Visual+Illusion

Rotating Snakes

Directions: Do not fixate your eyes on the picture, look around the picture. By doing this, the wheels look like they are rotating. This can be seen even while you are reading these directions. But, when your eyes are fixated apon one of the wheels, the rotation seems to stop.

This image is not moving and is not animated. The rotating of the wheels are your own eye movements. But when your eyes are fixed on one wheel it stops moving.

Physiological Explanation An optical illusion is percieved images that differ from reality. Effects on the eye and brain are due to the use of brightness, tilt, color, and movement. This illusion is characterized under the peripheral drift illusion. This refers to that the motion can be seen through a person's peripheral vision. The peripheral vision is enhanced by stepwise luminance profiles and fragmented or curved edges. Each of the wheels is created with the same pattern and repeating series that produces a transient perception of motion with each eye movement or blink. The colors also produce a faster response in the visual system of the visual neurons. Therefore, the motion signals generated by the colors make the illusion look like it is moving. [] [] For mmore on Visual Illusions visit this website: []