We all love a good optical illusion , don't we? It gets our brain to exercise, and can be the perfect test of our observational skills and keen eye. An optical illusion is a visual phenomenon where the brain misinterprets what the eyes perceive. It occurs when the information sent by the eyes conflicts with how the brain processes and understands what it sees. These illusions often trick us into seeing things that are not there, or perceiving objects differently from reality. For example, a still image might appear to move, or two shapes may seem unequal in size even though they are identical.

Can you spot a seal in this colony of penguins?

In this optical illusion, we get a glimpse into the southern hemisphere, where a colony of penguins is busy carrying on with their daily lives. While some are inside their igloos, some are lazying around in the ice, and some are simply frollicking around, looking for some food maybe! However, amidst all the chaos, a seal seems to have lost its way, and has wandered to the penguin colony . It is hiding somewhere, and you need to spot it.



Look carefully at the pic, and identify where the seal is. You just have 6 seconds to do so, so look carefully.




Spilling the beans

Give up? Here's the answer. The seal is hiding behind a penguin on the right, probably a little scared of the unknown environment. Take a look. Did you manage to spot it?







Types of optical illusions



There are three main types of optical illusions:




Literal Illusions: These occur when the brain combines elements of an image to create something that doesn’t exist. For example, an image might look like two faces or a vase depending on how you interpret it.




Physiological Illusions: These are caused by overstimulation of the visual system, such as excessive exposure to light, movement, or color. They can create effects like afterimages or motion illusions.




Cognitive Illusions : These rely on how the brain subconsciously interprets information. Examples include illusions like the Müller-Lyer illusion, where lines appear longer or shorter due to surrounding shapes.

How do optical illusions work?

Optical illusions occur because of the way our brain processes visual information. The human vision system is complex but not perfect. When light enters the eyes, it is converted into signals by the retina and sent to the brain for interpretation. The brain uses past experiences and patterns to fill in gaps and make sense of what it sees.