If you've been around long enough, you've probably seen all the classic optical illusions. A teacher in Canada, however, was drawing some poppies to celebrate remembrance day with her classroom when she did the unthinkable: she accidentally created a new one!
The teacher, who goes by 'SlipperyPockets' on Reddit, shared a photo of the poppy-badges, worn to remember soldiers who have died during wartime. Before they've been cut out, their lines appear to overlap...but on further inspection, none of them actually do. It's mind bending.
SlipperyPockets/Reddit
Some especially science minded users believe the illusion is caused by the Gestalt Continuity Law, which causes the brain to continued "lines of objects that are grouped together." Reddit user Ghkbvy offered this explanation:
"I think this relates to the gestalt continuity law.
Your brain is taking a shortcut and seeing the lines from one poppy continue a smooth, natural arc which is actually a line from an adjacent poppy."
Notice how if you use your imagination to fill in the small space between the shapes the line could easily just be continuing and overlapping, it flows.Reddit users' minds were blown. lNTERNATlONALÂ commented:
"Stop please I want to get off."
thrurrawhurr was similarly taken aback:
"It's freaking me out. I'm freaked out."
triciann wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with this illusion:
"I've had too much wine for this shit."
terryleopard found looking at the picture to be a frustrating experience.
"Every time you focus on one bit of the image the other bit changes :("
HossOdin isn't sure WHAT'S going on.
"Uh, they're overlapped...wait...no they're not...wait...yes, they're overlapped..wait.."
Once they got a look at the picture, Twitter was just as flabbergasted:
@DailyMail It DOES in fact, at times, look like they’re overlapping. It’s the blue dress all@over again.— Erika (@Erika) 1541963627.0
@DailyMail Theyre not overlapping. 🙄— dews 🇲🇾 (@dews 🇲🇾) 1541935253.0
@DailyMail your brain spends most of its time cheating and tricking you.— jnls.reader. (@jnls.reader.) 1541936057.0
@AkiyoshiKitaoka is this a new type of optical illusion? https://t.co/9Eoooz3uMp— Jesse Thomson (@Jesse Thomson) 1541819377.0
The post's success shouldn't surprise anyone who knows the internet; if there's one thing Twitter loves, it's optical illusions.
Kōkichi Sugihara is a Japanese mathematician and artist known for his three-dimensional optical illusions that appe… https://t.co/T2j8HG05Tk— Adam (@Adam) 1542119177.0
Optical illusions; 'the best ones are quickly going viral and setting the new standard.' Well worth a read! by Nau… https://t.co/MaP7fobiCC— DNA Recruit (@DNA Recruit) 1542270660.0
Mind blowing optical illusions. The picture is not actually moving. https://t.co/SqWCEUd0HG— Jonnie Cabatbat (@Jonnie Cabatbat) 1542340198.0
1. Cross your eyes to see it! https://t.co/R8YdV6N6kY— threads.honeyy (@threads.honeyy) 1542243741.0
Very cool. RT@AMAZlNGNATURE Optical illusions on the salt flats of Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia 🇧🇴 #Spectacular… https://t.co/0vEjJ0FeOc— Roberto Blizzard (@Roberto Blizzard) 1542086117.0
Reddit users were eternally grateful for a new illusion in their lives. pseudocultist wrote:
"It's been years since someone showed me a new optical illusion. Thank you!"
"Agree. I believe this a new illusion as well."
Even pedestrianhomocide was surprised at a new specimen:
"Yeah, this is awesome, stumbling upon a brand new illusion."
What better way to celebrate Remembrance Day than with an optical illusion that will leave you perplexed for hours to come? We're just glad the teacher decided to post the photo, spreading the fun all over the internet!