Real Life Optical Illusions That Will Make You Scratch Your Head

Look around, and you may find yourself taking a second glance. The world is full of optical illusions. We can find ourselves being tricked by the color, shapes, perspective and shadows of the very things around us. Read on to see some of the world’s most excellent optical illusions – none of the photos or images have been doctored. See if you can figure out what these images are – or if a second glance is to be needed to make sure you aren’t being fooled.

The Floating Tree

It is incredible what some spray paint and plastic can do. Mario Shu and Daniel Siering fooled some folks in Potsdam, Germany, when they painted a tree with plastic and painted the background on the plastic. To the passerby, it seemed as though the tree was levitating above from its stump. Take a closer look, however, and see that it isn’t floating, but just an optical illusion in nature done by two talented artists.

Rock On or Lawn?

What do you see? Is it an outdoor concert? Or is it someone lighting up their lawn with some tube lights? Well, this is up for debate still as some say it’s a rock concert. That those are people squished together and close to the stage rather than grass, others, however, would argue that this is someone’s field being lit by light and getting ready for harvest. The answer is still up for debate – what do you see? One thing for sure is that once you see either the concert or field, you can’t unsee either.

Which Dot is Bigger?

Designed by Joseph Delboeuf, this is an optical illusion that tests your ability to distinguish size. Which circle is bigger? The left or the right? The truth is, neither. Both black rings are the same size. It only seems as though the circle on the right is more prominent because the white circle is smaller than the one on the left. The left circle only looks smaller because of the “larger” white ring. This notion of tricking the mind with more significant is often used with dietitians who want to help people cut back on large portions to smaller ones.

The Floating Faucet

If you ever find yourself in Bahia de Cadiz, Spain, you may see one of these mind-boggling optical illusions, the Magic Tap Fountain of Aqualand. How is it even possible that a large sculpture such as this has flowing water? What isn’t seen to the naked eye is that within the flowing water is a pipe. The structure is built around that pipe. This is not the same optical illusion as the hollow tree with a camouflaged foundation.

Sharknado?

There is a home in Oxford, UK, that has what looks to be a shark through their roof. This house for the last 20 years has attracted tourists to gawk at this bizarre image. A local radio host commissioned the sculpture. The sculpture stands at 25 feet and is made with fiberglass. What inspired this unique form of art? Homeowner Bill Heine wanted to pay homage to the 41st anniversary of the Nagasaki bomb drop. The shark is to symbolize the chaos that comes from a bomb drop.

Micro Mona Lisa

What do you do when you have leftover computer chips? Who says a bunch of geeks can’t be artists? The Asus Headquarters in Taiwan took their remaining computer chips and recreated the famous Mona Lisa. Why the Mona Lisa? Why computer chips? The company wanted to inspire its workers to think outside the box. Asus wanted to show its staff the endless possibilities that can happen when you allow yourself to be creative.

The Flying Carpet

Jasmine, is that you? While we wish that the flying carpet from Aladdin is real, this optical illusion is just a shadow of a flag. The lady is speaking at a beach when, at first glance, it seems she is standing on a flying carpet, but when you look a little closer, you can see it, unfortunately, is not. It’s incredible what a shadow can do and make a passerby see.

One Face or Two-Face

This illusion of the one face or two faces is often known as the bistable because of the famous face or vase illusion. With this photo, is the person facing forward, or is it a side profile. It almost seems as though depending which way you tilt your head, it could look like a side profile over a face forward, and yet it is mind-bending. Most who are shown this photo see the face looking forward before they see the side profile.

A Face Within the Beans

“I spy with my little eye, a face within the coffee beans.” This optical illusion is going to test your patience and determination. Do you see the face hidden amongst the coffee beans? Sometimes taking a break and looking away can help because once you spot the face in the beans, it is hard to have it unseen. Can you find it yet? Take a moment, close your eyes, and look back and focus on the bottom left corner. Find it? Now try to forget where the face is now that you have found where it is.

Hanging Upside Laying Down?

Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich created this massive mirror building illusion in London, England. How did he do this? Erlich created a façade of a British row home on the ground and then placed a large mirror adjacent to the image. When a tourist lays horizontally on the façade, it looks as though you are hanging from the building when, in fact, it’s merely an illusion being created by the reflection on the mirror.

