By Vurdlak on June 24, 2007, with 522 Comments
This animation was on my laptop for quite some time. I had it for almost a year. Today anonymous user submitted me this gif version, and when I opened it, only then I realized how great this illusion actually is. If you look at the spinning girl’s silhouette below, you will think it is spinning clockwise, probably. When you check her shadow below, momentarily the spinning direction changes in your mind, and now the girl is spinning counter-clockwise. It can be quite hard at the beginning to notice switch of the spinning direction, but eventually you’ll manage. I posted more simple illusion of this kind while ago, and you can see it here. Now, be honest – how long did it take you to see it spin in both directions? Not as easy as the hidden tiger, ayeh? I lost the link to the original artist, but best I could come up with is the place I found it on.
(109 votes)
This is easily one of the best illusions I’ve ever come across.
Whoa. Talk about amazing.
Cool I made it change direction x)
Amazing illusion.
Her right leg is outstretched in one direction, and her left in the other… Or maybe I’m just crazy. :P
There’s nothing to do with brain. It all with our eyes,when the girls spins at anti clock wise just then look at her feet she will start spinning at clock wise.Originally the girl is not spinning at any direction.She just moving from left to right and right to left.Make your head horizontally down and look at her movement you will find the trick.But its great
Nothing to do with the brain? Where are your eyes attached to? Your intestines?
An another thought I think its because its a 2 dimentional picture
This is the first time i’ve ever payed attention to the dancer (Its always turned clockwise for me when i glance at it) and honestly… very easy to switch…
there are to joint animated gifs…
one dancing clockwise the other the other way…
haha
i noticed her changing directions by watching her hand that is out furthest from her body, i saw it switching directions. this is because it is moving faster than it should in an actual spin .
If you can’t get it, cover up the top of the picture with your hand and just focus on the bottom of her legs. Imagine them coming toward you vs. moving away from you. ONce you get that much the rest will fall into place.
Our brains make a lot of assumptions.
It’s difficult to make your brain understand it, but try to imagine the arm, leg, and hair as always behind or in front of the girl. I can’t figure out how to make it instant, but doing that helps convince my brain.
Try to switch head positions from normal(vertical) to horizontal position. Try both sides, left and right. You should easily fool your brain and make her spin to other direction…
YOU CAN “FORCE” YOURSELF TO SWITCH HER, TRY TO SWITCH HER DIRECTION AT THE FEET, RIGHT WHEN THEY OVERLAP
Anybody else see her spinning ANTICLOCKWISE originally, I did, everybody here seems to see clockwise.
I cant make her switch :(
all you did was pause her for like not even a second and made her switch and you can tell cause her face does turn the other wat
I was trying to make her spin counterclockwise… and then I somehow did. And she wouldn’t go back to clockwise… gotta say I panicked for a minute |D
She’s switching sides like every minute (almost)
im waiting for her to fall
I noticed it is a ice skater.. >.>
Look the end of her foot, ‘seems to be going in a circular fashion’ Well actually every once in a while her foot stops touching the ‘ground’
If anyone takes the time to open this gif in a gif animation creater, you can watch the elaborate compilation unfold frame by frame. Not only does her head and legs spin in opposite directions but there’s a subliminal ad for Pepsi in frame 27.
It took me about 10 secs to see it in both directions
Gif timed fusion delay
I got her spinning both ways! My trick is to think of a spinning clock… :P
I always spent my half an hour to read this website
I CANT DO IT!!!! I managed to solve the other pics including the 3d ones but this is killing me :(
519th comment!
COOL! I can spin it any side i want..:D
If you want a real mind fuck open two at the same time and try to spin them in different directions; challenge block one and when you get the other spinning in a different direction look at the blocked one without the original switching back
I want to see a spinning duck. The same will be true in silhouette, but will never be as pleasing to watch.