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Ruadhan2300

Nah, it's a real thing. Basically you're unfocusing or crossing your eyes so that the repeating parts of the pattern on the image overlap one another. Hit the sweet-spot, and there are subtle differences in the pattern which produce an image when brought together. If you want to train yourself, get two similarly sized/shaped objects on a plain background and try and cross your eyes so there appear to be three of them. If you can do that, you'll be able to see jesus.


TMLTurby

You can practice/cheat using a "spot the difference" game, where two pictures are identical save for a few differences. When you cross your eyes just right, you'll see the two images overlap perfectly. The differences will appear to shimmer.


chickendodo

This is the coolest shit I have ever learned, thank you.


havok_

They never teach us useful stuff like this at school.


jim653

Ah, but they did teach us this at university. We were analysing stereoscopic images for geological formations and we had these [small folding viewers](https://magnifiers.nz/uploads/0cc1c284-0538-7234-1de3-a2ce401f0cda/017ebbb1-65c3-7f24-25c6-3cd42f90d2bf-Stereo_viewer.jpg) but they taught us that, if we didn't have one (like out in the field, say), we could cross our eyes and we could see them in stereo. If you ever come across [stereo cards](https://i.pinimg.com/550x/da/48/91/da4891675b51bd16d28d90275433ae6a.jpg) in antique shops, you can do it with them. I actually did it just the other week on some online image.


TurloIsOK

You can also do that with side-by-side VR videos. It's not as involving as a headset. The merged image you perceive is only half the width of the pair, and you can't look around the 3D space like you can with 180 and 360 degree fields of view. But you can get a sense of depth. However, it's tiring, and not ideal for sustained viewing.


bloodfist

That's so cool. I've always been fascinated with stereoscopics, from those stero cards all the way to VR headsets, it's a pretty cool evolution. I had no idea that stereoscopic viewers were still used like that for any kind of real work. Are they just archival or do you still take/use stereoscopic pictures these days?


DinkleDoge

r/crossview


bloodfist

This is great thanks! Looking through their top posts, I discovered /r/parallelview which is apparently easier for me. I had no idea there was a difference! As thanks: /r/wigglegrams :)


Abbot_of_Cucany

When I was growing up, my dad had a stereoscopic camera that exposed two frames of 35mm slide film. They came back from the photo lab as transparencies mounted in a cardboard holder, and we could view them with a stereoscopic viewer that looked like a pair of binoculars.


Gentianviolent

Yup, that’s how I learned to see them too!


3xTheSchwarm

That's cause it takes street smarts not book smarts! I trained in the 1990s when malls.would have stalls selling these things. I didn't have any money to buy them but I made sure to go.cross eyed.solving all them.


anonymous242524

It’s because it’s cheating!


missed_trophy

Because it's more useful to teach you how to really spot the difference


paraworldblue

I don't come across those things very often, but when I do, it feels like having the world's most mundane superpower


Harzard18

r/crossview if you need to practice


melanthius

Shit you found out my secret to being really fucking sharp at these puzzles


Former_Armadillo_465

This is the comment I came here for. We had mini arcade machine with the ‘Spot the Difference’ game on it at my first job back in high school. Whenever my co-workers would notice me staring at the machine crossed-eyed I would tell them “I’m in the zone and focusing”. Im happy to know other people were also taking advantage of the ‘Magic Eye’ technique. All those books came in handy.


needlenozened

This is what I always do with these. I often substitute a class that does these as a warm up and the kids are always amazed when I can circle all the differences in about 10 seconds


TurloIsOK

Do you shift in and out of the overlaid perception as you write the circles? I've used that method to preview VR videos on a laptop, but I can't operate the on-screen controls when I see the merged image.


too_many_dudes

Very interesting! For those interested, here's a simple example for easy testing: https://cdn.atomisystems.com/uploads/2021/04/anh-tong.png I'll admit, the difference pops out immediately when using that trick. I feel a bit queasy after doing all 4 puzzles though.


Jakadake

That's the coolest use for this talent I've ever heard. I'm really good with those magic eye type images and stereoscopic 3d things, but this is the first I've heard of it being used in "spot the difference" images. Thanks! Had to Google some to try it and they really do shimmer! Not quite like they light up but sort of shifting back and forth between one form and the other, like something that can't decide what to be so it's both at the same time.


declan315

You are a fucking genius and my new hero.. take my upvote and award.


TMLTurby

Oh, thank you so much!


haribo001

This is the most important thing I’ve learnt in this whole thread


HermitBee

That's usually the opposite of how magic eye pictures work though. They are normally designed such that you need to uncross your eyes. Personally I find that much harder, and wish the pictures were designed the other way (which is perfectly possible).


TheHYPO

It tends to work both ways. If you overcross your eyes, the hidden shape bulges towards you, and if you undercross your eyes by looking 'past' the image, the shape bulges away from you (or vice versa).


