Photo Illusions That Will Hurt Your Brain For A Few Seconds
Vision is a funny thing. Most of the time, it helps us navigate the world and figure things out quickly, but sometimes our eyes betray us and make us think we're seeing something that's not quite accurate. However, there's fun in accidentally falling for an illusion.
Here are some pictures that will make your brain hurt for a second before you figure out the illusion. Don't stare too long or you might hurt yourself.
There Is A Truck In This Photo
Believe this is just an empty garage with some shelves and a single tire? Think again. There's actually a perfectly polished mirrored truck parked on the left side of the picture.
We know, we know, it's hard to see. If you can't spot it now just move on and come back to it. Your eyes just aren't warmed up yet but they will be after you look at a few more.
The Popcorn Really Fooled Us Here
No, this little girl does not have extremely skinny legs. Have you figured out what's actually going on with this funny-looking photo? It might help if we told you that she's holding something -- a bag of popcorn.
This illusion is more the result of her bag of popcorn blending in with the grass a little too well. It looks like she has really long, thin legs like a pony!
This Is Not A Painting
While this looks like it could be a painting out of Bob Ross' collection, that's actually a mirror attached to the easel and reflecting the picturesque sunset in the distance.
This is a good example of the expression "art in nature." And it also shows that mother nature, not humans, creates some of the most beautiful images that we'll ever see. This sunset is absolutely breathtaking and it was a cool idea to reflect it in the mirror.
Is That Elasti-Girl's Long-Lost Brother?
Acquiring the ability to stretch your limbs out unnaturally far is easier than it looks! All you need is to have a pair of friends in the foreground and a perfectly timed photo.
The greatest thing about this picture is that it doesn't appear that the dude in the back has any idea this crazy optical illusion is even happening. He's not even paying attention, but he's about to be in a viral photo!
Fluffy Clouds In The Sky, Or A Smoothie?
While the first photo truly looks like a picture snapped from the window of an airplane, it's really just a close-up shot of a green smoothie where the ingredients have separated a little.
It's a cool picture but I have to admit, it's not really making me look forward to my morning smoothie now. Just how long was that one sitting there before it separated like this? That's pretty wild.
She's Chewbacca's Soulmate
Is she a female Wookiee/human hybrid from Star Wars, or did her dog just stare into the distance at the perfect angle in order for her to take this hilarious bearded selfie?
Yorkies are the best little photobombers, especially if you're going for the Wookiee look. Their fur is a perfect match. Did you know that the real-life inspiration for Chewbacca was George Lucas' dog Indiana? He wasn't a Yorkie though, as far as I know.
Even Garbage Can Fly!
I met a real-life genie last night and he granted me three wishes. Naturally, I wished for a hot dog (because I was starving) and for a haircut (because I'm looking pretty shaggy these days. My third wish was for the ability to make garbage cans levitate.
What looks like a magical trash can is really just the result of a well-placed and well-sized puddle nearby. It would have been way cooler if it was levitating though.
He's Only Faking Hanging On For Dear Life
Perspective is a funny thing, and it's easy to manipulate it to make one thing look like another. This guy is perfectly fine and lying down on the ground, but for a second, it really does look like he's about to fall down a really deep concrete shaft.
We love it when people get creative and take pictures like this that make us do a double-take and try to figure out what's really going on.
Happy Birthday And Bon Appétit!
Didn't you hear? Subbing in a fish instead of eating a birthday cake is all the rage right now. Just kidding, but this fish-shaped cake is beautifully decorated to look realistic.
The person who shared this said their dad had made it, and everyone was blown away. "Incredible detail," wrote one user. "The fish looks like it had a personality." It really does! We wonder what other types of things this talented dad creates.
Wow, He Has Nice Legs!
I swear, when designing this hotel lobby, the person in charge decided to put a mirror on the reception desk so the person behind it would always look like they had mismatched legs.
I think that's a great idea! Not everyone is going to notice this, but the people who do are sure to appreciate the humor as they wait to check into the hotel. I personally love the outfit that this employee is "wearing."
The Cloud Just Wanted To Rest For A Bit
Sometimes, life gives us moments of perfect coincidence, and this is one of them. How often are you going to see a cloud that aligns so perfectly with a tree branch?
It appears that the pretty cloud was sailing along on its way when it got tired and decided it needed a little break. Luckily, there was a branch nearby that it could rest its weary self on for a few minutes.
Fried Chicken Or Puppies?
