The most incredible optical illusions. Carefully! The coolest optical illusions of our time! An incredible collection of pictures and animations Optical illusions 3D drawings

Apparently reality depends on how the brain is able to interpret the environment. What if your brain gets false information through the senses if your version of reality is not “real”?

The example images below are trying to trick your brain and show you a false reality. Have fun watching!

In fact, these squares are the same color. Place your finger horizontally on the border between both shapes and see how everything changes.

Photo: unknown

If you look at this lady's nose for 10 seconds and then blink quickly at a light surface, her face should appear in full color.

Photo: unknown

These cars look like they are different sizes...

Photo: Neatorama

But in reality they are the same.

These dots appear to change color and rotate around the center. But focus on one point - there is no rotation or color change.

Photo: reddit

Photo: unknown

This park in Paris looks like a giant 3D globe...

But in reality it is completely flat.

Photo: unknown

Which of the orange circles looks bigger?

Surprisingly, they are the same size.

Photo: unknown

Look at the yellow dot, then move closer to the screen - the pink rings will begin to rotate.

Photo: unknown

The Pinn-Brelstaff illusion occurs due to a lack of peripheral vision.

Believe it or not, the squares marked "A" and "B" are the same shade of gray.

Photo: DailyMail

Photo: WikiMedia

The brain automatically adjusts color based on surrounding shadows.

Stare at this swirling picture for 30 seconds and then move your attention to the photo below.

Photo: unknown

The previous GIF had tired your eyes, so the still photo came to life, trying to regain its balance.

"Ames Room" - the illusion creates confusion in the perception of the depth of the room by changing the angle of inclination of the back wall and ceiling.

Photo: unknown

The yellow and blue blocks seem to be moving one after the other, right?

Photo: Michaelbach

If you remove the black bars, you see that the blocks are always parallel, but the black bars distort the perception of movement.

Move your head slowly towards the image and the light in the middle will become brighter. Move your head back and the light becomes weaker.

Photo: unknown

This is an illusion called "Dynamic Gradient Luminosity" by Alan Stubbs of the University of Maine.

Focus on the center of the color version, wait for the black and white to appear.

Photo: imgur

Instead of black and white, your brain fills the picture with the colors it thinks you should see based on orange and blue. Another moment - and you will return to black and white.

All the dots in this photo are white, but some appear black.

Photo: unknown

No matter how much you try, you will never be able to look directly at the blackheads that appear in the circles. How this illusion works has not yet been figured out.

By manipulating the human brain and vision, Brusspup is able to create amazing animations with just a black card.

Photo: brusspup

Dinosaur eyes are watching you...

Photo: brusspup

Akioshi Kitaoka uses geometric shapes, colors and brightness to create illusions of movement. These images are not animated, but the human brain sets them in motion.

Photo: ritsumel

Using similar techniques, Randolph creates similar, more psychedelic illusions.

Photo: flickr

Photo: Beau Deeley

Photographers can create amazing two-faced portraits by layering multiple images on top of each other.

Photo: Robble Khan

How does this train move? If you stare long enough, your brain will change direction.

Photo: unknown

Do you think the dancer in the middle is spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? Round trip.

Photo: unknown

The middle dancer changes direction depending on which girl you look at first: the one on the left or the one on the right.

Using clever design, artists like Ibride are able to create 3D art that looks incredible.

Photo: brusspup

Hold your gaze on the flashing green dot for a few seconds and you will see what happens to the yellow dots...

Photo: Michaelbach

Optical illusion is an unreliable visual perception of any picture: incorrect assessment of the length of segments, the color of the visible object, the size of the angles, etc.

The reasons for such errors lie in the peculiarities of the physiology of our vision, as well as in the psychology of perception. Sometimes illusions can lead to completely wrong quantitative estimates specific geometric quantities.

Even looking carefully at the “optical illusion” picture, in 25 percent or more of cases you can make a mistake if you do not check your visual assessments with a ruler.

Pictures of optical illusion: size

So, for example, let's look at the following figure.

Pictures of optical illusion: circle size

Which of the circles located in the middle is larger?