Wait a Minute…

At first glance, you probably think this is a photo of a very ugly counter with a small heater or fan; however, this isn’t a counter or furniture, but it’s a wall. What you see around this “counter” are floors to apartments. How is this possible? The photo is taken from someone on one of the levels looking down; however, you would never know that seeing as it seems like it can’t possibly very big. It’s incredible what the mind thinks it is seeing.

Giant Squirrels Invade

Imagine waking up and looking out your window and seeing this photo. Is that a squirrel committing grand theft auto? No, don’t worry, there isn’t a giant squirrel roaming around – it is a squirrel on your ledge of our roof. This is one optical illusion that can take one to readjust their eyes to make sure they still aren’t dreaming. This “giant squirrel” illusion is one of many illusions we encounter in our everyday lives.

Cat or Dog?

Look at that cute…cat? Dog? To the naked eye or at first glance, it may look like a cat laying on a bed and frowning. On the other hand, though, if one focuses their eyes and looks a little closer, it seems like the face of a black dog. The consensus for this particular optical illusion is that it’s a sleepy dog and not a cat. The nostrils, which can be mistaken for a cat’s eyes, while the closed eyes of the dog can be mistaken as the thighs of the cat. Still not convinced? Give it another look.

Where’s the Explosion?

Created by Julian Beever, this painting is entitled “Explosion in Paris.” At first glance, it looks as though a meteorite or a colossal object had crashed into the ground leaving a gaping hole. However, if you look closer, this illusion was painted by the talented Beever. He is an artist whose work has been known to fool the eye and question one’s perception. Step a little closer and discover that there is no hole or impact but just art.

Face or Vase?

This is one of the most common and widely seen optical illusions out there today. What do you see at first glance? To some, they see only the vase, but if you focus your eyes a little bit more, the vase seems to disappear and then you are left with the silhouette of two side profiles of a face looking at each other. Still can’t see it? It’s okay; most studies have shown that most only see the image of the vase, but once they are able also to see the two faces, they can flip between seeing a vase and seeing the faces.

Stool or Glass?

Grab a…stool or a glass. When you first look at this photo, it seems as though they are martini glasses; however, when you readjust your eyes and focus, they are bar benches..or are they the opposite? This photo was taken at a bar from an angle that makes it seem as though these are bar glasses. It’s hard to determine whether you are looking at a photo from the bar side or floor. If you look at the things around the “stools” it seems as though they are glasses, but that is up for you to decide.

Eye of the Drain

Who doesn’t hate soap in the eyes? If you are scrolling through your feed and come across this photo, it almost looks as though it is an eye, but focus a little more, and one soon discovers this is far from the human eye. This optical illusion is a kitchen sink draining soapy water. It can be deceiving as seeing the eye typically happens when you glance but are quick to suddenly conclude this is no eye.

Waterfall Road

Be careful; there’s a waterfall up ahead! Surprise, this is an optical illusion done by a local artist. This waterfall optical illusion can seem so real that passersby may find their minds playing tricks on them. Walk close enough to the edge of this faux waterfall. One might feel like they are teetering on the side. Fear not though; this is just an artist throwing the human mind a curveball and tricking our senses.

Floating Man or Hidden Chair

How did he do that? A common question that is often asked when this gravity-defying image of a man floating is seen. Some would argue that he is sitting on a chair. Yet some have tried to run their hand through the space below him with nothing there. How is he able to do what he is doing? It seems this is one optical illusion that, similar to magic, shall remain a trade secret.

Man-Child at the Beach?

Imagine coming back from a family vacation and going through your photos and having your eyes caught by this ONE photo. Is that a child or a man? When you focus your eyes a bit, it seems a bit difficult to distinguish between a child or a grown man. What makes it hard? For one, the body and whose head is connected to who – and even when you try to focus, it is still hard to distinguish who is who in the photo.

Mer-People

Are those…merpeople? Could the world of Harry Potter exist? No, your eyes are just playing a trick, but also, this is an optical illusion. While it seems as though it might be the case, this illusion was created with the help of taking an ordinary swimming pool and placing a platform of water. When someone from above looks down, it seems as though they are underwater, little do they know they are actually in a dry space.

Floating Towers or a Tall Ship?

