3 mind-boggling animal optical illusions in 2022
Prepare to be confused. Very confused.
Optical illusions have become quite a feature on Creative Bloq this year, so much so that we've had to create a post summing up our favourites of just one type of illusion. This post celebrates the three animal-based optical illusions that melted our minds this year.
While all of these were popular on the site, one of them was so loved it broke our internet for a little while – we just couldn't rein it in (get it? No? Okay, it was the horse). So, get ready to have your eyes deceive you as we sum up the top animal-themed optical illusions. Want even more? Here are our favourite optical illusions of all time.
01. Rotating Horse
@trippyhub ♬ original sound - luvandrew
This illusion was shared on TikTok by TrippyHub (see above), and has been flummoxing us ever since. The question is, which way is the horse spinning? We honestly don't know. And at this point, we're pretty sure we'll never know. But that's the (black) beauty of the spinning horse. With unhelpful commenters on Twitter ranging from plain flabbergasted to thinking they're actually controlling the horse, it seems others are in the same (horse) shoes as we are.
Need to know more? WhatPsychologyIs explains that "due to the image’s lack of visual cues for depth, the ambiguous 2-dimensional figure can be seen from two different perspectives. This alternation between two perceptual states is referred to as bistable perception." So there you go.
02. Hidden Tiger
Apparently only one per cent of people can actually see the hidden tiger in this jungle-themed image by artists Rusty Rust. And we were pretty chuffed when we were among them. Yes, we know you can see one tiger – that's pretty clear. But there's a second 'hidden tiger' lurking there, right in front of your face.
Can't see it? Here's a clue: it isn't a picture of a tiger, and it's hiding in the first tiger's stripes.
03. Cat
Onto a slightly smaller feline friend, who has divided the internet in another direction-related conundrum, posted on 9Gag. This cat is just minding its own business walking up some stairs.. no, wait, down. No. Up. Argh. Anyway, it's walking on some stairs. And apparently, the direction you see it walking in says a lot about your personality.
Get top Black Friday deals sent straight to your inbox: Sign up now!
We curate the best offers on creative kit and give our expert recommendations to save you time this Black Friday. Upgrade your setup for less with Creative Bloq.
According to The Minds Journal, if you see the cat walking upstairs then you're more optimistic, and if you see it walking downstairs you're more pessimistic. Since no scientific reasoning is provided, we'll just have to take their word for it.
Read more:
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Georgia is lucky enough to be Creative Bloq's Editor. She has been working for Creative Bloq since 2018, starting out as a freelancer writing about all things branding, design, art, tech and creativity – as well as sniffing out genuinely good deals on creative technology. Since becoming Editor, she has been managing the site on a day-to-day basis, helping to shape the diverse content streams CB is known for and leading the team in their own creativity.