Resource Center » Optical Illusions
Optical illusions are images that trick the brain into seeing things that don’t exist. The eye processes the information it sees and sends that to the brain, which tries to figure out the answer. The brain depends on what the eye sees, but in most of these illusions the brain and eye differ in their processing. Many people are able to see an optical illusion once they learn the answer, but not always!
A common optical illusion is a sketch of a young woman combined with a sketch of an old woman; when you look one way you can see the older woman, but when you turn it over you can see the younger woman. The increase in technology has made optical illusions more complex and has even made it possible to create pictures that appear to move even though they remain completely stationary. These images are so popular that they have been used in advertisements, on book covers, on business promotional products, and much more!
Examples and information on optical illusions include:
- Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomenon: different types of illusions and their explanations
- NEIHS: a history of optical illusions for children
- Mighty Optical Illusions: different illusions with information on each one
- Optical Illusions Gallery: gallery of illusions based on eyesight
- Optical Illusion at Wikipedia: discusses what causes the illusions and shows common versions
- Akiyoshi’s Illusion: moving optical illusions
- Optical Illusion Best of the Best: different examples of lesser-known optical illusions
- Optical Illusions: breaks down illusions into the basic types, with information on each type
- What is an Optical Illusion: gives a basic definition and explains how and why they work
- Visual Illusions: characteristics of the illusions that cause them to work
- Optical Illusions: explains the illusions from the basis of a medical professional
- New Optical Illusions: offers more obscure and lesser-known images
- History of Optical Illusions: history of the optical illusion phenomenon dating back to ancient times
- Grand Illusions: obscure and uncommon examples of optical illusions
- Dynamic Optical Illusions: mixes common and well-known illusions with less common ones
- The Explanatorium: different optical illusions with information on the causes
- Color Cube: lesser-known illusions based on color
Common optical illusions include:
The Hermann Grid
The Mach Band
The Muller-Lyer
The Café Wall
The Penrose Triangle
Ascending and Descending
The Waterfall
Duck-Rabbit
The Vase
Reversible Figure
Impossible Trident
Lesser-known or obscure optical illusions include:
The Hering Illusion
Benham’s Top
Ames Trapezoid
Fraser Spiral
Jastrow Illusion
Lilac Chaser
Orbison Illusion
The Spinning Dancer
The use of 3-D technology has created a large number of unusual and lesser-known optical illusions. Companies specializing in business promotional items use these illusions on their products as a way of giving customers something to remember. They’re also passed around through emails and blogs as a way of testing others. One thing about optical illusions is clear; their increased popularity and ever-changing complexity will keep them in the public eye for a long time to come!
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