Truly, for a second I thought that these cute little furballs were actually pieces of fried chicken dumped out of the container, and now I'm really craving an order of Popeyes.
After you've seen the puppy aspect of the photo it's a little harder to go back to the fried chicken perspective, but that hasn't changed my desire to eat some greasy food for lunch today. Sounds better than a smoothie, at least.
Monkeys Everywhere Are Salivating
What kind of tree and growth hormones do you need in order to grow a banana that size? This enormous banana is actually a very realistic painting on the tin, but I wish it was real. World hunger wouldn't even be a thing anymore if bananas could grow this large.
I wonder where this unusual work of art is hanging now. In someone's home? In a museum? Or in a supermarket somewhere?
This Is Actually A Black And White Photo
The photo here is actually in black and white, but the grid of colorful lines on top of it creates the illusion that the picture is actually in full color.
The person who shared it two Twitter wrote, "This is a black and white photograph. Only the lines have [color.] What you 'see' is what your [brain] predicts the reality to be, given the imperfect information it gets." Ok then. I still see it in color.
I Really Thought There Were Two People In This Photo
At first glance, this looks like two people just goofing around and swimming in the water, but in reality, the one person is just holding a black sea urchin in their palm.
One of the commenters wrote, "Every. Single. Time. I've seen this picture for like 100 times and always when it comes up it looks like there's two persons first." It really does look like someone jumping into the water!
Find The Phone
It's always hilarious when people realize their phone case matches their rug or their T-shirt, but it's even funnier when it just so happens to match a random stranger's dress. I mean, this is just about as exact a match as you could hope for if you were paying someone for a custom phone case.
I wonder if anyone pointed this incredible coincidence out to the woman in the floral dress.
Do Not Worry: The Kid Was Not Decapitated
Having kids is cool because you get to throw in your DNA and you get a little human who is 50% you. The only issue is when they resemble you a little too much and their tiny head blends in with yours.
This looks like a guy who has a backpack that's supposed to resemble a small child without a head. I don't know why anyone would want a backpack like that, but that's what it looks like.
Bon Voyage!
Sometimes, I, too, wish that I was on a plane jetting off to some fantastic destination rather than sitting in my house with all my present responsibilities calling my name.
One thing about this picture that's making me feel a little weird is that I never noticed how similar a plane window and a toilet seat look. It wouldn't have occurred to me to head to the bathroom in order to recreate a picture like this.
You've Heard Of Starfish, Now Get Ready For The Human Version
Ever take a trip to the beach and decide to find the perfect puddle and contort your body to make an optical illusion? I sure haven't, but this woman has and she decided to share it with the world.
It's not that difficult to pull off once you really take a close look and figure out what she's doing. If you're fine being nude at the beach, you could even recreate this image yourself.
No Dogs Were Harmed In The Making Of This Photo
Although this photo looks like the result of a magician's attempt to "saw a dog in half" gone wrong, it's really just a dog who decided to lie frighteningly close to a log.
People apparently really thought the dog might be hurt here. Not so! "Luckily, the dog is totally fine, shared Boredom Therapy. "He's just sitting in a position that makes it seem like the bottom half of his body is the other half of the log."
Bald Quintuplets
There's actually only one bald guy in this car. The rest of those bald guys are really headrests. Stick some sunglasses on them though, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
What an unusual coincidence that his head is exactly the color of his convertible's leather upholstery. Or is it? Maybe he had it custom made to match his head just so people would take pictures like this.
This Temple Looked A Lot Bigger In The Movies
The Al-Khazneh, in Petra, Jordan, is a sight to marvel at. The ornate temple façade, which was carved directly into the sandstone wall in the first century CE, only looks tiny here because of where this girl is sitting on a cliff.
Despite how tiny it looks in the photo, it's a place that's worth putting on your travel bucket list. It's one of the seven Wonders of the World and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This Cat Is A Really Tough Guy
This cat may just be lounging on the back of this girl's desk chair, but he really does look like he's wearing a leather jacket and would beat me up with ease. The Redditors who commented on the photo had some great captions.
"This cat looks like he's about to market some fake Rolex watches to me," wrote one. Another said, "Looks like kitty's saying 'Get on the bike, babe, let’s ride.'"
An Artwork Orange
This beautiful design is really just the result of many oranges being cut with geometric lines and placed in a cool pattern. Tell Martha to bring orange slices like this to soccer practice.
The artist who created this ap-peeling piece is named Adam Hillman, and he uses food and other everyday objects in his work, which he says is inspired "by the American abstractionists like Piet Mondrian." I love it!
