Circle or Spiral Illusion

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Check out this fascinating Circle or Spiral Illusion. This appears to be a spiral, but look closer, it’s actually a series of concentric circles that only appears to be a spiral.

If you are interested in learning more about the Circle or Spiral Illusion, scroll down to read about it!

Circle or Spiral Illusion


Table of Contents

What is the Circle or Spiral Illusion?

The Circle or Spiral Illusion is an example of a Fraser Spiral Illusion.

The Fraser Spiral Illusion is a captivating visual illusion that gives the impression of a spiral pattern, even though there is no actual spiral present in the image. The illusion was discovered by the British psychologist James Fraser in 1908.

Here’s how the Circle or Spiral Illusion works:

  1. Image composition: The illusion consists of a series of concentric circles that are drawn using alternating contrasting colors, usually black and white or black and gray.
  2. Gradual increase in circle size: Each circle is drawn with a slightly larger diameter than the previous one, creating the appearance of a continuous outward spiral.
  3. Repetition: The concentric circles are placed close together, and the alternation of colors creates a sense of motion or rotation in the image.

When you look at the Circle or Spiral Illusion, your brain interprets the pattern as a spiral rotating outward. However, in reality, the image is composed of separate circles with no connecting spiral lines. The illusion is a result of the interaction between the concentric circles and the way our visual system processes contrast and perceives motion.

The Circle or Spiral Illusion is an excellent example of how our brain fills in missing information and imposes patterns on the visual input it receives. It showcases the complexities and limitations of our visual perception and how the brain interprets visual stimuli based on contextual cues and prior knowledge. Despite being aware that there is no actual spiral present, it is challenging for most people to perceive the individual circles without the illusory spiral-like motion.

How Does the Circle or Spiral Illusion Work?

The Circle or Spiral Illusion is an example of a Fraser Spiral Illusion.

The Fraser Spiral Illusion and the Circle or Spiral Illusion works by exploiting the way our visual system processes contrast, edge detection, and our brain’s tendency to impose patterns on ambiguous stimuli. Here’s a more detailed explanation of how it works:

  1. Contrast and edge detection: The illusion consists of concentric circles with alternating contrasting colors, typically black and white or black and gray. The sharp contrast between the dark and light regions of the circles stimulates our visual system’s edge detection mechanisms.
  2. Motion perception: The series of concentric circles with gradually increasing diameters give the impression of motion or rotation. Our brain interprets the alternating colors and the increase in circle size as indicative of a continuous spiral that appears to be rotating outward.
  3. Filling-in: Our brain tends to fill in missing information and complete patterns based on the visual input it receives. When presented with the alternating contrasting circles, our brain attempts to make sense of the ambiguous input by imposing a coherent spiral pattern.
  4. Contextual cues: The arrangement of the concentric circles close to each other creates a context where the illusion of motion is strengthened. The alternating colors and the gradual increase in size reinforce the perception of a spiraling motion.
  5. Perceptual bias: Due to the way our visual system processes and interprets visual information, our brain is biased towards perceiving coherent and meaningful patterns. This perceptual bias contributes to the illusion of a spiral, even though there are no actual spiral lines present in the image.

Overall, the Circle or Spiral Illusion showcases the brain’s ability to impose patterns and fill in missing information to create a coherent visual perception. It highlights the complexities and limitations of our visual system and demonstrates how context and prior knowledge can influence our perception of visual stimuli. Despite being aware that there is no genuine spiral, most people find it challenging to see the individual circles without the illusory spiral-like motion.

Some Similar Illusions

The Circle or Spiral Illusion is an example of a Fraser Spiral Illusion.

There are several other fascinating visual illusions that share similarities with the Circle or Spiral Illusion in terms of exploiting contrast, edge detection, and our brain’s tendency to impose patterns. Here are some similar illusions:

  1. Pinna-Brelstaff Illusion: This illusion involves a pattern of concentric circles with radial lines. When you fixate your gaze on the center and move your head or eyes, the pattern appears to rotate in the opposite direction.
  2. The Spiral of Archimedes Illusion: In this illusion, a series of connected arcs creates the appearance of a spiral. However, the arcs are positioned in such a way that no true spiral is present.
  3. The Poggendorff Illusion: This illusion involves two lines—one slanted and interrupted by a rectangle, and the other horizontal—that appear misaligned, even though they would theoretically meet if extended.
  4. The Café Wall Illusion: In this illusion, a pattern of staggered rows of black and white rectangles is presented. The lines between the rows appear to be slanted, but in reality, they are perfectly horizontal.
  5. The Fraser’s Parallel Lines Illusion: In this illusion, parallel lines appear to be slanted or curved when they are placed on a background with radiating lines or patterns.
  6. The Ponzo Illusion: This illusion presents two identical horizontal lines, one positioned above a converging set of lines, and the other above a diverging set of lines. The line above the converging lines appears longer due to the perceived distance cues.
  7. The Zöllner Illusion: In this illusion, a set of parallel lines is intersected by short slanting lines. This arrangement causes the parallel lines to appear tilted and distorted.

These illusions, like the Circle or Spiral Illusion, demonstrate the remarkable ability of our visual system to interpret and process visual stimuli. They exploit various visual processing mechanisms and cognitive biases to create perceptual effects that are intriguing and sometimes counterintuitive. The study of these illusions contributes to our understanding of visual perception and the complexities of the human brain’s interpretation of the visual world.


References and Resources – Circle or Spiral Illusion

In addition to the Circle or Spiral Illusion, check out our complete list of illusions

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Orange Pulse, Moving Ball, Drifting Heart, Pulsating Colors, Expanding Black, Moving Colorful Circles, Moving Blue and Yellow, Moving Circles, Spinning Leaves, Color Spreading, Moving Pattern, Spinning Center, Floating Rock, Zebra Shadow, Pulsing, Trippy, Spinning Circles, Purple and Yellow Vortex, Circle, Tree Mirror, Floating Dots, Swaying Green, 3D Colors, Pyramid or Hollow Column, How Many Black Dots

Circle or Spiral Illusion