It is impressive what trickery a foggy day can do to our vision. This is just one of those moments. At first glance, it looks as though there is a random tall ship floating amongst towers. It seems almost undeniable that there are the masts of a ship but waits till the fog dissipates and surprise. Those ship masts are the antennas of a tower. Mother nature can sometimes play tricks that make one second guess their judgement.

Toy Cars?

When you look at this photo, it would seem as though they are playing with cars on a life-size toy mat, but this optical illusion is actually of someone outside their window sticking their hand out as though they moving the vehicles parked in the snow. It takes a moment or two to adjust one’s eyes to see that these are not toy cars but life-size cars. Our perception can be easily tricked with depth and size, just as we can see in this photo.

Duck Or Rabbit?

Another optical illusion classic, is it a duck or a rabbit? Or neither? This drawing of the duck or rabbit is a common one that can sometimes be hard to tell whether it is one or the other. Can’t see either? Focus a moment, and if you look closely, the long “ears” can sometimes be misconstrued for the beak of a duck. Depending on what you see first, it may take some time to see one animal over the other.

One or Two?

What a cute couple’s photo…or wait a minute, is that his beard? Did you have to take a second glance to see whether or not this photo is of a guy with his girlfriend standing facing him or is it a man with an extraordinarily long and flow-y beard? Everything about this photo screams a couple, but when you take a closer look, this optical illusion is actually of one person with his long beard.

Desert Illusion

Wait a minute – are there giants in the desert? No, there are no giants in the desert, but this optical illusion does make it seem as though these three adults are standing larger than life in the Sahara Desert. Again, another optical illusion created by our minds ability to perceive a line of people standing. From standing a distance away to making it seem as though the pyramid is within the palm of your hand, range and space can do wonders.

Is the World Flat or Round?

For some, they would argue the world is flat, while others would say, no way Galileo. This green world looks as though as it is a sphere of grass; however, this is not a sphere, it is flat. Given the way the artist had created this outdoor artwork, it looks like it is 3D, but in fact, it is 2D. Up close, it is quickly apparent; however, given the angle, a photo is taken, it can deceive the naked eye.

Dog-Man?

Whoa, what? Imagine walking into your living room and seeing your supposed brother or husband, but instead of his face, it’s your dogs? Surprise! This optical illusion is one that can throw you for a loop. It requires a second glance, and it almost seems as though you have a man-dog mutation. Alas, fear not, just a man and his best friend bonding on the couch. Blink once, you might be caught off guard, blink twice, and then you’ll see your eyes were tricking you.

One or Two Photos?

Is it one photo or two photos? One would think that this photo is a before and after picture of a chef preparing to cut into fish; however, this is ONE photo. It only looks like two photos because of where the chef is and the corner of the room, which turns into a counter shelf. Don’t be deceived, though. It is just a perfectly timed photo where all the people are in the right place at the right time.

Is it a Floating Chair?

Want to throw students with a curveball? Check out this photo of a standard classroom wooden chair. Is it hanging, or is it on the floor? From the looks of the chair, it seems as though the chair is hanging on the ledge of a whiteboard in a classroom. However, one could argue that the chair is merely on the floor with two types of flooring, and that ledge is just on the wall.

Music at the Beach

Who doesn’t love a beach party – especially one with live music? Thanks to New Zealand artist Jamie Harkins, this optical illusion looks as though there is a piano at the beach – made of sand! This photo looks as though he’s playing the piano; however, look closely, and this isn’t a 3D photo but a 2D sand art drawing. Harkins travels the world, creating these sand art illusions with tourists and locals enjoying a pose here and there.

Window on a Plane Or?

Want to trick your friends into thinking you are going on a Spring Break trip too? Now you can, with the help of a milk carton. This optical illusion is one that is created by taking a strategic photo and placement of the actual bottle. Now the next time you are feeling envious of your friends or want to make others jealous, now you can do so with this optical illusion of a milk cartoon looking like an airplane window.

Real-life Out of Focus

School can get annoying, but enough to have you seeing double? Remember those workbooks with the black corners? Well, with the placement of these books, it looks as though the person viewing them would think their vision is blurry and out of focus. Don’t worry; it’s not your eyes; it is the books themselves that seem out of focus because of the dark corners. So the next time you are in class and finding time moving slowly, don’t worry, it’s not you, the subject.

