‘What does this mean!?’ Mind-bending optical illusion that makes your brain IMAGINE a color that doesn’t exist leaves the internet baffled
- Optical illusion, which recently resurfaced online, tricks brain into seeing yellow
- The artwork was created by Japan’s Akiyoshi Kitaoka who is known for illusions
- READ MORE: Can YOU spot the hidden creature in 11 seconds?
Look closely at this optical illusion. What do you see?
At first glance, it seems straightforward enough.
In an anti-clockwise direction, starting from the top, you can see a blue circle and then a magenta one, but when you hit the third rounded shape, the answer is a little more complicated.
If the last circle is yellow then your eyes have been fooled – because when you focus in on its color, you’ll see it’s actually black and white.
What do you see? This optical illusion is tricking your eye into seeing a yellow circle
But don’t feel too bad as you’re not the only one who was betrayed by their eyes.
Recently the optical illusion re-emerged on Reddit after initially being shared by its Kyoto-based creator Akiyoshi Kitaoka, who is a professor of psychology at Japan’s Ritsumeikan University.
Redditor Eumaeu5 posted the image with the caption: ‘There is no yellow in this image (cover all but a few of the ‘yellow’ lines to prove this). Your brain expects yellow and fill in the gaps.’
But many were not convinced.
‘There is actually yellow. Even after covering the colors I see it and it’s even in the shape of a circle. Screenshotted to confirm and there IS YELLOW,’ one person said.
Social media users were quick to correct them.
‘Thought the same thing. It’s the switch to black lines from blue that causes this. It is actually white,’ a response read.
‘I took a screenshot also, but unfortunately I have to inform you there is no yellow. You mind is still lying to you,’ another added.
‘You didn’t wait long enough for the effect to wear off from when you looked at the whole image. Hold your hand there longer and continue to stare, it shouldn’t take more than 60 seconds,’ a third person said.
But on closer inspection, the ‘yellow’ circle is actually made up of black and white lines
‘The circle is formed by the color change of the lines from blue to black. The white background is in fact all white and only white. No yellow. Blew my mind when it worked.’
And Akiyoshi himself confirmed ‘the yellowish part consists of black and white stripes.’
One redditor explained what was happening in the optical illusion.
‘Your brain has an auto white balance feature. Because all the lines are blue, except in the “yellow circle”, it tricks your brain into adjusting to a cool white environment, like daylight or a cloudy day,’ they said.
‘The result is it also adjusts everything around the actually black lines to be perceived as warmer. Thus, white becomes warm white.’
The original poster added: ‘From a distance (the image, not zoomed), your brain tells you these lines must be blue, because all others appear to be.
‘That and that white and black are tones, not colors, the brain tries to identify a color… yellow. remember there are three types of cones in our eyes: red, green and blue.
‘This and the brain making sense of what it sees, decides on yellow, because subconsciously, you will know that yellow and blue make green.’
It’s not the first time Akiyoshi’s optical illusions have baffled.
Back in October last year, another one of his creations stunned the internet, with the image featuring small, connected gray squares appearing to move right before your eyes.
But the figures on the screen are actually static – you see them as shifting because your brain is being tricked by illusionary motion.
The image challenges viewers to look past the illusion and stop the moving squares for at least 10 seconds.
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