Is It A Crow Or A Cat?
One of the most adorable and borderline concerning things about house cats is their ability to contort their bodies in seemingly unnatural ways, whether they're filling a container like a liquid or cosplaying as a bird.
In case you're still seeing a bird and not a cat: it's a black cat that's looking up at the camera with its ear imitating the beak of a bird. Do you see it now?
This Dog Has A Giraffe Neck
Okay, but for a second, actually imagine how goofy dogs would look if they had really long necks like giraffes? Like, think about a little chihuahua with its head a foot away from the rest of its body.
This photo is a classic that people just can't seem to get enough of. "I've seen this picture like a million times, but it's still a good picture," wrote Redditor a_dumbsmartcat. I agree completely!
This One Took Me A Long Time To See
I spent 10 minutes looking at this photo and trying to figure out how to see these paper containers and plates as being upside-down, you best believe I was frustrated the whole time.
"Look at the plates in the picture... all of them turned over... however, there are a few that are not upside down, and the moment you identify those, all the plates will be turned over!" I don't know if I'm doing this right. Do you see it?
There Is A Person In There
Body painting as an art form has really become more popular in the last few years, with artists creating amazing illusions using human bodies. This person amongst the rocks is no exception.
Texas Hill Country wrote about the artist, Johannes Stötter. "In 2009, he began to combine body-painting with his love of nature photography to create what's become known as his Body of Work." The body paint makes his models almost invisible. Very cool!
Hair Really Does The Most To Confuse Us
I probably stared at this photo for a full two minutes trying to figure out what it was if not her neck. For anyone still stumped, it's her back with a big head of hair covering her shoulders.
This photo went viral because it confused so many people. Manchester Evening News reported, "People were shocked when they discovered the truth. 'I literally went from 'oh ok short hair' to 'oh come thru long hair' lol,' wrote one user. Another said: 'It's her back omg I’ve been staring at this for 10 minutes.'"
I Have Never Been So Mad At An Illusion
While this person wasn't lying and all those balls are, in fact, the same shade of brown, I have never been more annoyed with my brain's insistence on seeing them as blue, green, and red.
All of the "what color is this REALLY" illusions are frustrating like that. We all see and process color differently so it might be more enjoyable to some of us than others. I just see blue, green, and red here.
Watch Your Step! There's A Cat There
Have you ever redone the floors in your house and decided to put in a rich, vibrant, hardwood floor color only to realize you've now given your cat the perfect camouflage?
You were probably wondering what it was about this specific color that you liked so much, until you had your floors put in and it all made sense. Of course you like the color, it's exactly the same as your precious cat!
My Sims Must Have Been Here
This is a real sidewalk in Hawaii that just happens to look like a badly-rendered video game. When the sun is directly overtop it results in no shadows. There's a real scientific answer for it if you're interested.
It's called Lahaina Noon and it happens twice a year when the sun passes directly overhead for locations on Earth in the tropics. This takes place in late May and again in mid-July.
Giraffe-Neck Dog, Meet Longhorn Cow
Cows already are vulnerable to being tipped over. A cow this long seems like it wouldn't be the sturdiest one of the bunch. On the bright side, it could produce quadruple the milk!
You know what would be really funny? If behind that structure there was something even more unexpected like a unicorn or a fairy or something. We're all sitting here freaking out about the long cow when there's really a leprechaun hiding back there.
Don't Step Over The Edge
It looks like this person is about to fall into the abyss with nothing to save him. Luckily, if they fell they would just disturb some swans. Swans can be territorial though so we still suggest avoiding it.
Not to mention that the water is sure to be absolutely frigid. Stay safe, you person there in all black, and remain on dry land far away from the swans and freezing water.
The Batmobile In Stealth Mode
This isn't a mirrored vehicle like the other invisible truck we saw earlier. This is simply a bumper left on the road from an accident. It just happened to be left behind staying up perfectly.
We really hope no one was hurt in this car accident, because that would be super weird to be looking at a picture of what appears to be a ghost car. It looks like it's just going to keep on driving along.
Aladdin's Magic Carpet In Shaking
It looks like this woman is floating in mid-air but in reality, she's just on a beach platform with the shadow of a flag beside her. I bet if she was floating her speech would get a lot more attention.
Actually, I bet if she was floating she'd probably want to go somewhere else on that platform or whatever it is. No one likes to give speeches, so she probably doesn't either.