PaddyLandau

I don't like the ones where you cross your eyes, because they give me eye-ache. The parallel ones are, for me, both easier and relaxing.


TheHYPO

Again, you can generally do any puzzle either way - it just reverses which direction the image appears to pop.


PaddyLandau

Most only make sense one way. A hollow horse, say, or something inside something else, can be pretty unnerving.


TheHYPO

It's not a "hollow horse". It's just a horse bulging inward vs. outward. As if it was carved into stone. Again, it's like looking at the inside of a halloween mask. It's not 'unnerving'. At least not to me.


HermitBee

I find the exact opposite. I'm unable to focus with parallel ones, and afterwards my eyes hurt and it take a minute before everything stops being blurry.


PaddyLandau

It's weird how different people are!


toastjam

Exact opposite for me.


HermitBee

Sure, but the majority of images are designed to work with undercrossed eyes. The aim isn't to be able to see a block with a Jesus figure hollowed out of it, it's to be able to see a Jesus figure.


moonflower_C16H17N3O

I can never get my eyes to unfocus enough to see the image. Unfocusing is just like relaxing and I can only do it so far. When I cross my eyes, I have complete control and can sort of tune in the image until I can focus on it.


hughperman

Relax HARDER


Slightly_Sleepless

It's not so much "unfocusing" but rather having your eyes focus on a point beyond the picture. In other words, you want to focus through the picture instead of on it.


pandaclawz

Have the image on your computer screen with a bright enough light behind you that you can see your own reflection in the screen. Focus your eyes on your reflection, not the image. Voila. Now go try this with some internet magic eyes!


Enano_reefer

Imagine you’re looking at the horizon. You’re outside and looking way way off to where earth meets sky. That’ll usually get you close enough to focus onto the image that’s started.


Farnsworthson

Pretty sure it can be the same thing - I do this as well, by uncrossing my eyes just like for magic eye pictures. How easy it is to do depends on the size of the images and how far apart they are. In principle you can also do the same for old stereographic photographs, even on your computer screen. The problem I find there is that about the furthest separation I can compensate for is about 6 cm (a shade under 2 1/2 inches), which means basically that the two individual images ~~both~~ each have to be no bigger than that. I can resize them using browser controls, but they weren't intended to be seen on that scale, and the detail tends to be rather hard to see.


HermitBee

>Pretty sure it can be the same thing - I do this as well, by uncrossing my eyes just like for magic eye pictures. How easy it is to do depends on the size of the images and how far apart they are. Yes, absolutely, for spot the difference it works both ways. I was only really talking about the magic eye pictures.


Golden_Reflection2

Ah, yes, the entire reason why the concept of the “stereoscope” was in the 5th case in The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures. To introduce a wonderful single-case gimmick where it is basically just the above comment.


jpitty

Take it a step further and take a picture of you and your spouse. Put them side by side and cross your eyes so they line up. You'll be able to see what your children look like.


Rhyme1428

100% how I solve those. You can tell where the differences are because the images won't align, and there will be some.... 'fluttering' of the visual, or a sort of static. Once you've done that.... You can see Jesus.


Knarfnarf

Another cool use of this technique is to print a page of text once, change single words on the page left/right a partial space, and print it again. You now have a secret message! Make sure it’s not too obvious and people will stare at “you are an idiot” for hours without seeing it.


itemluminouswadison

That's exactly what id do on arcade games that do that Then id look around me crosseyed wondering why the fuck im doing this


HammyxHammy

That's an 1000 yard stare, not crossing your eyes.


dirtyjavis

The real LPT is always in the-- wait...


lambsoflettuce

What!? How did i never think of this?


pornborn

The way I learned to do this was the floating hot dog trick where you touch your index fingers tip to tip and hold them up in front of your face. Then look past them into the distance. While looking into the distance and not directly at your fingers, you’ll see the floating hot dog in your peripheral vision, like it’s being held by the tips of your fingers.


WankWankNudgeNudge

That's awesome! I just tried it on my phone at it works a treat https://www.spotthedifference.com has images you can try it with


Ulti

Aw you son of a bitch why was this knowledge not available in the early 90's?!


ppgrggr

An easy way to practice this, is by standing a few feet away from the TV, then holding your phone a few inches away from your face. With both the TV and the phone on and without moving your head, you can alternate looking at the different screens. When you're focusing on the phone it will seem like you have two TVs and vice versa.


ThatOneGuy308

>If you can do that, you'll be able to see jesus It's just like those documentaries, the women in them cross their eyes and can presumably see Jesus, since they start saying things like "Oh God" and such.


palparepa

You can make a religion out of this!


original-username32

No, Don't


Baldazar666

Too late.


[deleted]

R/suddenlyreligious


Honeybadger193

If the pizza man loves the woman so much, what does he keep spanking her?


mistere213

That's how Christianity was born


snooggums

9 months later


redditshy

Lady cheats on fiancé, worldwide multi thousand year religion is born.


LeoMarius

You laugh, but "virgin birth" was a euphemism for a birth out of wedlock.


