image via – shutterstock.com
Do you remember the days when the Magic Eye book series were all the rage? The original three books came out in the mid-nineties and were so popular they topped the New York Times best seller list for weeks on end. The images featured on the glossy pages are known as autostereograms which are 2D images designed to contain 3D images hidden within them!
Autostereograms as we know them were originally invented by Bela Julesz, a neuroscientist and psychologist who wished to prove his theory that depth perception occurred in the brain and not the eyes, the common belief at the time. To do this he set out to test people’s ability to see in 3D with images he created that were similar in type to the Magic Eye version! The visual illusion’s proved his theory and years later they spawned the Magic Eye images we all know and love..
When looking at a Magic Eye picture a person must adjust their eyes and change the way they normally perceive depth. If they are able to do this successfully, the hidden 3D image will appear out of the patterned image they’re staring at. Instructions for viewing the images given on the Magic Eye website are broken down as follows:
1) Look at the center of the image extremely close up. It should almost touch your nose.
2) Adjust your focus and try to look right through it into the distance.
3) Begin to slowly and steadily move the picture away from your eyes until the 3D image pops out at you!
You may have to move the image back towards you, closer to your face, or further away and it’s best to start over if you need to do so. Once you’re able to see the hidden image you should allow your eyes to adjust, it’ll become clearer, more defined, and at that point you can see more of the depth and details in it. Some people may not be able to see anything and can’t adjust their eyesight to see past the 2D image. If you’re one of them, keep trying and eventually you should be able to crack the brain/eye barrier that’s tripping you up!
To test your Magic Eye abilities try working through the pictures below and see how skilled you really are at perceiving the 3D images, good luck!
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