Correct answer: the circles are the same.

Pictures of optical illusion: proportions

Which of the two people is taller: the dwarf in the foreground or the person walking behind everyone?

Correct answer: they are the same height.

Pictures of optical illusion: length

The figure shows two segments. Which one is longer?

Correct answer: they are the same.

Pictures of optical illusion: pareidolia

One type of visual illusion is pareidolia. Pareidolia is an illusory perception of a specific object.

Unlike illusions of perception of length, depth, dual images, pictures with images that are specially created in order to provoke the emergence of illusions, pareidolia can arise on their own when viewing the most ordinary objects. So, for example, sometimes when examining a pattern on wallpaper or a carpet, clouds, spots and cracks on the ceiling, you can see fantastic changing landscapes, unusual animals, people’s faces, etc.

The basis of various illusory images can be the details of a real-life drawing. The first to describe similar phenomenon, there were Jaspers and Kalbaumi (Jaspers K., 1913, Kahlbaum K., 1866;). Many pareidolic illusions can arise when perceiving well-known images. In this case, similar illusions can occur simultaneously in several people.

So, for example, in the following picture, which shows the building of the Center international trade on fire. Many people can see the scary face of the devil on it.

The image of the devil can be seen in the next picture - the devil in the smoke


In the following picture you can easily distinguish a face on Mars (NASA, 1976). The play of shadow and light has given rise to many theories about ancient Martian civilizations. Interestingly, late photographs of this area of ​​Mars do not show a face.

And here you can see a dog.

Pictures of optical illusion: color perception

Looking at the drawing, you can observe the illusion of color perception.


In fact, the circles on different squares are the same shade of gray.

Looking at the following picture, answer the question: are the chess squares on which points A and B are the same or different colors?

It's hard to believe, but yes! Don't believe me? Photoshop will prove it to you.

How many colors are you drawing in the following picture?

There are only 3 colors - white, green and pink. You might think there are 2 shades of pink, but that's actually not the case.

What do these waves look like to you?

Are the brown wave stripes colored? But no! It's just an illusion.

Look at the following picture and say the color of each word.

Why is this so difficult? The fact is that one part of the brain is trying to read the word, while the other perceives the color.

Pictures of optical illusion: elusive objects

When looking at the following image, look at the black dot. After some time, the colored spots should go away.

Do you see the gray diagonal stripes?

If you look at the center point for a while, the stripes will disappear.

Pictures of optical illusion: shapeshifter

Another type of visual illusion is shapeshifting. The fact is that the image of the object itself depends on the direction of your gaze. So, one of these optical illusions is the “duck hare.” This image can be interpreted as both an image of a hare and an image of a duck.

Take a closer look, what do you see in the next picture?

What do you see in this picture: a musician or a girl’s face?

Strange, it's actually a book.

A few more pictures: optical illusion

If you look at the black color of this lamp for a long time, and then look at a white sheet of paper, then this lamp will be visible there too.

Look at the dot, and then move away a little and move closer to the monitor. The circles will spin in different directions.

That. the features of optical perception are complex. Sometimes you shouldn’t believe your own eyes...

Snakes crawl in different directions.

Aftereffect illusion

After looking at an image continuously for a long period of time, there will be some impact on vision for some time afterwards. For example, prolonged contemplation of a spiral leads to the fact that all objects around will rotate for 5-10 seconds.

Shadow figure illusion

This is a common type of erroneous perception when a person guesses a figure in the shadows with peripheral vision.

Irradiation

This is a visual illusion that leads to a distortion of the size of an object placed on a background of contrasting color.

Phosphene phenomenon

This is the appearance of unclear dots of different shades in front of closed eyes.

Depth perception

This is an optical illusion, implying two options for perceiving the depth and volume of an object. Looking at the image, a person does not understand whether an object is concave or convex.

Optical illusions: video

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 are looking from below), and the lower part is 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 - Canadian artist, representative of the genre 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 DECLINING 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 cheating, 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 the famous classic Zollner illusion, which has been around 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 the image, these “tired” cells cannot cope and cannot convey new information into 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 with 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 it is smooth circles. But at the expense geometric pattern and selected colors, the illusion of shifting lines of circles appears in consciousness.

