Running Spirals Illusion

Before I show you how our newest optical illusion works, I’d like to mention we got ourselves a brand new widget – our very own iPhone app, to be more precise. Took some time to get this developed and then approved by Apple, but the results are finally here. If you own an iPhone, and would like to show some kind of support to this website, I’d appreciate highly you getting this app to your iPhone. Unfortunately it will cost you $3, but paying for servers that host this site became pretty expensive. Just to be transparent, I payed $3,000 today for one year of hosting on a dedicated server. You can understand how your iPhone app purchases could somewhat help. If you have really hard time paying for this app, but would really like to have it, drop me a line and I’ll probably send you a copy for free. Now let’s check the latest illusion – try moving your eyes around this image. Do the spirals seem to move? Be aware that both of them are static JPEG images. The “animation effect” present is more than extraordinary, agree?

Move your eyes arround these images, eventhough they appear to move - they are static
Move your eyes around, even though they appear to move - these figures are static

47 Replies to “Running Spirals Illusion”

  1. Cool!
    I’ve always loved your site, and will make sure that if one day I get and iPhone, will buy the app! Anyways great illusion!

    1. ikr! it goes faster it kinda makes my head spin once in a while but its worth it cuz its awesome!!!

  2. cool. i think it helps to make them move if you either move your eyes from left to right above the pictures, or if you scroll up and don the page. nice illusion.

  3. Combined with an active background such as Drempels Desktop you can really “weird out” your workmates.

    What has he been smoking lately!!!

  4. That’s amazing. I could get the rotation to stop – but only for a second. I had to put my cursor under one of the colours to prove to myself it really is a static image.

  5. first comment :) Cool illusion!! BTW, i found out another way to make them move that is easier. Keep your eyes on the images while you move the page (with the thingy on the right) up and down.

  6. Wow. I mean, wow. Those move more than any other “still” images I’ve seen! At first I thought they were animated, but I saw they were JPGs! WOW! Oh, congratulations on making and iPhone app! If I had an iPhone, I’d get it. I come to your site every day.

  7. When I was reading your post and had some glances at the pics and had no doubts they are .gif images :-O
    But when I cover 1 picture and look at the other one alone it’s perfectly static

  8. Wow, I saw this on my igoogle, and when I looked at it I was surprised that it stopped, as I thought it was a gif XD

    This is the strongest ‘animation’ illusion I’ve seen!

  9. I love this site I see every day on my google but I dont speak english so I dont understand all that I want

  10. Hi Vurdlak,

    I see this motion illusion having a scientific value because the illusory motion effect is circular. When researchers in the area explain why the illusion occur, they often use relative motion of image elements caused by “linear motion” of eye movement. However, the effect for this picture is not translation but rotational, which is not expected by relative motion caused saccadic or micro-saccadic eye movement.

    I would like to know who is entitled to get credit for this picture.

    Byung,

  11. Love it! One of the best illusions of it’s type I have ever seen, it’s almost impossible to stop the damn things!

    BTW, do you have a paypal ‘Donate’ button on this site, o mighty Vurdlak, I’m sure you’ll get a decent chunk of well deserved money.

  12. “If you have really hard time paying for this app, but would really like to have it, drop me a line and I’ll probably send you a copy for free.”
    Is thhat supposed to be sarcastic?
    I mean, everybody, should have three dollars spare!
    Now, if you use the silly argument that homeless/refugess/e.t.c don’t, well I’ll just say, “WELL THEY DON”T HAVE INTERNEt, YA NINCOMPOOP!

    BTW, you really Should [sic] have a donate button

  13. Do you have any idea why the circles are spinning with me just looking straight at them ? What does that mean? It is hard for me to make them stop? Just wondering if you knew

  14. This ones cool, :D It also works if you look at one circle and then you look at the other. The first one you looked at seems to be moving to. :-)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *