Spinning MAN Optical Illusion

Once again Mighty Optical Illusions website proudly brings new optical illusion that hopefully will become as famous as the Spinning Girl did in the past. Remember when we first posted Spinning Girl illusion, it was later reposted on all the famous websites across the internet. The artwork was created by Peter ‘Def’ Oksbjerre, and the flash work was enhanced by Miguel Ortiz, and later by Anthony J. Foreman. The author’s website can be found at defcon2.dk I thank all three of you guys for your time. Now the illusion works like this: watch the spinning man, and you’ll see him spin in one direction, but as soon as he rotates for 180 degrees, you’ll see the switch in the direction of his movement, and he will spin differently. Let’s see how long does it take for big websites to find this illusion and write about it. Remember, to see the freshest optical illusion on your PC desktop, Mac dashboard, iGoogle or Facebook profile, add the appropriate application. You can find them all at the top of the sidebar.

Let’s give the author (Peter) opportunity to explain it himself: “Hi, Love your site. I was playing around with some particle-systems and depth-maps in AfterEffects and suddenly this guy showed up. I like how his legs get totally twisted in the middle of the spin. It works with the same principles as the Einstein and Chaplin-masks where you see the inside but it looks like the outside.”

106 Replies to “Spinning MAN Optical Illusion”

  1. Nice application of particle system.

    I found that it’s actually possible to see this guy actually rotate the full 360 clockwise. You need to concentrate and tell your mind you are looking at a surface .. then u will see when the figure turns away from you, the dots are dimmer.

    But generally awesome. :)

  2. cool,but this happens because our brain sees the other side of the image rotating and reflects it on the “direction” of spinning.just guessing.

  3. WHOAA!!! When I cover up the top part and only see his legs, it doesn’t look like it’s changing directions, but when I see the whole thing, I can’t make it NOT change directions! COOL!

  4. There is a point when it looks like his upper body is spinning in the opposite way his legs are.

    that kid was right
    it is WHACK.

    its similar to those 3D images of faces using an imprint. When they spin you get a similar effect.
    however, none are like this cause this is digital, naturally.

  5. you can actually undo the illusion by not directly looking at the image. if you look to either left or right of the image, you will see it rotate a full 360 degrees in one direction. changing sides changes directions ;)

  6. THIS IS WAY WEIRD!
    i looked in the animations category and it was still being worked on.i looked and saw a snapshot of a man like this illusion.the strange thing?i saw it BEFORE vurdlak made this post!

  7. HOLY CRAP! that iz scary! first, it goez 1 way, & then it goez another! cccrrrreeeeeeeppppyyyy!!!

  8. Nice Illusion :D
    When i opened the page i didnt read the text and only saw the man spinnig in one side.
    But after i read the text i couldnt stop seeing the man changing of direction, xD.

  9. awsome to say the least. its like the budda one, the face is concave when its backwards, but the mind will not percieve it that way and will amke it convex.. any way for some reason when i watch him spin.. when he is backwards, the elgs seem like they are gona cross, and get tangled or something. but they just go around to normal

    side note. i cant seem to see the girl to spin the other way.. both are cool illusiong though

  10. What an absolute BEAUTY… I mean that quite literally. Mesmerising and pure satisfaction watching it revolve… However hard you you try and focus on those particles it takes me by surprise every time that switch in direction occurs. I love it… VERY EASILY my personal favourite so far! Am going to check out spinning girl now… Brilliant site!!!! How do you apply to become a member of your team? Assuming that’s possible!

  11. This is cool I’ve seen the same thing with the Harry Chaplin Mask. With this one keep your eye on one of the feet and you won’t be fooled.

  12. dude i think im a little crazy from the wave pool @ nrh2o. am i the only one who sees a man twyirling two ways @ once? CRAZZZY!!!!

    OK. i guess that if you look @ it the right wayit looks like a dude turning. this is soooo weird!!

  13. It is awesome keep it up i’ll become one of your fans love optical illusions since impresionism…

  14. Won’t be as popular as spinning girl as its not a moving gif…you tried cutting and pasting it?

  15. I think these are so cool. I can see it going both ways…once i get concentrated on 1 way it is hard to make him go the other way.

  16. you can tell tht his feet are crossing and plus u cant be 3D on both sides. u can see his nose on both sides, same wit his feet. so its not turning all the way around.