OPTICAL ILLUSION. PINK LINES

The picture shows pink lines crossing each other diagonally. Different shade, is not it?

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.

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 of the eye. 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 a 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 to be the malfunction of the human visual system. Today, optical illusion is a deeper concept, associated with brain processes that help us “decipher”, understand 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 to 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 flowers 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 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 in this case 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 mystical stories, which 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.

People have been familiar with optical illusions for thousands of years. The Romans made 3D mosaics to decorate their homes, the Greeks used perspective to build beautiful pantheons, and at least one Paleolithic stone figurine depicts two different animals, which can be seen depending on the point of view.

Mammoth and bison

A lot can get lost on the way from your eyes to your brain. In most cases this system works great. Your eyes move rapidly and almost imperceptibly from side to side, delivering scattered pictures of what is happening to your brain. The brain organizes them, determines the context, putting the puzzle pieces together into something that makes sense.

For example, you are standing on a street corner, cars are passing by pedestrian crossing, and the traffic light is red. Pieces of information add up to the conclusion: now is not the best best time to cross the street. Most of the time this works great, but sometimes, even though your eyes are sending visual signals, your brain is trying to decipher them.

In particular, this often happens when templates are involved. Our brain needs them to process information faster, using less energy. But these same patterns can lead him astray.

As you can see in the image of the chessboard illusion, the brain doesn't like to change patterns. When small specks change the pattern of a single chess square, the brain begins to interpret them as a large bulge in the center of the board.

The brain also often makes mistakes about color. The same color can look different on different backgrounds. In the image below, both of the girl's eyes are the same color, but by changing the background, one appears blue.

The next optical illusion is the Cafe Wall Illusion.

Researchers at the University of Bristol discovered this illusion in 1970 thanks to a mosaic wall in a cafe, which is where it gets its name.

The gray lines between the rows of black and white squares appear to be at an angle, but in fact they are parallel to each other. Your brain, confused by the contrasting and closely spaced squares, sees the gray lines as part of a mosaic, above or below the squares. As a result, the illusion of a trapezoid is created.

Scientists suggest that the illusion is created due to the joint action of neural mechanisms different levels: retinal neurons and visual cortex neurons.

The illusion with arrows has a similar mechanism of action: the white lines are actually parallel, although they do not seem so. But here the brain is confused by the contrast of colors.

An optical illusion can also be created due to perspective, for example, like the chessboard illusion.

Due to the fact that the brain is familiar with the laws of perspective, it seems to you that the distant blue line is longer than the green one in the foreground. In fact they are the same length.

The next type of optical illusion is pictures in which two images can be found.

In this painting, hidden between the flowers are the faces of Napoleon, his second wife Marie-Louise of Austria and their son. Such images are used to develop attention. Found faces?

Here is another picture with a double image called “My Wife and Mother-in-Law.”

It was invented by William Ely Hill in 1915 and published in the American satirical magazine Puck.

The brain can also add color to pictures, as in the case of the fox illusion.

If you look at the left side of the fox picture for a while and then move your gaze to the right side, it will turn from white to reddish. Scientists still do not know what causes such illusions.

Here's another illusion with color. Look at the woman's face for 30 seconds and then look at a white wall.

Unlike the fox illusion, in this case the brain inverts the colors - you see a projection of a face on a white background that acts as a movie screen.

Here's a visual demonstration of how our brain processes visual information. In this incomprehensible mosaic of faces, you can easily recognize Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The brain creates an image from pieces of information received. Without this ability, we would not be able to drive a car or cross the road safely.

The last illusion is two colored cubes. Is the orange cube inside or outside?

Depending on your point of view, the orange cube may be inside the blue cube or floating on the outside. This illusion works due to your perception of depth, and the interpretation of the picture depends on what your brain considers true.

As you can see, despite the fact that our brain copes well with everyday tasks, in order to deceive it, it is enough to break the established pattern, use contrasting colors or the desired perspective.

Do you think this is often the case in real life?