit to dark areas of the image on the retina. This explains the loss of sensitivity to distinguish between red and orange colors and its increase in relation to blue and violet at twilight. In this regard, optical illusions may occur.

Contrasts also play an important role. Sometimes a person mistakenly judges the color saturation of an object against a faded background. Conversely, bright contrast mutes the colors of nearby objects.

The illusion of color can also be observed in the shadows, where brightness and saturation also do not appear. There is the concept of “color shadow”. In nature, it can be observed when a fiery sunset turns houses and the sea red, which themselves have contrasting shades. This phenomenon can also be considered an illusion for the eyes.

Outlines

The next category is the illusion of perceiving contours and outlines of objects. In the scientific world, it is called the phenomenon of perceptual readiness. Sometimes what we see is not so, or has a double interpretation. Currently in fine arts There was a fashion for creating dual images. Different people they look at the same “encrypted” picture and read different symbols, silhouettes, and information in it. A prime example of this in psychology is the Rorschach blot test. According to experts, visual perception in this case is the same, but the answer in the form of interpretation depends on the characteristics of the person’s personality. When assessing the qualities, it is necessary to take into account the localization, level of form, content and originality/popularity of the reading of such illusions.

Changelings

This type of eye illusion is also popular in art. Its trick lies in the fact that in one position of the image the human brain reads one image, and in the opposite position - another. The most famous shapeshifters are the old princess and the hare duck. In terms of perspective and color, there is no distortion here, but there is a perceptual readiness. But to make a difference, you should turn the picture over. A similar example in reality would be cloud watching. When the same shape from different positions (vertically, horizontally) can be associated with different objects.

Ames room

An example of a 3D eye illusion is the Ames Room, invented in 1946. It is designed in such a way that, when viewed from the front, it appears to be an ordinary room with parallel walls perpendicular to the ceiling and floor. In fact, this room is trapezoidal. The far wall in it is located so that the right corner is obtuse (closer), and the left corner is acute (further). The illusion is enhanced by the chess squares on the floor. The person in the right corner is visually perceived as a giant, and in the left - a dwarf. Of interest is the movement of a person around the room - a person rapidly growing or, conversely, decreasing.

Experts say that for such an illusion it is not necessary to have walls and a ceiling. A visible horizon, which only appears so relative to the corresponding background, is sufficient. The illusion of the Ames room is often used in films to create the special effect of a giant dwarf.

Moving illusions

Another type of illusion for the eyes is a dynamic picture, or autokinetic movement. This phenomenon occurs when, when examining a flat image, the figures on it begin to literally come to life. The effect is enhanced if a person alternately approaches/moves away from the picture, moves his gaze from right to left and vice versa. In this case, the distortion occurs due to a certain selection of colors, circular arrangement, irregularity or “vector” shapes.

"Tracking" paintings

Probably every person has at least once encountered the visual effect when a portrait or image on a poster literally watches him move around the room. The legendary “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci, “Dionysus” by Caravaggio, “Portrait of an Unknown Woman” by Kramskoy or ordinary portrait photographs - vivid examples this phenomenon.

Despite the mass of mystical stories that surround this effect, there is nothing unusual about it. Scientists and psychologists, pondering how to create the “following eyes” illusion, came up with a simple formula.

The model's face should look directly at the artist.
The larger the canvas, the stronger the impression.
The emotions on the model's face matter. An indifferent expression will not arouse curiosity or fear of persecution in the observer.

At correct location light and shadow, the portrait will acquire a three-dimensional projection, volume, and when moving it will seem that the eyes are following the person from the picture.

A visual illusion is an unreliable perception of the surrounding reality that occurs in a person under the influence of various factors. It can be created involuntarily or consciously, for example, when looking at a picture, under the influence of certain substances, or in case of certain ophthalmological diseases.

The shape of an object, color, size of figures, length of lines in the image, and perspective are incorrectly assessed. This is due to physiological characteristics the human visual apparatus, as well as with the psychological perception of the image. The most spectacular pictures with explanations are shown below.

Why does optical illusion occur?

Scientists have long been studying the nature of optical illusion, but so far they have been able to establish the causes of only some visual illusions. There are three main groups of factors under the influence of which an optical illusion occurs:

False transmission of visual stimulus signals, as a result of which brain receptor cells incorrectly decipher impulses and transmit a false picture.
Optical effects, for example, when light is reflected from an object, the crossing of shadows, etc., resulting in an optical illusion.
Disorders of the functions of the visual apparatus or the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for visual perception that occurs in the background certain diseases, taking some medications or drugs.

