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Visual illusion of the picture. Why optical illusions trick our brains

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 to be the malfunction of the human visual system. 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 a concept of disparity - different position 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 The 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 scientific world it is called the phenomenon of perceptual readiness. Sometimes what we see is not so, or has a double interpretation. Currently, in the visual arts there is a fashion for creating dual images. Different people look at the same “encrypted” picture and read in it different symbols, silhouettes, information. A prime example of this in psychology is the Rorschach blot test. According to experts, visual perception V 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 is that in one position of the image human brain reads one image, and in the opposite - 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 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.

It's time to do some eye exercises, have fun and stretch your imagination! In this collection you will find bright and unpredictable pictures and very interesting puzzles for those who like to double-check everything in person. The same drawing may contain several subjects at once, and some images may seem “alive.” Don't worry, this is completely normal.

25. Is this a vase or human faces?

There are two in front of you different plots in one picture at the same time. Some people see a bowl or a figurine, while others see people looking at each other. It's all about perception and focus. Switching from one plot to another is a good exercise for the eyes.

24. Bring the image first closer to your face, and then back

Photo: Nevit Dilmen

It may seem to you that the ball becomes voluminous and even takes on color. Be careful, they say that if you look at this drawing for too long, you may get a headache.

23. Wriggling figures

Photo: Wikipedia

At first, you may think that the columns and rows of white and green polygons are writhing, like a flag or waves. But if you hold a ruler up to the screen, you will realize that all the figures are located in strict order and in a straight line, both vertically and horizontally. In the picture, all angles are equal to either 90 degrees or 45. Don’t believe your eyes, as they say.

22. Moving circles

Photo: Cmglee

For some, a simple glance is enough to immediately notice the movement, while others will have to wait a little. But sooner or later you will definitely feel that the circles in this picture are rotating. In fact, this is an ordinary picture, and not an animation at all, but ours has a hard time coping with such a set of colors and shapes at the same time, and it’s easier for him to decide that something is rotating on the screen.

21. Red lines on a colored background

Photo: Wikipedia

The red lines in the picture appear to be curved, but it is easy to prove otherwise with a simple ruler or even a piece of paper. In fact, this optical illusion is achieved using an intricate pattern in the background.

20. Black tops or bottoms of bars

Photo: Wikipedia

Of course, the black edges are the tops of the drawn bricks. Although wait... No, that’s not true! Or so? It’s not easy to figure it out, although the picture doesn’t change at all, unlike our perception.

19. Optical plug

Photo: Wikipedia

This drawing is a little reminiscent of the picture from point 23, only now there is also a giant fork. Although if you look closely, it may turn out to be something completely different...

18. Yellow lines

Photo: Wikipedia

Believe it or not, but in the image there are 2 yellow lines of exactly the same length. The deceptive prospect of black bars can be confusing, but we advise you to take up the ruler again.

17. Spinning circles

Photo: Fibonacci

If you look strictly at the black dot in the center of the picture and do not move your head, circles around it will begin to rotate. Try it!

16. Moving squiggles

Photo: PublicDomainPictures.net

This psychedelic picture is a real mystery for our brain. To peripheral vision, it always seems that some kind of movement is happening around the edges. No matter how hard you try, the squiggles will still move somewhere nearby, and not where you are looking.

15. Gray stripe

Photo: Dodek

It probably seems to you that the stripe in the center changes its color from one end to the other, as if someone’s shadow is falling on it. In fact, the center line is one, and the easiest way to check this is with 2 sheets of paper. Cover the top and bottom part drawing and you will see what we are talking about. The only thing that changes in this image is the background color.

14. Black shadows

Photo: Wikipedia

Fascinating picture! It either dazzles your eyes or makes you dizzy, so don’t look at the screen for too long.

13. Fluttering pattern

Photo: Aaron Fulkerson / flickr

It feels like the wind is blowing across the surface of the field... But no, this is definitely not a GIF. Although it’s hard to believe if you look at the image, moving your gaze from one point to another. If you look strictly in the center, the picture should gradually freeze or at least slow down.

12. Triangles and lines

Photo: Wikipedia

These rows of stuck triangles appear uneven, as if they were spaced diagonally. In fact, they are still drawn parallel to each other. Is there a line?

11. Cow

Photo: John McCrone

Yes, it's a cow. It is not so easy to see, and sometimes it takes a little time, but if you look closely, you will definitely see not only random lines and spots, but also an animal. Do you see?

10. Drowning floor

Photo: markldiaz/flickr

It may seem as if the center of the picture is drowning or being pulled in by something. In fact, all the squares are the same size and shape, they are located evenly and do not float anywhere. The illusion of distortion is created by white dots along the edges of some squares.

9. Old woman or young girl?

Photo: Wikipedia

And this is a very old, almost classic, optical illusion. Everyone manages to solve the picture differently. Some people stubbornly see a young girl with beautiful cheekbones, while others are immediately struck by the huge nose of an old woman. But if you try, you can see them both. It turns out?

8. Blackheads

Photo: Wikipedia

This optical illusion gives the impression that small black dots are constantly moving in the painting. When you look at different parts of the drawing, they either appear at the intersection of lines or disappear. How many points can you see at the same time? It's very difficult to calculate!

7. Green whirlwind

Photo: Fiestoforo

If you look at this picture long enough, it may seem as if you are being sucked into a vortex funnel! But this is a regular flat image, not a GIF. It's all about optical illusion and our brain. Again.

6. More spinning circles

Photo: markldiaz/flickr

Here's another absolutely stunning variation on a static image. Due to the complex colors and shapes of the details of the design, it seems that the circles are rotating, but in reality this is not the case.

5. Poggendorff illusion

Photo: Fibonacci

Here is a classic optical illusion, named after the German physicist I. K. Poggendorf. The answer lies in the location of the black line. If you look at left side picture, it seems that the blue line should be a continuation of the black one, but on the right side of the picture you can see that it is the red stripe that completes it.

4. Blue flowers

Photo: Nevit Dilmen

Another optical illusion that will seem like a gif to you. If you look at this drawing long enough, the flowers will begin to spin.

3. The Orbison Illusion

Photo: Wikipedia

This is another very old optical illusion, drawn by the American psychologist Orbison back in the 30s of the 20th century. The red diamond in the center is actually a perfect square, but the background blue lines make it look like it's a little warped or rotated.

1. Zöllner optical illusion

Photo: Fibonacci

Here is another classic example of a geometric illusion, in which long diagonal lines appear to be pointing in different directions. In fact, they are parallel to each other, but short strokes across the lines confuse our brain and create a sense of perspective. Astrophysicist Zöllner drew this illusion back in 1860!

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 human visual apparatus, as well as psychological perception Images. 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 responsible for visual perception, which occurs against the background of certain diseases, taking certain 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 there is a failure along the path of transmission of the visual impulse, and the 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 of them: various types.

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, its 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 mislead 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 which point you look at the figures from, 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 causing visual illusion. The rings in this picture don't actually intersect.

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 should not take optical illusions too seriously; this is not at all a sign of any eye pathology or mental disorder. Everyone experiences visual illusions from time to time. 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.

Look at the photo of the cake. Do you see the red strawberries? Are you sure it's red?

But there is not a single scarlet or even pink pixel in the photo. This image is made using shades of blue color, however, we still see that the berries are red. The artist used the same lighting effect that divided the world into two camps due to the color of the dress. And this is not the most delicious picture of the master of illusions. We share with you the most interesting things.