Optical illusions that stump almost everyone who looks

Optical illusions are very cool and strange things to look at.

Our brains want us to believe something that is not actually the case. We’ve put together a list of some optical illusions that just might have your head spinning.

Rabbit-Duck Illusion

This illusion has been playing tricks with people’s minds for more than 100 years!

It was first published in 1892. Can you notice where both the rabbit and duck are in the image?

Woman Or Man?

The eye in this photo can be both the man’s and the woman’s.

Which one you notice first will tell you which one you think is in the foreground of the photo.

The Impossible Fork

This impossible fork is also known as the “devil’s fork.”

The top of the fork would lead you to believe that there will be four prongs at the other end, but when you get to the other end there are only three.

The Shepard Elephant

How many legs does this elephant have?

If you are having a hard time figuring it out, here’s a hint: Place your hand over the feet! That should make it easier to see how many legs the elephant has.

Rubin’s Vase

The Rubin’s vase is a picture that can be one of two things.

You may see a white vase with a background, or, you may see two faces in the black that are looking at each other.

My Wife And Mother-In-Law

This photo first surfaced in 1888 and most people will see one of two things.

There is a younger woman or “the wife” wearing a bonnet. However, some people will also notice an older woman or the “mother-in-law.”

The Escher Waterfall

The Escher Waterfall is a hard one for people to wrap their heads around.

The water from the bottom of the waterfall appears to fall down but then travel back up on the same level.

The Hermann Grid

Do you see the black circles at the intersections of the lines?

The trick is that they’re not really there. That is just your mind making the connection for you.

Ponzo’s Illusion

Which of the two horizontal lines is longer?

While the one on top may seem to be longer, it isn’t. Both of the lines are the same length and the diagonal lines play tricks on us.

Müller-Lyer Illusion

Which one of these lines is longer without the tails?

The answer is neither, both are the same length. The direction of the tails on each side leads us to think that figure two is longer when it isn’t.

Zollner Illusion

Are the thick vertical lines parallel to each other?

The differing diagonal lines have our minds thinking that they are not when they actually are perfectly parallel to one another.

Kanizsa Triangle

How many triangles do you see in this photo? How many circles?

Your brain may want you to say two and three, but the correct answer is none. Our brains make the connection of the lines when there are none.

The Impossible Cube

Is this cube a two- or three-dimensional figure?

While it looks like it could be a three-dimensional figure, it’s impossible. It would have to violate the rules of geometry for it to exist as a three-dimensional figure.

The Checker Shadow

Which tile is a darker shade of grey, A or B?

The answer is that they are both the exact same shade. The shadow of the green cylinder plays tricks with us.

Cafe Wall Illusion

Are the x-axis lines in this picture perfectly horizontal?

They are indeed perfectly straight. The staggered black boxes give the perception that they are going on the diagonal but that is not the case.

Pinna’s Illusory Intertwining Effect

Do you see one spiraling line or multiple circles?

What you should see are four perfect circles that are spaced evenly apart. The differing colors of the boxes make it look like one continual line.

Ebbinghaus Illusion

Which orange circle is the larger one of the two?

The answer is that both orange circles are the exact same size. The size of the blue surrounding circles plays tricks with our minds.

Shepards Tables Illusion

These two tables are the exact same size.

While we may like to believe that one is larger, that is not the case. The simple rotation fools us into thinking they’re different.

Chubb Illusion

Is the circle in the middle of each square the same or different?

They are the same circle even though they look different. The surrounding colors try to trick us into seeing them differently.

The Poggendorff Illusion

In the left image, is it the blue line or the red line that aligns with the black line on the other side of the rectangle?

You may want to say that it’s the blue one, but the correct answer, as seen in the image on the right, is the red line.

Deceptive Shopping Cart

It looks like this shopping cart is pushed over on its side against the building.

When you walk up beside it you’ll notice that it’s actually a cart that has been completely flattened.

Illusory Motion

Does this picture look like it is moving to you?

If it does, that is just your brain playing tricks on you. It’s the colors contrasting with each other causing that effect.

The Jastrow Illusion

Which piece of train track is the larger one of these two?

This is another one where the answer to the question is neither, as they are both the exact same length.

Fading Picture

If you stare at the same place in this picture what happens?

After a minute or two, the image will fade away and disappear. It’s a pretty weird trick that our brain plays on us!