Optical Illusions That’ll Make Your Brain Hurt

The Zöllner Illusion: Are These Lines Parallel?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis illusion looks like a crazy mish mash of lines going in all different directions - but when you look closely, the main lines are actually all running in matching diagonal lines parallel to each other. Once you remove the smaller stitch-like lines, you can see they all match!

Muller-Lyer Illusion: Which Line Is Shorter?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you first look at this illusion, there's absolutely no doubt the top line is a much longer line. Surely, right? Well, it's a trick question about which line is longer - the horizontal lines in the middle are actually the same size.

Café Wall Illusion: Are The Lines Angled Up Or Down?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis one definitely hurts to look at it, as it appears to be a huge jumble of lines sections running this way and that. You're supposed to work out whether the lines are actually angled up or down, but the trick is that the lines are all actually perfectly parallel.

Grid Illusion: Does Every White Circle Have A Black Dot?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you look at this grid, you can see a crazy illusion of black dots appearing in white circles, and especially when you blink or move your eyes they seem to jump about. It looks like the black dots appear in every circle, except when you focus on a specific white circle at a time, you'll see there's no black dot in it at all!

Ponzo Illusion: Which Yellow Line Is Longer?

Image Source / The Illusions IndexWhen you look at this illusion, you can clearly see that one of the yellow lines is longer than the other - the top one, right? Well, actually, this is all a perception trick from the image. The yellow line at the top does look longer, but actually, both yellow lines are the same size.

Elephant Optical Illusion: How Many Legs Do You See?

Image Source / Jagran JoshWe all know how many legs an elephant has, but this illusion really makes us question our own reality. There are four legs in this illusion, but due to the clever use of blank white space, it looks like double that. If you cover up the feet of the image, you'll very clearly see where the four legs are!

Spinning Seeds: Are They Really Moving?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you move your eyes around this image, you'll see that the surrounding seeds from the area you're focusing on appear to be spinning. You'll keep moving your eyes trying to catch the movement in the act, but of course, none of the seeds are actually moving! Hurts your brain, though, right?

Sphere Illusion: Is It Slowly Moving?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you focus on this huge sphere in the centre, it does appear to be moving very slowly, almost like it's on a slow-moving conveyer belt. But of course the image is completely still and isn't moving at all!

Spinning Circle: Is The Background Moving, Too?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis one is crazy hypnotic and definitely makes your eyes hurt as well as your brain! When you focus on the centre of the circle in the middle, it appears that the circle itself is slowly rotating. Not only that, but the background looks like it's spinning around the circle, too!

Spinning Circles: Too Much To See!

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis one is overwhelming because there's so much going on that you just don't know where to look. The circles all appear to be spinning around, and when you focus on one, all the others around start moving, too - you don't know where to try and look!

Rippling Circles: Can You See The Wave?

Image Source / Reader's DigestNot only do these circles look like they're moving, but they appear to be moving in a very specific way. When you focus, it looks as though there's a huge ripple effect like a wave moving through the whole picture - but, of course, nothing is moving.

Spinning Colors: Can You See The Swirl?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis optical illusion is definitely one to view with all the lights on so you don't get eye strain because this one might leave you a bit dizzy. With the splash of bright colours and zig-zags, it actually looks like the image is swirling around!

Hidden Message: Can You See What It Says?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis image is very difficult to focus on, but even if you look quickly, you can make out white lettering on black shapes. The hard part is trying to focus and find the hidden written messages. Can you work out what it says? Try squinting a bit!

A Trick Of Perspective: Which Window Is Bigger?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThe way this image is set out makes it look as though the window on the left is closer, and the window on the right is further away into a room. It also makes both windows look a different size, when actually, they're both identical!

Black And White Illusion: Is It Sticking Out Or In?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThere's a lot to take in with this rippling black and white image and it can leave you feeling a little dizzy! To get to the point - quite literally - you need to focus on the smallest point of the image (the bit that looks like a white star). Depending on how you look, it can look like it's either sticking in or out.

New Squares And Diamonds: How Did They Get There?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis one is such a treat for the eyes (if you want to feel dazed and confused, that is). This black and white grid of squares suddenly flashes up loads of new squares and diamonds - but when you focus more closely, it's hard to see exactly how they're formed.

