optical illusion
An optical illusion is a picture or a figure that deceives or confuses the eye and/or brain. Categorization of optical illusions is difficult because several underlying mechanisms may contribute to an effect, or the cause of the illusions may not be completely understood. See individual entries in the table below for details. See also anamorphosis.
| Types and examples of optical illusions | |
|---|---|
| type | examples |
| distortion illusion | Fraser spiral Müller-Lyer illusion Orbison's illusion Poggendorff illusion Titchener illusion Zöllner illusion |
| impossible figures and objects | Freemish crate Penrose triangle Penrose stairway |
| ambiguous figure | Ames room Necker cube Schröder's reversible staircase Thiery figure |
| lateral inhibition illusion | Hermann grid illusion |
| antigravity houses and hills |
