The Trippiest Optical Illusions on the Net!

by Joshua Fruhlinger on April 9, 2008 at 11:54 PM

Instant Test: Are You Creative or Logical?

This silhouette wins the award for coolest thing we've seen all day -- and it's not just because the tiny dancer above is in the buff. This is a little test that will tell you whether the left or right hemisphere of your brain is more dominant.

Instead of concentrating on her chest, concentrate on the woman's movement. If you see her spinning clockwise, that means you're using the right side, or more creative side of your brain. If she appears to be moving counter-clockwise, then that means the left side, or more logical side of your think muscle is superior.

At the Switched office, some of us see her going clockwise, others see her spinning counter-clockwise. At least one of us claims to see both, while another one of us opened this animation in Adobe ImageReady in order to isolate the frames to see if there's any direction-changing funny business going on. There isn't.

Take the test for yourself. Then, if you have time for a 50-question survey, compare these instant results to a more thorough diagnosis.

From Gizmo Watch

But wait! We have more optical illusions for you!

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Tags: fun, optical illusions, OpticalIllusions, trippy

Comments

BruceOct 18th 2007 1:13PM

Neutral

This is not a test of right or left brain use. It is a come-on to get you to spend money for a full analysis evaluation if you take their 50 question test. Also, for me, she spins clockwise and then reverses every time I scroll away then back. What I switch brain sided from scrolling? This is a test, but not for which side of the brain you are using.

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SuperAfroManMay 3rd 2009 5:19PM

Neutral

actually it probably is ur brain cuz when i tried scrolling down and back up it stay the same. i can think of which side she turn and she turns that way

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AndyOct 18th 2007 1:40PM

Neutral

I was able to see it both ways. I could change the direction by blinking or looking away then 'making' it go the other way. Next, I'll try to make it change direction without breaking eye contact. On the 53? question quiz, I was 46/54% left/right, so the illusion makes sense.

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LibbApr 10th 2008 9:59AM

Neutral

Same here - I originally saw it spinning clockwise until I read further in the article to where it said counterclockwise, and when I looked back up at the animation, she was suddenly spinning counterclockwise. I just have to think about what direction she should spin, and then look at it and she'll be spinning that way. I sure as hell ain't ambidextrous (I'm very much right-hand dominant), but maybe I'm able to use both sides equally...

Or it could be the fact that I'm on my 34th hour without sleep and I forgot to grab a coffee before sitting down in lab class. One more hour to go, then it's off to Starbucks for a refresher, if I can make it without passing out on my keyboard...

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twilightfunOct 19th 2007 1:12PM

Neutral

It's easy to see it both ways. Just look at each foot along with its corresonding shadow underneath.

First Clockwise: Just observe the straight leg and its shadow, watching the toes on both the figure and its shadow turn right. Simply let the foot make the full rotation and that's all.

To do counter-clockwise: All that's required is to instead watch the both the extended leg and its shadow, following it as it rotates 'round from the left side of the screen in the opposite direction. Just, as before, go full circle.

There ya go -- you can see it either way like that, just make sure to follow the foot around each direction in order catch the complete rotation.

There are a few extra moves, but this'll get most anyone not able to see it both ways started. Have fun. [Smile]

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KevinOct 23rd 2007 9:54AM

Neutral

For me it moved both ways. It would go clockwise, then counter-clockwise. I didn't blink or scroll or do anything. It would just change while I was looking at it.

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MaxiOct 27th 2007 12:50PM

Neutral

Wow, I saw it counter for 2 seconds and then only saw it clockwise, until I read twilights tip, then I could change it back and forth willingly...

Bruce, don't be an un-educated dunce. -_- It depends on the spot in which you are concentrating, hence it being an optical illusion, lol
You are actually focusing, or not focusing, on a part when you first glace at it after scrolling, and then your eyes most likely adjust.... Either way, you're doing something wrong, as if you follow twilight's tips, you can change them willingly just by concentrating on one spot or another. =]

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careful observerOct 22nd 2007 12:49PM

Neutral

This is not an optical illusion. Watch carefully for a few minutes. Her left leg is pointed and she spins one way and then it slows down and she spins the other way with her right leg pointed. This is just a computer graphic- nothing more.

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PhoenixMApr 15th 2008 11:21AM

Neutral

I just loaded the source .gif file into an animation program. There's no "computer graphic" trick here; the .gif file contains one and only one rotation of the dancer. Any changes you're seeing in the pointing of her foot are changes you're projecting into it subconsciously.

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johnOct 22nd 2007 4:45PM

Neutral

After spending quite some time with this fantastic optical illusion, I have gotten so that, if I concentrate very hard, I can see it make a half rotation clockwise followed by a half rotation counter clockwise . . . I believe the video is programed to do this. But if I lose concentration, it will make rotations either clockwise or counter clockwise.

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dianeOct 23rd 2007 6:49PM

Neutral

This is very cool. She spins clockwise if I watch her body and counter clockwise if I watch the shadow then work my way up to her body. But when I look from her body to her shadow quickly she switches direction over and over... I don't care how its done, it's cool.

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kathybear4Oct 27th 2007 9:10PM

Neutral

I can't see it going counter-clockwise. The foot lifts off the "floor" but it still goes around the same way with the leg outstretched.

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Tat2DuckDec 18th 2007 5:24PM

Neutral

I am an artist. When I first read about this illussion I wanted to see it. When it loaded up the girl was going counter-clockwise. I took my eyes of the screen and when I looked again it was going clockwise. I could not get it to go back. My eyes went down to the text (looking for an explanation) and she started spinning counter-clockwise. Which leads me to believe that when I am reading, my left hemisphere takes over, otherwise my right hemisphere takes over. Cool stuff!

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