At the same time, sometimes optical illusions are caused by several factors at once. Visual images that human eyes perceive are transmitted to the brain. There they are deciphered and formed into images familiar to humans. But sometimes a failure occurs along the path of transmission of the visual impulse, and decoding occurs incorrectly.

Often the culprit is the patterned perception of visual impulses by neurons in the cerebral cortex. It is necessary for the brain to process the information received faster with minimal energy expenditure. But patterns can also play a cruel joke, mislead the brain and cause an optical illusion.

A classic example is a black and white chessboard. The brain does not agree to adequately perceive the specks on the squares and, as a result, produces the appearance of a large convex circle in the center of the board. But this is only the most “innocent” illusion of vision.

Types of optical illusions

Depending on what causes visual illusions, there are several different types of them.

Researchers classify according to the following criteria:

item size;
color and light;
form;
perspective;
apparent volume and movement, etc.

Some optical illusions are created by nature. These are the well-known mirages in the desert or figures moving in the sky in the mountains. The Northern Lights are another natural visual illusion. Scientists have long unraveled and explained these natural phenomena, so they no longer surprise anyone and do not raise questions.

False perception of light is caused by anatomical structure the human visual apparatus, in particular the retina. For the same reasons, a person incorrectly perceives the size of objects. It has been established that the error of the human eye is about 25%. The accuracy of the eye meter often depends on the background, as some studies have shown. Likewise, the brain may misinterpret the color of the same object against a different background. But there are a lot of such studies and theories. This once again proves that the possibilities human body have been studied only partially, despite many years and even centuries of work.

In fact, humanity has been familiar with optical illusions for thousands of years. Ancient shamans had amazing knowledge about the functioning of the human visual apparatus, despite the absence of any equipment and laboratory research, which was used to create amazing optical effects and misleading the entire tribe.

Stone figurines found during excavations of Paleolithic settlements depict two animals at the same time, depending on which side you look at them from. And the Romans knew how to create real 3D mosaics to decorate their houses and temples.

Depending on from which point you look at the figures, you can see a mammoth or bison

The most entertaining pictures

A classic example of an optical illusion is the so-called Cafe Wall. This effect was discovered in 1970 by researchers at the University of Bristol. Such a mosaic wall actually exists in one of the coffee shops. When you look at it, it seems that the tile is not square, but trapezoidal, that the straight lines are located at an angle. And if you peer at the mosaic for a long time, the stripes will begin to move in different directions.

In fact, the mosaic is square, and this effect is created by the gray lines between the tiles of a contrasting color. Blacks appear larger, whites appear smaller, and this leads to an illusion of vision.

Here is another interesting similar example with white stripes. Here bright, contrasting arrows play a role, which confuse the neurons of the brain.

And this is an example of the illusion of perspective, where the template perception of the brain also works. According to the law of perspective, the far blue line appears to be longer because it covers three squares, and the front green line appears shorter because it covers the side of only one square. In fact, the lines are the same length.

Another type of optical illusion is objects and pictures depicting several different objects at the same time. One of the most famous pictures is “My Wife and Mother-in-Law.”

Now look at these.

Our brain interprets pictures, putting them together from small pieces of information received. They can be false, like an incorrectly assembled puzzle or rebus. But the brain perceives them correctly. There are also paradoxes that can also be attributed to optical illusion.

It's easy to spot the faces of Bill and Hillary Clinton

Color perception also often “deceives” the brain. Some see the orange cube inside the blue one, others see it outside.

And a few more entertaining pictures that cause an illusion of vision. The rings in this picture don't actually intersect.

So, to create an optical illusion in a picture, it is enough to disrupt the patterned perception of the brain using contrasts, perspective, displacement of pictures or color.

And if you want to get the maximum impressions, watch the video of 3D optical illusions. This is an interesting and incredibly exciting show that you will probably want to watch more than once.

So, you shouldn’t take optical illusions too seriously; this is not a sign of any eye pathology or mental disorder. Periodically visual illusions everyone has healthy person, and this is due to the anatomical structure of the organs of vision and certain features brain activity. But the illusion of vision can be used to create interesting art objects and simply for an interesting pastime.

An optical illusion is a trick of human vision. Observations of some images leave visual illusions in our minds.

Optical illusion is the unreliable perception of certain visual information. A person, looking at an illusion, incorrectly estimates its size or shape, creating a deceptive image in his mind.

