It is said that human beings are hard-wired to identify the human face from a distance. We only need a few minimal details to make the recognition, and as such we’re predisposed to seeing human faces in everyday objects such as clouds, buildings, and paintings. This phenomenon is termed pareidolia, and you can see it in the paintings of Oleg Shuplyak. The artist from Ukraine cleverly uses people, objects, and landscapes to give his paintings a double meaning. See the hidden faces in a few of Shuplyak’s paintings after the jump.
Tag: illusions
Creepy “1/2” Face Illusions
I see what you did there, Jesús González Rodríguez. In his photo project entitled 1/2, the student from Venezuela creates illusions using the human face. Rodríguez takes frontal and side-on shots of his subject’s face and then merges them to create a rather creepy composite.
Have a look at Rodríguez’ multidirectional face illusions after the jump.
The Cigarette Trick
Barnaby the juggler has got a neat party trick. He catches a cigarette in his mouth, strikes a match and tosses that up in the air to light the cigarette. Check it out.
How does he do that – is it sleight of hand of just good practice? Drop us a comment.
[via YesButNoButYes]
The Thatcher Effect
Learn more about the Thatcher Effect at Open University – via Haha.nu.
Test Your Awareness: Whodunnit?
From the people who brought you the original awareness test, comes a new version in the form of a Whodunnit mystery.
BONUS: Can you spot the difference the scene below?
– Found at Gif Bin.
Illusions: Skulls Everywhere
A few more illusions after the jump.
I’ve always thought hallucinations came at a price – drugs like LSD and mescaline aren’t cheap and I’m not arsed to pay for them. The Boston Globe, however, seems to think you can fling open the doors of perception without having to visit your local dealer.
Here are two simple tricks that mad scientists have thought up to tricking your brain into perceiving what we know isn’t real.
The Ganzfeld Procedure
This trick involves using a radio and ping-pong balls. Turn on the radio and find a station playing static. Then lie down on a couch or bed and secure a pair of halved ping-pong balls over your eyes. You should experience some bizarre distortions within a few minutes. Hallucinations may vary from seeing horses prancing about in the clouds to hearing the voice of a dead relative.
Incredible Shrinking Pain
This trick uses the newest painkiller on the market – inverted binoculars. Oxford University scientists have found out that test subjects looking at a wounded hand through the wrong end of the felt less pain and swelling. By making the hand appear smaller, the brain is tricked into reducing the bodily sensations of pain.
See more tricks to hack your brain at The Boston Globe – via Blame it on the Voices.
If you believe in the goodness and purity of magic, do not watch this video.
via Cracked.com.
The Jesus Illusion
I see something else in this incredible psychedelic image. Do you?