Fun for your brain(s)

[Luke Rickards]

Check out this spinning dancer (http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22535838-5012895,00.html).

Which direction do you see her spinning?

[BB]

I see clockwise. I couldn't make myself see it the other way either.

[Luke Rickards]

I started off antiCW, then after a few mins she changed to CW. My wife and I have spent ages watching her now and she flips around frequently for both of us, but is predominantly antiCW for me and CW for my wife.

One thing I absolutely can not seem to see is the shadow of her extended leg going CW. As soon as I look at it, she spins antiCW again.

It's weird watching exactly the same image with another person, who is seeing it completely different to you.

[EricM]

I see her moving clockwise. If I focus just to the the side of the picture or into it's corners it reverses direction.

[Diane]

I only looked for a few seconds, but it was clockwise.
(Does this mean my left brain is doomed forever?)

I see her standing on the left leg, twirling the lifted right leg around, CW.

[mike]

I also see her moving clockwise. When I looked the other day I could get her to spin anti clockwise by focus to the left of the picture but today I had to focus to the right. Weird...:)

Mike

[christophb]

Equal CW and CCW... I seem to be able to make it change at will.

[Barrett Dorko]

I'm with Chris.

How about that guy in the background? What's with him?

[Luke Rickards]

On focus, who can see the shadow of the extended foot going clockwise?

[Diane]

I just took another look. I covered her up, all but her foot. I had to wait awhile but finally I could see it going counterclockwise. Then I added the other foot, then a bit more, then some body. If I uncovered her too fast she would appear to move clockwise instantly. I had to slowly teach my brain to see counterclockwise movement.

Finally I could look at her whole body and see CCW movement. But I definitely default to clockwise precipitously and frequently.

[Jon Newman]

It seems every time I first look at the illusion I see it spinning clockwise. I can see it spin either direction, including the shadow. Unless the guy in background appears, then it screws everything up.

[mikesangster]

Counter clockwise only... stared at it until my head hurt and my contact lenses got so dry that my eyes burned... wondered if I was a part of a twisted psychology experiment for a while... but still only counter clockwise...

Going to take some tylenol.

[Luke Rickards]

Mike,

The guy who sent this to me wrote as the subject of the email, "My head hurts!" :D

[christophb]

I looked at the axis of roation/spinning. Depending on how I visualized the leg (going in front vs behind the axis as it approached midline) the direction changed...

[EricM]

She must be getting dizzy.

So is it an inside joke or is there really some guy in the background, guys?

[BB]

What is interesting to me is that, consciously I know in order to get the direction to change I need to shift the leg from going in front to behind. But, I can't make it happen. I never have been able to "see" one of those stupid 3-D hidden pictures either.

[nari]

Clockwise and anticlockwise, easily. Shadow is a bit of a problem, though.


Nari

[Jon Newman]

More eye-brain fun (http://www.socialdailynews.com/diverse/not-animated.php)

[Diane]

Wow, that is great. You have to really focus to get it to stay still.

[Janisbreeland]

Both directions! JWB

[pht3k]

hehe funny stuff!!
CCW only for me
pht3k

[Marc]

Both directions, for me too, with a predilection for CW.

[bernard]

Both directions, for me too, with a predilection for CW.
Idem.

[Baecker]

I only see CW movement and I am a guy, should I be worried? :)

[Kriskul]

Here is a whole bunch of these things:

http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/

[Diane]

What a great link! Thanks! :D

[Diane]

Here is another site with illusions (http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01744/index.htm), found thanks to Matthias at The Neurotopian (http://neurotopian.blogspot.com/2007/11/mirror-box-therapy-part-iii.html).