The reason for erroneous perception is the structural feature of our visual organ. Physiology and psychology of vision allow us to make the wrong final result and instead round shapes, a person is able to see square ones, and large pictures will seem small.

Illusion - error of visual perception

Optical illusion can be divided into several main types:

The human brain can react deceptively to some images. It seems that the image moves or even changes color only due to the fact that the brain perceives the visible light of some pictures.

Moving pictures optical illusion, photo

One of the most popular are the so-called moving pictures. Secret of this type lies in color and contrast perception.

moving picture

It is enough to look at the center of this picture for a few seconds, then look away to one of the sides of the salad frame of the image, and the picture will literally “float”.

moving illusion "wall"

This illusion can be classified into two types: “curvature of shape” and “moving illusion”. Firstly, the uneven placement of the cubes allows us to conclude that the lines are crooked.

However, they are absolutely smooth. Secondly, if you move the picture up and down using the slider on your monitor on the right, you can see how the cubes move and run.

moving illusion

Thanks to the textured image, it seems that the squares in the center of the picture are moving.

an illusion that moves

Thanks to the contrasting image of the round disks, it seems that they are moving in different directions: clockwise and counterclockwise.

the illusion moves

Patterns in the picture different sizes and stand out with bright contrasting colors. This is why the lines and curves appear to be moving.

What kind of visual illusion pictures are there for children?

Visual illusions are one of the most popular intellectual entertainments for children. Observing such pictures allows you to develop your child’s thinking.
He tries to understand why this happens, that what is desired is not presented as reality.
In addition, groups practice eye muscles. This helps improve blood circulation to the optic canal, which means it serves as a kind of prevention of blindness and other problems.

While observing illusions, the child exercises his logical thinking and develops the brain.

The most popular illusions for children:

animal shifter

This illusion helps the child understand which animal is shown in the picture: a cat or a dog. The child analyzes everything external features and remembers the characteristics, in addition, he tries to visually reverse the image, which trains his eye muscles.

volumetric illusion

This illusion provides the child with the opportunity to see a three-dimensional image. In order to do this, you need to bring your face closer to the image, direct your gaze to the middle, diffuse your vision for five seconds and then quickly focus. This activity intensively trains the eye muscles and allows the child to develop vision.

mirror illusion

Uniform prints located mirror to each other allow the baby to find common features external parameters in different animals.

optical illusion

This image allows you to develop abstract thinking: in the proposed picture you can see a simple branched tree. But if you read the contours correctly, the image of a newborn child will appear before your eyes.

What are hypnosis pictures, optical illusion?

Some images are called “pictures of hypnosis” because they are capable of misleading and a kind of trance, when a person diligently tries to understand the secret of the drawn objects and why they move.

hypnosis picture

There is a belief that if you look for a long time at the center of a moving image, a person imagines himself plunging into a deep tunnel without a bottom or edge. It is this immersion that distracts him from other thoughts and his trance is comparable to hypnosis.

Illusion pictures in black and white, optical illusion in contrasts

Black and white colors are completely opposite. These are the most contrasting colors of all. Looking at such a picture, the human eye literally “doubts” which color to pay the main attention to, and that is why it turns out that the pictures “dance”, “float”, “move” and even appear in space.

The most popular black and white illusions:

parallel black and white lines

The secret of the image is that the lines on the lines are drawn in different directions and that is why it seems that the lines are not at all parallel.

black and white illusions

These images allow us to see two images in one picture. The drawing is based on the principle of contour and contrasts.

black and white illusion based on concentration

In this illusion, for the effect you need to look for a long time at the red dot located in the image.

One minute will be enough. After this, your gaze is averted to the side and on any object you see what you previously observed only on the monitor.

What is optical illusion 3d pictures?

This type of illusion allows a person to literally “break his brain.” This is because the picture displays the arrangement of objects in such a way that, firstly, they become three-dimensional on a plane, and secondly, sometimes they are too difficult to understand.

simple 3D illusion

This picture makes it unclear to a person the location of objects: their sides and surfaces. Nevertheless, the drawing is perceived in volume.

complex 3D illusion picture

More complex images involve a person peering into the depths of the picture for a long time. It is worth completely dissipating and splitting vision and after some time sharply restoring it.

A three-dimensional figure (in this case a woman) with clear contours will appear on a completely flat picture.

Optical illusions pictures optical illusions

Optical illusions are errors that can occur in our vision. The causes of optical illusions are errors of perception.

