Optical illusions are captivating images or scenes that can manipulate your brain’s rational thinking and visual perception. They often make you perceive something different than what is actually there. This phenomenon occurs due to a process called “perceptual filling in” or “visual completion”. It’s a cognitive mechanism in which your brain fills in missing or obscured visual information in an image or scene based on context and previous knowledge. Each person’s brain interprets images differently, leading to distinct perceptions. For example, when looking at an ancient monument, you may consider it monumental, while a friend may not have the same impression. Optical illusions serve as valuable tools to explore this shift in human perception. When you encounter an optical illusion, your mind relies on recognizable patterns to make assumptions. Here is an example:
(Source: Pinterest)
In this illustration, you can observe a depiction of the universe, the Earth, and colorful red, blue, and white spheres floating in space. Amidst the vast universe, you will also notice stars and other celestial bodies shaped like hearts. However, the challenge before you is to identify a hidden note among these stars within a 30-second time frame. Can you overcome the challenge? Let’s start the countdown: 30… 20… 10… 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Time’s up! So have you succeeded in discovering the musical note hidden among the stars? If you can do that, congratulations! Your visual perception skills are sharp. However, if you can’t identify the note, don’t worry; We have surrounded it in images for your reference:
(Source: Pinterest)
Encountering various optical illusions in everyday life, including physical, psychological, and cognitive illusions, can shed light on how you perceive things. It’s like a mini psychoanalysis that highlights existing flaws in your visual perception. Now that you’ve experienced how your brain can ignore details as small as a musical note, you can pay more attention to details in the future. Some of you immediately detect it and may even believe that you possess signs of exceptional intelligence and memory. Research shows that the more you challenge your brain, the smarter it becomes. Therefore, keep practicing optical illusions regularly and you will soon find yourself solving them faster.
