70 Optical Illusions That Your Brain Just Isn't Ready To Handle

Everything is not as it seems...

Do you know Rubin's vase? You've probably seen it, even if you aren't familiar with the name. It depicts a vase in the center — or does it? Maybe it depicts two heads looking at one another. See for yourself:

Martin Janecek / Getty Images

If you're into trippy imagery, then you've come to the right place. We found the best optical illusions on Reddit, and they're guaranteed to confuse you. Scroll to make your head spin!

1. There are no gray dots in between these squares:

Neslihan Gorucu / Getty Images/iStockphoto

This is a classic example of something called the "Hermann Grid Illusion," where people see ghostly gray dots everywhere the white lines intersect — with the exception of the intersection you're looking directly at, of course.

2. This isn't a trident:

Kovalto1 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The "impossible trident," also known as the blivet, was first written about in 1964 by D.H. Schuster in The American Journal of Psychology: "Unlike other ambiguous drawings, an actual shift in visual fixation is involved in its perception and resolution. The viewer comes to realize that he is viewing an 'impossible figure.'" 

3. These two squares are not different shades of gray:

Peterhermesfurian / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The "checker shadow illusion" is another famous mind trick, as MIT professor Edward H. Adelson pointed out in 1964. The two tiles are in fact the same color, but our visual system tricks us because we compare the tile to its neighbors.

4. These circles don't overlap:

Two rings that appear to be interlocked from opticalillusions

5. This isn't an arm:

A dog that looks like an arm from confusing_perspective

6. This wheel isn't spinning:

Mycola / Getty Images/iStockphoto

7. This newborn doesn't have a giant toe:

Newborn with a massive big toe from confusing_perspective

8. This isn't the ocean:

The white back wall of my courtyard garden looks like the ocean from confusing_perspective

9. This cow isn't eating a calf:

Cow looks like it's eating a smaller cow from confusing_perspective

10. This isn't a bag with legs:

Bag with legs from confusing_perspective

11. This isn't a dog with a human face:

Dog creates a face from confusing_perspective

12. This isn't a bunch of snowy mountains:

My frozen windscreen from confusing_perspective

13. The lines in this image do not intersect:

These lines don't cross from opticalillusions

14. This car isn't floating:

The shadows make this car look like its floating from confusing_perspective

15. This isn't a raw chicken:

The sphynx cat we are looking after looks ready to be seasoned and baked at 350° when seen from this angle from confusing_perspective

16. This sheep isn't leading a mule:

I'm gonna walk my ass on outa here from confusing_perspective

17. This isn't a flying saucer:

Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium looks like a flying saucer from a distance from confusing_perspective

18. This semitruck isn't actually carrying anything:

Is it the wall or the truck's container? from confusing_perspective

19. This cat isn't actually in a box:

Schrödinger's cat from confusing_perspective

20. This car isn't holding up a light post:

It looked like this car was holding up a light post from confusing_perspective

21. This isn't the cat's shadow:

There's something wrong with that shadow from confusing_perspective

22. This isn't a cat:

This bag looks like a cat from confusing_perspective

23. This person isn't rocking heels:

He is not wearing heels from confusing_perspective

Reveal: If you can't see it, the "heels" are the chair's legs.

24. This iguana doesn't have a terrifying face:

Do you see a scary face? from confusing_perspective

25. This cat doesn't have tiny arms:

looks like this cat has tiny arms from confusing_perspective

26. This glass is not standing in the crack:

Took this a while ago, people found it confusing. So here you go. from confusing_perspective

27. These circles are not different colors:

A new Munker illusion. All the dots in the background are the same color but perceived as four different colors. from opticalillusions

Reveal: they're all yellow!

28. This is not a photoshopped picture:

Single Picture or a collage? from confusing_perspective

29. This isn't a picture of a piece of furniture:

Photo my friend sent of the hotel he’s staying in. Took me a while from confusing_perspective

30. This woman does not have multiple pairs of legs:

A fast runner. from confusing_perspective

31. This cat isn't pulling its own head out of the box:

This cat assembling itself from confusing_perspective

32. This is not a punctured tongue—don't worry:

Dinner time accident from confusing_perspective

33. Honey, I did not shrink the jogger:

Just out doing a little jogging. from confusing_perspective

34. A new dinosaur has not been discovered:

Giant Dinosaur Bird from confusing_perspective

35. These aren't dinosaurs either:

A hord of mini Brachiosaurus strolling around from confusing_perspective

36. This isn't a two-headed creature:

bicephalous from confusing_perspective

37. Neither is this one:

This is not a gif from opticalillusions

38. This is not the longest-armed pickpocket ever:

How to pickpocket from confusing_perspective

39. This is not a pic of a little dude perched on this bicyclist:

Tiny man riding a woman on a bicycle from confusing_perspective

40. This situation is not quite as stressful as it seems:

Don't let go!...or do. I don't really care. from confusing_perspective

41. This dog doesn't have monster teeth:

terrifying teeth from confusing_perspective

42. This isn't a door:

Illusionary Wall from opticalillusions

43. This isn't a crow:

Cat shapes like a bird from confusing_perspective

44. This isn't a moving gif:

This is a static image. from opticalillusions

45. This cow isn't a floating head:

This cow has no body. from confusing_perspective

46. This horse isn't actually levitating:

Levitating horse from confusing_perspective

47. There isn't just one black dot—there are 12:

Ninio's extinction illusion. Twelve black dots cannot be seen at once. from opticalillusions

48. This tiled image is not slanted to the left:

Squares look like leaning to the left? Not true. from opticalillusions

49. This cat isn't a soccer ball:

Soccer ball from confusing_perspective

50. This image is not just lines and boxes:

Find the 16 circles from opticalillusions

Reveal: There are 16 circles in there as well.

51. This corner is not pointed in multiple directions.

in or out? from opticalillusions

52. This isn't Clifford the Big Red Dog:

Dog put his head inside a doll house from confusing_perspective