While looking at a picture, inexplicable movements, disappearances and appearances may occur. All this is justified physiologically and psychological aspect visual perception.

optical illusion "black dot"

The secret of the illusion is that when we notice a small black object in the center, we do not pay attention to our surroundings.

optical illusion "elephant"

The unclear image of the contours allows us to see that the elephant has eight legs instead of four.

optical illusion "sun"

Contrasting colors and unclear boundaries of the picture allow the image to literally vibrate the moment we look at it and remain immobilized when we turn our gaze to something else.

optical illusion “one picture - two images”

Based on a mirror image with exact repetition of all forms.

Optical illusion pictures: dress, explanation of the illusion

The famous online “virus” and the “blue or gold dress” joke are based on vision perception, depending on individual characteristics each person
Once upon a time, everyone received a picture on social networks from friends with the caption “What color is the dress?” And many of your friends answered this question in completely different ways: either blue or gold
The secret to perceiving a picture lies in how your visual organ and under what conditions do you see this picture?
In each specific case, the retina of the human eye contains a certain number of cones and rods. It is the quantity that plays the role of perception: for some it will be blue, for others it will be golden

optical illusion "dress"

It is important to pay attention to the fact of lighting. look at the image in bright light and you will see a blue dress. Go into a dark room for half an hour and then look back at the picture - most likely you will see a golden dress.

Double pictures are an optical illusion, what's the secret?

As mentioned earlier, the secret of this illusion is hidden in the complete repetition of the lines of the drawing when it is mirrored. Of course, this can not be done in practice with every picture, but if you carefully choose the form, you will get quite an interesting result.

classic double picture "old or young woman?"

Looking at this image, you need to decide for yourself: “What do you see first?” From possible options you will see a young girl in profile with a feather in her headdress, or an old woman with a long chin and a large nose.

modern double image

Among the more modern versions of the double image, we can distinguish paintings that simultaneously depict two separate drawings. In such cases, the features of one image are read in different lines.

Video: “Five of the most incredible optical illusions. Optical illusion"

Illusion is an optical illusion.

Types of optical illusion:

optical illusion based on color perception;
optical illusion based on contrast;
twisting illusions;
optical illusion depth perception;
optical illusion of size perception;
contour optical illusion;
optical illusion "shifters";
Ames room;
moving optical illusions.
stereo illusions, or, as they are also called: “3d pictures”, stereo images.

ILLUSION OF BALL SIZE

Isn't it true that the size of these two balls is different? Is the top ball larger than the bottom?

In fact, this is an optical illusion: these two balls are absolutely equal. You can use a ruler to check. By creating the effect of a receding corridor, the artist managed to deceive our vision: the top ball seems larger to us, because our consciousness perceives it as a more distant object.

ILLUSION OF A. EINSTEIN AND M. MONROE

If you look at the picture from close distance, you see the brilliant physicist A. Einstein.

Now try to move a few meters away, and... miracle, in the picture there is M. Monroe. Here everything seems to have gone without an optical illusion. But how?! No one painted on the mustache, eyes, or hair. It’s just that from afar, vision does not perceive some small details, and puts more emphasis on large details.

The optical effect, which gives the viewer a false impression of the location of the seat, is due to the original design of the chair, invented by the French studio Ibride.

Peripheral vision turns beautiful faces into monsters.

Which direction does the wheel spin?

Stare without blinking at the middle of the image for 20 seconds, and then move your gaze to someone’s face or just a wall.

ILLUSION OF WALL SIDE WITH WINDOW

On which side of the building is the window located? On the left, or maybe on the right?

Once again our vision has been deceived. How did this become possible? Very simple: the upper part of the window is depicted as a window located with right side buildings (we look as if from below), and Bottom part– from the left (we are looking from above). And the middle is perceived by vision as consciousness deems necessary. That's the whole deception.

Illusion of bars

Take a look at these bars. Depending on which end you are looking at, the two pieces of wood will either be next to each other, or one of them will be lying on top of the other.

Cube and two identical cups

Optical illusion created by Chris Westall. There is a cup on the table, next to which there is a cube with a small cup. However, upon closer examination, we can see that in fact the cube is drawn, and the cups are exactly the same size. A similar effect is noticeable only at a certain angle.

Illusion "Cafe Wall"

Take a close look at the image. At first glance, all the lines seem to be curved, but in fact they are parallel. The illusion was discovered by R. Gregory at the Wall Cafe in Bristol. This is where its name came from.

