Optical Illusions: Mind-Bending Visual Tricks

1. Optical Illusions Read each slide for directions

2. Stare at the image for 20 seconds then look at a white wall

3. Stare at the four black dots in the center of the image for 30 - 60 seconds. Then quickly close your eyes and keep your eyes closed. You should see a white circle with an image inside it.

4. Even though the letters are jumbled in the following paragraph,most people have no trouble reading it! Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

6. This is a fun optical illusion picture to look at because it constantly plays with your mind. If you notice, you'll see that the person on the left is trying to fix the wall which has crumbled with time. They also seem to be painting the columns on the right.

7. M.C. Escher drawing “Relativity.”

8. M.C. Escher “Drawing Hands.”

9. The horizontal red stripes look bowed in the middle. This optical illusion brain teaser demonstrates that the black lines drawn in one-point perspective distort the red lines. You can also see that in this optical illusion, the thinner red line seems to be even more bowed than the thicker red line.

10. Which line is actually a line? Look at the optical illusion image above. First, imagine that C connects with point A. It seems like it could work. Then see if C connects with B.... it appears that that is a possibility too. To see the real answer, you'll just have to hold a straight edge up to the screen.

11. Does the line on the left appear to be shorter than the one on the right?

12. Here is an artists drawing of the young woman/old woman optical illusion. The old woman's eye is the young woman's ear. The old woman's wart is the young woman's nose, and the old woman’s nose is the young woman's chin. Easy enough right? This optical illusion goes down in the history books for being one of the most recognized optical illusions, and should be included in any reports about the history of optical illusions!

13. Another version of the “Young Woman/Old Woman Illusion…

14. Try to count the black dots

15. The lines look crooked, but they are all straight. Doubt it? Check with a piece of paper.

16. Another version…Are the lines straight or curved?

17. As your eyes relax and move around the different places on this magical spiral, you'll see that it twists and turns in front of you. In addition, it appears to flash very quickly.

18. This optical illusion is called “Spinning Watermelons.” Can you see why?

19. This image is called “Spinning Snakes.”

20. “Footballs”

21. This one is called “Purple Nurple.”