Similar illusions include the Necker Cube and the Reversible Face/Vase Illusion. In reality, the spinning dancer illusion is related to a bistable perception in which an ambiguous 2-dimensional figure can be seen from two different perspectives. Because there is no third dimension, our brains try to construct space around the figure. How Does the Spinning Dancer Illusion Work?Īfter it was initially created by Nobuyuki Kayahara, the illusion was mistakenly referred to as a scientific personality test of right brain/left brain dominance by numerous websites and blogs. Another strategy is to focus on a specific part of the figure. Try looking at the figure and then blink she may appear to change directions immediately after you blink. How? While it may be very difficult, you can probably get her to switch directions spontaneously. Which direction is she turning? You may be surprised to learn that it is possible to see her spinning both clockwise and counterclockwise. In this image, you see the silhouette of a woman spinning. Learn more about how this illusion works. The spinning dancer illusion shows an ambiguous silhouette that appears to abruptly change direction. One possible explanation that has been proposed is known as the S1 simple-cell theory. The fact that the illusion is not dependent upon size, can be seen with contrast reversal and can be negated by slightly distorting the lines have been cited as reasons why the classic theory is wrong. However, there is evidence suggesting that this explanation is likely inaccurate. Our perceptions depend upon how our visual system responds to environmental stimuli and how our brain then interprets this information. These phenomena demonstrate a very important principle of perception: we don't always see what's really there. Researchers have traditionally used what is known as lateral inhibition to explain why people see these gray areas. So why do people see gray where there should be white? Why do we see something so different from reality? But as soon as attention is shifted away, the dot shifts to a gray color. When the viewer focused his or her attention on a specific dot, it is obvious that it is white. When the viewer looks at the grid, the white dots and the center of each 'corridor' seem to shift between white and gray. The Hermann grid was first discovered by a physiologist named Ludimar Hermann in 1870. In the Hermann Grid Illusion, the white dots at the center of each square seem to shift from white to gray.