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IN A SPIN

Mind-boggling optical illusion puts your eyes AND mind to the test – but can you work out what’s going on?

THINK you’re level-headed? 

Well, this new optical illusion is designed to put your eyes and mind to the test! 

If you stare at the middle of this optical illusion, your eyes will trick you into thinking the swirl is moving
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If you stare at the middle of this optical illusion, your eyes will trick you into thinking the swirl is movingCredit: Jackpotjoy

Designed by Jackpot Joy the illusion happens when you stare into the middle of this spiral.

As you do so it will begin to blur and spin – even though the image itself is completely static. 

Your eyes will begin to see movement, but it's staying totally still! 

Staring at this spiral pattern produces a hypnotic effect known as ‘spiral motion aftereffect’.  

READ MORE Optical Illusions

Once your eyes adapt to the spiral’s motion, the static image then seems to either shrink or grow in the opposite direction. 

It’s been said that staring at this type of spiral image can even impact your ability to read words for a short while afterwards too, as they can temporarily jump around in front of your eyes.  

Why not give it a go and see if it moves for you!

Optical illusions often use shapes, space, position, colour contrasts, and lines to fool people's minds.

Previously, Gala Spins shared several images to test an individual’s difference in perception – concluding that up to 71 per cent of viewers believed that static dots were moving in the case of one trippy pic.

Bhavin Shah, Behavioural Optometrist at Central Vision Opticians, explained the illusions.

He said: "The rotating motion is caused by signal processing of the complex image.

"The brain assumes that the eyes are stable and not-moving, therefore it has to assume that the pattern must be moving instead, so the pattern starts to move. "

Bhavin added: "Some people have more of these tiny eye movements than others and some are more sensitive to contrast in the pattern, so there will be some variation in the appearance of movement."

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