Woman Au-Natural

They say that women in France love to maintain their natural appearance, so that means, while North American women shave, they opt not to. At first glance, it may seem as though this photo is of a “French” woman who has decided to keep it natural, but if you look a little closer, it’s the leg of someone else. Don’t worry, even though winter is around the corner, don’t expect to see that much hair on your girlfriend.

Beamer on Wheels

In the words of Flo Rida, “I’m riding dirty…” and this optical illusion is created with the photo being taken from a low angle looking up. Imagine, a BMW atop a skateboard? Or rather a gigantic skateboard that rolls down the road with a BMC atop it. Regardless of the size or whichever way it moves, it can be a bit of a mind-bender and make one take a double if not triple glance.

End of the Road

Imagine going on a road trip, and you look ahead of you and see the road ending – not actually and literally, but given the illusion of distance, it seems as though the road is ending. What happens when you drive up and see the road doesn’t come to an end and continues? Well, the journey of the road trip resume and the fun continues. This optical illusion is one that can happen with distance but also curves on the road.

Walking on Water

The Bible said Jesus could walk on water, and so could this guy. Imagine having the ability to walk on water while everyone else seems to be sinking. How is this possible? Perfect timing. Had the photo been taken a second later, they’d find him in the water too. It is amazing what a photo was taken at the perfect time can create and, in this case, this photo is just a prime example of that.

No Maintenance Cat

Imagine having a cat that requires little to no maintenance or having a friend who continually buys cat food, but you know there are no cats in the household. Maybe they think you have a cat because for the last week there has been a cat on the table. At first glance of this photo, it looks like one of those nude cats; however, look closer, and it is merely a plastic bag in the shape of a cat.

One Building or Ghost Building

Do you see what I see? At first, it looks as though the building on the left is going through the building on the right – a non-existing building, and yet it seems as though the building on the right is an actual building. A mind-boggling photo that can and does play tricks on the mind of those who see the picture. It can be hard to tell if this one building or two, but also, it can leave others wondering, does the building on the right exists or is that the illusion? This is up for debate.

Where’d Dad Go?

A family photo to cherish the memories – and yet at first glance, it seems the dad of this photo is, well, half missing. Look closer, and you’ll see that it merely looks that way, but he is leaning form the side and behind his daughter in purple. It takes a moment to adjust one’s vision to see that he’s not partially invisible or missing his legs. What an illusion that makes you have to do a double-take to check that this dad hasn’t lost his bottom half.

All Aboard the 10-Decker Bus

Back from a vacation and you are showing your friends and family photos of your trip, but when this comes up, it looks as though you had just taken a picture of a multi-level decker bus. No, this isn’t a 10-decker bus; it’s a double-decker bus that happens to blend so perfectly with the building behind it. Another example of a perfectly or ill-perfectly timed photo. Still, don’t believe this isn’t a giant bus, focus carefully, and you can see the address of the apartment building is 26.

The New Toyota – Invisible

Toyota has just launched its new model, Invisible. Joke! Though it does seem at first glance, this is a vehicle that is pretty much invisible, look closer, and it is just a vehicle that’s lost its front bumper and then some. This bumper looks as though it attached to something, but again, don’t be deceived. At the same time, who wouldn’t wish for an invisibility cloak and avoid traffic or being seen!

See Through Graffiti

Who knew you could get creative and cleaver with graffiti? Well, an abandoned building in Europe was painted to look as though you could see through the wall, when in fact, it is just that, a painting. A talented artist who wanted to fool those who come by the building. When you look closer, though, you can see it is a painting where the artist has done an amazing job of deceiving someone looking at the wall.

Hands for Feet

You should clip your nails – wait, a minute, those are your hands. At first glance, it looks as though this guy’s feet are hands, but look a little closer. There are two people on the couch, and while it is his hand, the leg is that of another person. Bit of a mind-bender because it just seems impossible that there is another person; however, someone is leaning in, and his hand is on top of their foot.

Wait a Minute – What is That?

Imagine looking up from your book in class and seeing this sight! What happened to his head? Then all of a sudden, you realize he has hidden his head down, and that head is actually of the person ahead of him. At first glance, it can seem as though his head has shrunken but focus and see that it is the mind playing tricks.