A Meal So Good It Knocked Her Head Off
No, the person in the booth beside them isn't a victim of the French Revolution. They're simply a victim of an unfortunately placed mirrored-barrier. We're glad they kept the guillotine out of the restaurant and we're also glad for this fun house mirror they're using to decorate the walls.
How many other people have gotten similar photos while sitting in this booth? The restaurant should start collecting those and putting them on display somewhere like the waiting area.
Going Natural
Women should be allowed to do whatever they please with their body hair. Still, an arm this hairy would catch anyone off-guard. So luckily, it's just another person's leg making an appearance.
It's so odd the way the knee really resembles a shoulder, too! And fits right in with the line of her body and head... maybe this really is her arm and she didn't realize she was overdue for a Nair session.
Think Of All The Catnip This Chonk Could Have
I thought this cat had somehow learned to unhinge its jaws for about three seconds before I realized that this little kitty was just trying to rest its fluffy head. It's gotta have some special fur around its mouth to create this hilarious optical illusion!
If the cat really had this amazing ability, I bet he'd get into eating Pringles. By the can, of course, and the entire tube of them at once.
Is This What Australia Is Like?
If I saw this giant spider on my street I would—and I cannot stress this enough—burn the entire neighborhood down. Luckily, it's just a tiny spider that looks like it's the size of a car.
But until my brain really understood that, I'd be trying to figure out ways to make a flamethrower and put this gigantic creature to death. It'd probably involve gasoline and end up with the fire department getting summoned to my house.
When You're So Angry Your Head Could Explore
This would be a great tactical advantage in a hockey fight. If your head could just disappear and reappear whenever you wanted, your opponent wouldn't have a clue what was going on.
I guess it'd be kind of like the hockey version of The Invisible Kid, that cheesy 1980s movie where the nerdy boy figures out a way to make himself vanish. It'd be a pretty good skill to have, honestly.
What Big Teeth You Have!
This dog might look like something straight out of a horror film, but he is merely playing with a pinecone it found on the ground. No terrifying teeth to see here, just move along!
Even though they're not teeth, this photo is pretty horrifying to look at. It's unpleasant, at least. And it can't be comfortable to carry a pine cone around in your mouth... what is the dog going to do with it, anyway?
I Can't Tell Where He Stops And She Begins
Have you ever known one of those couples who, after dating for so long, started to seem like they had morphed into a single entity? This couple took it to the extreme.
A lot of people got creative with their photos while they were stuck at home during the quarantine in 2020. We wonder if that's what got these people to take this silly photo or if they just did this during "normal" times.
Watch Your Step! Or Not...
I would have definitely done a double take out of fear that I'd fall into a hole if I had walked by this in real life. Luckily, this hay bale is just casting a misleading shadow that makes it appear there's a hole going down through the core of the earth.
We bet this freaks out animals, too. A horse that sees this is probably going to back right up away from it, just to be safe.
There's No Danger Here!
What might look like a man standing on a precariously secured ledge is actually the result of a guy trying to make a joke using a tree that toppled over in his yard. Some people would have just had it taken away, but other, more special, people would think about all the fun photo opportunities to use it for first.
Now, this guy has a hilarious picture to remember the tree by.
They Need A New Graphic Designer
I get that this company was trying to display their gardening services through a wholesome depiction of a pair of hands gardening, but that's not what I see.
Maybe I have a dirty mind or something, but all I can see is a pair of butts plopped right on the dirt. With inexplicable green roots growing out of the ground nearby. I guess the 'gardening hands' idea makes more sense.
What Way Is The Glass Facing?
Is this supposed to be one of those "glass half empty versus glass half full" trick photos? If it is, I'm stumped.
I've been staring at this image for about 10 minutes now trying to determine whether the glass is facing to the side or is actually facing his mouth. If you figure it out, let me know. I have a feeling the answer is never going to come to me.
Look Ma, No Legs!
If you go fishing often enough, I hear that you actually can become one with the lake. I mean, this guy here is living proof! He's become one with the lake after so many hours spend sitting on its shores trying to catch a big one.
Jokes aside, his legs are in such a weird position. That's a pretty odd way to be standing, but the fact that his limbs are completely concealed is even odder.
That's A Long Dishwasher...
I truly thought that I was looking at the longest dishwasher in the world that could probably fit two hundred plates in it, and I was trying to imagine what kind of establishment would need to wash that many dishes (in one machine) at the same time.
But in reality, it's really just a metal fixture on top of a regular dishwasher, like an exhaust hood or something like that.