Illusion of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Above you see two pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. At first glance, the tower on the right appears to lean more than the tower on the left, but in fact both of these pictures are the same. The reason is that the visual system views the two images as part of a single scene. Therefore, it seems to us that both photographs are not symmetrical.

ILLUSION OF WAVY LINES

There is no doubt that the lines depicted are wavy.

Remember what the section is called - optical illusion. You're right it's straight parallel lines. And it's a twisting illusion.

Ship or arch?

This illusion is a real work of art. The painting was painted by Rob Gonsalves, a Canadian artist, representative of the genre of magical realism. Depending on where you look, you can see either the arch of a long bridge or the sail of a ship.

ILLUSION - GRAFFITI “LADDER”

Now you can relax and not think that there will be another optical illusion. Let's admire the artist's imagination.

This graffiti was made by a miracle artist in the subway to the surprise of all passers-by.

BEZOLDI EFFECT

Look at the picture and say in which part the red lines are brighter and more contrasting. On the right isn't it?

In fact, the red lines in the picture are no different from each other. They are absolutely identical, again an optical illusion. This is the Bezoldi effect, when we perceive the tonality of a color differently depending on its proximity to other colors.

COLOR CHANGE ILLUSION

Does the color of the horizontal gray line change in the rectangle?

The horizontal line in the picture does not change throughout and remains the same gray. I can't believe it, right? This is an optical illusion. To make sure of this, cover the rectangle surrounding it with a sheet of paper. This effect is similar to picture No. 1.

THE ILLUSION OF A SHINING SUN

This magnificent photograph of the sun was taken by the American space agency NASA. It shows two sunspots pointing directly at the Earth.

Something else is much more interesting. If you look around the edge of the Sun, you will see how it shrinks. This is truly GREAT - no deception, a good illusion!

ZOLNER'S ILLUSION

Do you see that the herringbone lines in the picture are parallel?

I don't see it either. But they are parallel - check with a ruler. My vision was also deceived. This is famous classic illusion Zollner, which has existed since the 19th century. Because of the “needles” on the lines, it seems to us that they are not parallel.

ILLUSION-JESUS CHRIST

Look at the picture for 30 seconds (it may take more), then move your gaze to a light, flat surface, such as a wall.

Before your eyes you saw the image of Jesus Christ, the image is similar to the famous Shroud of Turin. Why does this effect occur? In the human eye there are cells called cones and rods. Cones are responsible for transmitting a color image to the human brain under good illumination, and rods help a person see in the dark and are responsible for transmitting low-definition black-and-white images. When you look at a black and white image of Jesus, the sticks get tired due to long and intense work. When you look away from an image, these tired cells can't cope and can't transmit new information to the brain. Therefore, the image remains before the eyes and disappears when the sticks “come to their senses.”

ILLUSION. THREE SQUARE

Sit closer and look at the picture. Do you see that the sides of all three squares are curved?

I also see curved lines, despite the fact that the sides of all three squares are perfectly straight. When you move some distance away from the monitor, everything falls into place - the square looks perfect. This is due to the fact that the background causes our brain to perceive lines as curves. This is an optical illusion. When the background merges and we don’t see it clearly, the square appears even.

ILLUSION. BLACK FIGURES

What do you see in the picture?

This is a classic illusion. Taking a quick glance, we see some strange figures. But after looking a little longer we begin to distinguish the word LIFT. Our consciousness is accustomed to seeing black letters on a white background, and continues to perceive this word as well. It is very unexpected for our brain to read white letters on a black background. In addition, most people first look at the center of the picture, and this makes the task even more difficult for the brain, because it is used to reading a word from left to right.

ILLUSION. ILLUSION OF OUCHI

Look at the center of the picture and you will see a “dancing” ball.

This is an iconic optical illusion invented in 1973 by Japanese artist Ouchi and named after him. There are several illusions in this picture. First, the ball appears to move slightly from side to side. Our brain cannot understand that this is a flat image and perceives it as three-dimensional. Another deception of the Ouchi illusion is the impression that we are looking through a round keyhole at a wall. Finally, all the rectangles in the picture are the same size, and they are arranged strictly in rows without apparent displacement.

ILLUSION. ILLUSION OF THE COLOR OF WORDS

Say quickly and without hesitation the color of the letters in which the words below are written:

To some extent, this is not an optical illusion, but a puzzle. It is really difficult to name the color of a word, due to the conflict that arises between the left and right hemispheres. The right half is trying to say the color, and the left half is intensively reading the word, because of this, confusion arises in our minds.

