An optical illusion is going viral on the internet, thanks to the strange and confusing effect it has on people who look at it.
Optical illusions are designed to play visual tricks on your brain, often causing you to see things that aren’t really there.
This particular image, made up of a white pattern on a black background, has been circulated on image sharing site Imgur by user ottaken.
The pattern is made up of white semi circles which are designed in a series of diamond shapes.
When you look at it, you can’t help but think it is moving in a circular motion, causing your eyes to go from side to side.
However, in reality it is simply a still image, with the unusual pattern playing tricks on your brain.
The effect is so strong that it is almost impossible to stare at the pattern without your vision becoming blurry.
Try it for yourself – how long are you able to stare at it without having to look away from your computer screen?
The image, posted just three days ago on Imgur, already has over 2,000 views.
Imgur users were moved to comment on the strange visual pattern, and how it altered their perceptions.
One user wrote: “I love how our brains try and analyse and find patterns, bringing order that isn’t there.”
Another Imgur user said that images of this nature gave him a “headache” to look at.
He said: “One of my art professors showed us a bunch of optical illusions and we all had headaches by the end. Still cool though.”
Last week, a viral picture of a couple hugging circulated on the internet.
The picture features a couple embracing on a beach, with a brunette woman wrapping her arms tightly around her boyfriend.
Beside them is a wooden beach hut, and a calm sea can be seen in the horizon.
While the photo looks normal at first glance, a closer look makes the viewer very confused indeed.
The couple’s legs are not quite right, with a confusion as to where the man’s legs and woman’s legs are coming from.
To some, the woman seems to be lifting the man up in the air, his legs suspended above the ground.
A closer inspection shows the two sets of legs are emerging from the man’s shorts, with the feet pointing in opposite directions.
It is no wonder the post, uploaded by Imgur user EronHope, is captioned: “My brain hurts”.