Lady Giant?

Again, amazing what angles and distance can do. At first glance, this photo looks as though she is truly a giant taking in the sun; however, no, there is no giant. This photo was taken on a cliff with the photographer capturing the perfect angle, while the model strategically angles her body. Optical illusions are all around us; sometimes, our mind thinks it knows what it is seeing; however, with a bit of focus, you know that it is just our minds playing tricks.

Near or Far?

What do you see when you see this photo? Is the arch near or far? How far does it bend over? This optical illusion is one that can continuously play tricks on your mind where you feel as though it is moving without moving. Confusing, isn’t it? This photo tests our depth perception as well as the ability to distinguish where one object starts and finishes. Try closing one eye and looking at the picture. See a difference? Is it even an arch that touches the ground or, if you look closer, is it merely a faucet that has rusted over and is having a close-up?

Guess the Animal

Do you see the animal within the rocks? It may take a while, but if you focus your eyes, you can see the head of an elephant. The tusks are not present, but you can see the outline of an elephant with the trunk of the elephant buried in the sand and water. This natural creation is just one of Mother Nature’s real-life optical illusions that can play tricks on your mind.

Attack of the Giant Seagull

Like a scene from a horror movie, possibly the brainchild of Alfred Hitchcock. This photo shows a giant seagull standing still while an ordinary man walks by. Terrifying at first glance, but then if you focus closely, you can see that this is a trick shot. The bird is actually on the ledge while the human is walking below the bird. This creates this deception of the bird is larger than the human. No need to worry, there are no mutant birds larger than us humans!

Half Lady Half Man

Imagine you are waiting in line for the bartender and you are just one person away from ordering that gin and tonic when you notice something odd. Does that waiter whom you thought cute all night, have lady’s legs? At first glance, it may seem that way, but this illusion is one that is created by the help of a mirror. The legs are that of the lady who is receiving her drink. Don’t worry; you haven’t drunk too much – just another of life’s illusion.

I Spy With My Little Eye

Everybody needs their check-up, and if you don’t, Putin is going to get you, just kidding. That is not the Russian President; it’s just the image of him in a magazine. Though, you probably felt your heart skip a beat and fear that Trump and Putin had finally agreed to combine the two countries. Don’t worry that hasn’t happened. This is just another day at the Doctor’s office, waiting to be called.

Cat Woman

Straight from the comic strip of Batman is Cat Woman. She is real! At least with these photos, you can’t deny it. These photos are literally of women with their cat. At first, it seems as though there is something hairy about their face but looks closely, and you can see the face of their furry feline friend.

Ant Versus Helicopter

Like a scene from some mutation movie, this optical illusion makes it look as though the ant and helicopter are the same sizes. No, you have not been drinking too much from that red solo cup – this is an optical illusion that plays with our perception of distance. Though the ant and the cup are close to us, the range of the helicopter, paired with the perfect timing, makes it seem as though it too is small or rather the same size as the ant.

A Coming and Going Illusion

At first glance, it looks as though this photo is one that is supposed to depict a side by side comparison. If you look closer, though, you realize there isn’t much to compare. Then, when you look closer, what you thought were two photos is only one. This optical illusion in this particular photo comes from the fact that the ground is two different shades. When you look closer, however, you realize that the shade is a result of what seems to be an underpass and merely the shadow of it.

Wedding Surprise!

Imagine scrolling through your feed when all of a sudden, you come across this photo and stop. Is that a woman who is a half-horse and half-human? Though the angle of this photo does make it look as though it could quite potentially be so, it is just a bride riding on a horse with her groom walking beside her. This optical illusion is just another perfectly timed photo where everything at the moment just seemed to point to a half-human and horse lady. Could you imagine the surprise of the groom if she revealed her high horse legs on their wedding night!

Runaway Lunchbox

This is one of those optical illusions where you have to thank the company’s public relations and marketing team. The cargo container was painted to look as though it was a lunchbox or bag with the strap hanging over the side. It would not be hard to see someone taking two glances to adjust their eyes and make sure they understood that this wasn’t a runaway lunch box. Instead, this was just a large container getting to its destination and what better way to keep drivers on the road entertained but also alert.