ILLUSION-GREEN SHADES

You already guessed that the picture shows not two shades of green, but the same green color.

And you yourself can explain this optical illusion - the brain perceives them as different shades due to the contrast of the colors next to them. To check this, simply cover the environment with a sheet of paper.

PICTURE ILLUSION. SHLINKING TUNNEL

There will be no optical illusions here. To appreciate this illusion, you need to look at the center of the ball for a while.

The picture will reveal its capabilities in a few seconds. You will be able to see the tunnel begin to flash, some will see stronger "flashes". The illusion of flickering in this picture is associated with the peculiarities of black and white vision of the eye. As you know, special cells - rods - are responsible for it. If they are “overstressed,” these cells “get tired” and we see such an illusion.

PICTURE ILLUSION. SEA WAVES ON A PLATE

Look at the picture and you will see the illusion of a wave, as if the image “came to life.” To enhance the effect, you can move your head or eyes to the sides.

This illusion is associated with different colors(white and pink) intermediate links between peas. White color visible clearly and brightly, but pink color, when you don’t look closely at it, it merges with the green and becomes difficult to distinguish. And in the picture there is an illusion that the distance between the peas is changing.

PICTURE ILLUSION. SPIRAL GOING TO INFINITY

You ask: “Well, what is the illusion behind this picture? Regular spiral"

In fact, this is an unusual spiral, and it is not a spiral at all. This is an optical illusion! The picture shows regular completed circles, and the blue lines create the illusion of a spiral due to the swirling effect.

PICTURE ILLUSION. CUP OF WINE

What do you see in this picture? What is the illusion here?

If, in addition to the cup of wine, you saw two faces in the area of the “leg” of the cup, looking at each other, you can be congratulated!

TO ARTICLE ILLUSION. WAVY SIDE OF SQUARE

Try and guess what kind of illusion is hidden in this picture.

If you see wavy lines on the sides of the squares, it’s not surprising, because it’s an illusion! Using a ruler, you can determine that the sides of the squares are straight and even.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. HIGH HAT

Estimate the height of the hat and its width and answer the question: “Are segments AB and CD equal?”

I really liked this optical illusion. It's incredible, but the height and width of the hat are exactly the same, i.e. segment AB is equal to CD. Due to the fact that the edges of the hat are curved on the sides, and the person’s face, on the contrary, is elongated, an optical illusion is created that the height of the hat is greater than the width. This can be explained by the fact that our brain takes into account the size of surrounding objects. If you measure the segments with a ruler or simply cover the person’s face with a sheet of paper, the optical illusion will disappear.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. GRAY DIAMONDS

Are all gray diamonds the same color? Isn't it true that the lower layers of the diamonds are lighter than the top?

The color of all diamonds is exactly the same. This optical illusion can again be explained by the environment. Our brain compares objects with environment, and an optical illusion occurs.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. A GIANT CHASES A Dwarf

Do you think the giant will catch up with the dwarf?

I will not give an answer to this question. But I know for sure that “fear has big eyes” and that these two figures are absolutely identical. Our consciousness is caught in an optical illusion; due to the corridor going into the distance, it perceives that the distant figure should be smaller.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. BLACK AND WHITE DOTS

The correct answer is 0. There are no black dots in the picture, all dots are white. Our peripheral vision perceives them as black. Because at lateral vision there is a displacement of the picture, but when we look directly at the same point, the optical illusion disappears.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. HORIZONTAL LINES

Do you see horizontal lines in the picture?

In fact, all the lines are not only parallel to each other, but also horizontal. You can use a ruler to check.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. SPIRAL

Is this a spiral? Is not it?

Take a closer look and you will see an optical illusion; in fact, these are even circles. But due to the geometric pattern and selected colors, the illusion of shifting lines of circles appears in the mind.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. PINK LINES

The picture shows pink lines crossing each other diagonally. Different shades, right?

In fact, the pink lines are completely identical to each other, they are the same shade of pink. This optical illusion is based on the contrast of colors surrounding the pink lines.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. LADDER

I ask you to answer the question: “Where does the staircase lead, up or down?”

The correct answer depends on which side you look at. If you imagine red as the front wall, then up, if yellow, then down.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. CUTS

Are the lengths of the left and right vertical segments equal?

You can use a ruler and make sure they are equal. Our vision was deceived by the “checkmarks” at the ends of the segments; you can cover them with a sheet of paper and make sure that our consciousness was under their influence.