January 19, 2010 by Vurdlak with 127 Comments
In which direction does it spin?
Shown optical illusion just laid there on my hard disk for years. When I opened it today, I couldn’t remember why I placed it in my illusions folder in the first place? After some puzzling, finally I managed to see its visual phenomenon!
Ok, here’s what I want you to do: concentrate on the animated .gif on your right. You’ll quickly realize it represents some sort of see-through sphere, constructed of many dots rotating in one direction. Dots in front make the front face of the sphere, while “background” dots belong to sphere’s back. It’s logical they rotate in opposite directions. Now try and switch those background dots with front-face ones. Notice any change?
If you manage to visualize this, your able to change the direction in which sphere rotates. With some practice, you’ll be able to switch the direction back and forth in very short time fragments. Don’t underestimate yourselves – many individuals have difficulty seeing this type of illusions. It’s not that they’re less worthy, it’s just that their brain operates differently… Which reminded me – did you know that more than 1/3 of all people who went to see Avatar in 3D couldn’t see the image in 3D?
There are many optical illusions of this type available; one of the more popular being Spinning Dancer Optical Illusion. Your best shot of finding more, would be browsing through our Animations category.
(43 votes)
This is cool. I remember as a kid, sitting at the local ( small ) airport and watching the radar dish rotate. After a short period of time, it seemed to be rotating the opposite way to what it had been. Wait a while longer and it began rotating in reverse again! This is so similar to that phenomenon.
This really isn’t limited to one direction or the other. I can see one half spin counter clockwise while the other spins clockwise.
Also if you can see them going in both directions you can see part of it begin to flip completely out of rotation. But at a certain point it will snap back and you lose it.
actually all you have to do is focus on the left or right edge
If you look at it just right you will see not only does it appear to rotate left or right but see it as two halves rotating on opposite directions towards eachother
Yeah i can change direction in less then a sec. nice illusion :)
that’s great I could see the different roatation that’s pretty cool oh and by the way I didn’t know that about avatar that’s interesting
Is it only me or can you make it appear as two counter rotating half spheres. Can not hold image for long but can retrieve quickly
try to see the picture as two groups of dots moving in opposite direction side to side in 2D plane. that’s a challenge because my brain keeps telling me it’s a sphere, not a 2D object.
Im able to see it moving in both directions at the same time ; < on half is going right and one left, however when I blink or stare for too long, Im losing this effect ;p
when i first see it it spins like earth from left to right when i look a little closer its left and right
thats awesome! it takes awhile though
i managed to see it like that so left part turns to left right side turns to right.
i thonk it all is turning left
think
i’ve managed to rotate it any time i want. bu in the end i end up seing it going both sides at the same time :)
I saw them going left, right, back and forth and in two different directions at the same time. All you need to do is look closely and force your mind to ignore the illusion.
I think has been animated to be confusing if ignoring the illusion, at first it goes left then after a while of staring it changes smoothly to going right, focus on the front bit then you see. CONCENTRATE!!!!!
Well for me, shifting my eyes left and right changes the rotation. Maybe it will work for you too.
changed it pretty quickly :D also, i saw the dots go in two different directions too!
I manage to change its directions very quick and after a while, you’ll see they’re going in two dfferent directions.
neither! it’s just dots moving in totally different directions
(actually certain groups)
this is my favorite illusion of all time.
yup, got three directions too, i had to visualize it morphing to get it, but after that i could ignore what my brain was trying to say was the truth.
i luv doing that. i can do it no problem
actually the sphere rotates both direction!!!! interesting…
I dont get it:c