Blue Dot Illusion: Which One Is Bigger?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you first look at this illusion, it's safe to say most people would immediately say the blue dot on the right is the bigger one. But they're actually both the same size! The larger black circles used on the left one just make the blue circle look smaller in comparison!

Connecting Lines: Which Line On The Right Connects To The One On The Left?

Image Source / Reader's DigestIn this illusion, you can see part of a line peeking out on the left covered by a grey column. Then on the right there are options of lines that could be connected to the one of the left. This illusion is misleading because it looks as though the red line is the one connected to the left, when actually it's still the blue one.

Red Square Illusion: Are The Red Lines Warped Or Straight?

Image Source / Reader's DigestFocusing on the red lines on the left-hand image is very difficult for starters because of how loopy the black and white pattern makes you feel. When you do manage to focus, however, you can see that the red squares look all wonky and out of whack. But the image on the left proves that the red lines were straight all along once you get rid of the black and white pattern!

Tower Illusion: Is One Leaning More Than The Other?

Image Source / The Illusions IndexWhen you look at this image of two seemingly identical towers, it looks as though the one on the right is straight and the one on the left is leaning into it. But it's all a trick of the angle and position of the towers, because the left one isn't leaning at all - the towers are identical!

Monster Illusion: Which One Is Taller?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you first look at the picture on the left, it seems to very clearly show a large monster in the back chasing a smaller monster. Right? Well, check out the image on the right with the tunnel removed and you'll see that both monsters are actually the same size!

Archway Illusion: Are The Lines Meeting In The Middle?

Image Source / Reader's DigestFor this illusion, you have a clear archway that seems to become a bit mismatched at the top behind the grey pillar. It doesn't look like the lines are meeting in a straight fashion at all, but actually they are! The lines definitely meet and the archway is a normal shape!

Line Illusion: Are The Red Lines Bent?

Image Source / Reader's DigestWhen you look at this image, you can see that the red lines appear to curve in the middle, creating a wonky line on both sides. But actually, both of the red lines are perfectly straight and there's no curve at all!

Square Illusion: Are The Lines Straight?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis grid of seemingly innocent white and black squares seems like it goes a little crazy in the middle, with those tiny black and white squares making it look like a spherical shape in the centre. But actually, every single one of the grid lines is perfectly straight - even the middle ones!

Colour Illusion: How Many Colours Can You See?

Image Source / Reader's DigestHere we have an image of four different squares with different coloured backgrounds and lines. Can you count how many colours you can see in total? If you counted 4, you wouldn't be alone: pink, orange, green and blue, right? But actually there are only 3 colours. The illusion makes it look like the blue and green are different when they're actually the same colour!

Square Illusion: Is A Or B The Lighter Shade Of Grey?

Image Source / Reader's DigestHere we have a grid of squares which look to have two shades of grey: a lighter one and a darker one. Two of these squares are labelled, and it looks as though B is light grey and A is dark grey. Right? Well, they're actually the same colour and shade - the shadow of the cylinder makes them look different.

Quite A Pear: Which One Is Lighter?

Image Source / Reader's DigestThis illusion of black and white lines running across two pears makes it look as though one pear is darker and one is lighter. The one on the right definitely looks lighter, but actually they're exactly the same colour.

The Rubin Vase Illusion: Vase Or Faces?

Image Source / New World EncyclopediaThis illusion reveals the shape of both one vase in the centre and two faces to the side. Many people will see one or the other at first glance, while others may struggle to see the vase or the faces and only be able to see one and not both! Which did you see first?

Edwin Boring's Figure: Young Woman Or Old Crone?

Image Source / ResearchGateThis image is anything but Boring; named after its artist Edwin Boring, the image reveals two completely different images in the same drawing. You can see a young woman looking off to the side, or you can see the large face of an old woman looking down. Some people might struggle to see both! Did you?

Grid Illusion: The Broken Lines Fix Themselves

Image Source / PC MagWith this image you have a black and white grid which looks very worse for wear on the lines to the edges. Is there any way of fixing it? There is if you stare into the middle of the grid! Focus your eyes long enough on the very centre and you'll see the lines in the peripheral of your vision suddenly looking a lot straighter.