  17. way easier to change the direction than the spinning girl thing … but if u want it to go all the way around focus on his feet and legs

  18. I didn’t read the text first, and saw him spinning only one way, then I read the text and saw him change direction, then i looked at his legs, and sometimes they are spinning different to the body.
    Confusing.

  19. In fact it is not really spinning the whole 360 degrees, but instead its cycle is inverted–its only spinning 180, then the animation rewinds. So, the illusion is not that we see the man in ‘both cycles of the rotation’, but it is actually that we think that the image is spinning. You can tell by the illumination of it.

  20. Because you can see one side better through the other, there’s a clockwise directional preference. And when I tried to see it counter-clockwise, the legs appeared to change sizes. Still a cool effect, though.

  21. Okay. For those of you who are having trouble seing the man change direction try doing this. The man “seems” to have two sides, and if you are having trouble telling your self that you are looking at the same side each time, and that he is not spinning then just do this. wait until his “back” faces towards you and then force yourself to assume its the front of him. He Will change

  22. But if thats a man, then were’s is the, um, penuis? (Not sure how to spell penius.) It is showing the front side after all, and it doesn’t look like he’s wearing any clothes. Good Illusion finding Vurdlak!

    PS, To the guy who did comment #44,

    Dear Whoev’ you are:
    Do you have blurry eyesight or any other problems with your vision? ‘Cause it looks like the guy is rotaitin’
    360 degresses to me, YOU LIAR!

    PPS, Pardon the bad spelling.

  23. I think he is definitely rotating from right to left and like a clock if you would look from above. I concentrated my view onto the nose and if it would turn the other way ’round the nose might have some strange movements!

  24. Ahhh! I think it’s one of those illusions with the… it’s hard to explain, but it’s like a mask and when you turn it around it looks like it’s still protruding out, even though… Oh, how do I explain? There was a Tutankhamen Mask illusion like that…

    Grr

  25. Holy Crap!!! I made it look like his arms are going one way and his legs are going the other?! You just need to concentrate very hard. Brilliant website btw.

  26. this is easy to esplain because we focuse on features suh as the face (oneout of a few areas) when the face does a full circle we see through the face and the eyes in it’s concave form suddenly seem convex which creates the illusion that he had started turning the other way..

  27. If you stare at his crotch, when he gets to the “switching” point, it looks like the legs are continuously rotating clockwise, while his upper body switches directions.

  28. This illusion is the same as a mask or anything that has a concave shape, when it rotates, it’s as if, just moving back and forth but actually, is rotating..

  29. It didn’t work for me! :(. BTW Luna LOVE the TARDIS. Must tell my Doctor Who mad friend. LOL. ;)

  30. I don’t think the believe that the head is moving quite at the same time. the body and limbs can cause you to think it turns differently.

  31. Hi.. I made this one.
    I know about the twisted legs, but it was planned.
    I could have used a different camera in After Effects. I might do a better version.

    Thanx anyway for the comments

  32. The man is divided into 2 halves. A white halve and a dark halve both in frontal planes and opposite to each other in a Sagittal section. The dark man illuminates when the white turns 180 and gives the impression of turning arond the other way when its actually moving in a circle.

  33. First it spins 180 degrees one way.
    Then he spins 360 degrees the other.
    Then he spins 180 degrees the other way.
    Then 180 degrees the other way.
    Then 90 degrees the other, and 90 degrees the other.
    Then it goes 360 degrees another way.

    Coolio!

  34. Guys, he haves no back.Only back side of legs.He haves two faces and two bodies on front and back as well.Only legs have front and back side.
    In other words, he don’t have ass :DDDD
    Just follow his legs and you will get it ..

  35. his legs and arms move in different directions but his face moves in both…lol…im…confuzzled! stare at his crotch and you will see what i mean.

  36. when his front is going left that is the front of the body and when it’s going to the right thats the back, WATCH THE FEET

  37. what makes this model quite effective is the highlight/ light on the feet that confuses you more to trick you that the hallow/back part is still the front.

  38. Hi guys..how can i get a copy for my desktop

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  39. No, i get it. To beat it, watch his foot. It will do no good watching his torso, or face. It is just like the einstein illusion. Our brains make us think he is outside not in. I am confused, really I am. Whoa! Its just so… confusing. But, the cat illusion is more popular. Still, this is very nice. Nice work!! But CONFUSING!!!

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