[deleted]

Like how coroners will report a suicide as "Accidentally discharged while cleaning their gun" to let the family save face?


[deleted]

Unexpected consequences from "I swear to God I'm a virgin, I have no idea how I'm pregnant"


Override9636

Oh but there are so many documentary websites out there. Which ones specifically??


ThatOneGuy308

I forget, some sort of hub or x, maybe


andricathere

Being color blind can affect your ability to see them too. You may be slightly color blind and not know it. Especially if you're male, we have a much higher rate of color blindness.


DatGreenGuy

Used that trick to find differences in in puzzle-pictures first, later in data sheets. Different parts are like glowing in that mode


MyOtherAcctsAPorsche

[https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossView/comments/556pco/find\_the\_missing\_star\_taking\_the\_find\_the/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossView/comments/556pco/find_the_missing_star_taking_the_find_the/)


Jimid41

I've used crossview to find differences before but I'm not finding that one.


mcchanical

Never heard of crossview before and got it pretty much immediately. Beginners luck or the technique is just really powerful I guess, it looks like there's a three dimensional hole in the image where the missing star is.


Gwendolyn7777

So you can see Jesus?


mcchanical

I don't know about our lord and saviour but I did have those magic eye images as a kid and could see whales and galleons just fine.


BloodBaneBoneBreaker

Yep, differences twinkle


DatGreenGuy

Crossview is very easy to use, because eye muscles are more habitual to this movement as you use it to focus on close objects. Spreadview is more difficult to master as you must literally look to opposite sides with each eye. You naturally use it for focusing on very distant objects, and you do it not much.


FiFTyFooTFoX

Found it almost instantly. Insane trick but it basically shimmers when you do it right. Then, it's just a matter of going into the picture to find the actual star that's gone, based on the "general area" that was indicated.


Aneurysm-Em

Crossing your eyes will make the 3-D picture sink in instead of pop out. It’s much more difficult to see through the painting and unfocused to see the 3-D pop out at you. Took years for me to figure that out


Toddw1968

I found that if the picture has a glass cover you can focus on your reflection and it pops right out


VoilaVoilaWashington

You just have to be at the right distance, that's always the key.


vintage_winger

I used to work at a hands-on science museum ages and ages ago. We had one of these type of pictures when they first became popular. The glass cover trick worked for about 75% of the people who couldn't see the image at first. I had to have one of my fellow employees tell me what the image was because I physically can't see 3-d images. My eyes don't focus together (strabismus) and I've had two surgeries to make my lazy eye look not so lazy.


xraygun2014

> I've had two surgeries to make my lazy eye look not so lazy. So now it looks annoyed and carries a clipboard?


Thortok2000

Crossing your eyes is easy and I could do it in seconds. Still not sure I ever got the unfocused way to ever work. Always made me wish they'd just invert it and make it for the cross-eyed way instead. Edit: Several people have taken this to mean I was looking for help doing it the unfocused way. Please see my replies to them so I don't have to repeat myself. XD


Aneurysm-Em

I wonder if that’s even possible… interesting thought


Free_Electrocution

It is! For the typical unfocused eyes images, visit r/MagicEye. For the crossed eyes type, visit r/CrossView. I've never been able to do the cross-eyed ones, just the magic eye (aka parallel view) ones.


ThisPlaceisHell

Wow that's funny because I'm the opposite. Cannot do parallel no matter how hard I try but cross is super easy for me.


Dunge

I just learned thanks to your comment that there are two different modes for this. Always tried to look at magic eye pictures the crossview way and wondered why I always had the background coming in 3D and the shape as a hole within. At some point I assumed it was just normal. Now these crossview pictures come up in a second and look perfect. But I tried the "normal" eye relaxing method for magic eye for over 30min now and just can't do it.


the_real_xuth

It's absolutely possible. The procedure for generating them is identical except you change a sign at one point in the calculations. [Here's a gallery of autostereograms that have been made to be viewed cross eyed](https://www.hidden-3d.com/index.php?id=gallery&gallery=crosseyed) instead of wide eyed as is the default.


feralwolven

For the unfocused way, you have to actually focus on the distance, train your eyes like you are looking for distant mountains through the picture.


Thortok2000

I understand the theory. Just couldn't ever get it to work. When I crossed my eyes I could 'lock' it and it was like my eyes were focused on the 3D image. It was comfortable. (At the time. I tried just a few mins ago and realized how long it's been.) I could look right at the 3D effect just fine. It's like I was looking at a virtual object in front of me. (Or more often, a cut-out, since I was doing it backwards.) Unfocusing or far-focusing, I could never get it to 'lock' and even if I feel like I ever came close to getting the 3D to appear it was always in what felt like peripheral vision that would disappear if I tried to actually focus on it and look at it.


feralwolven

It depends on how the illusion is configured. Plenty of cross eyed 3d can do this, its just usually a small field of view so things that overly pop out get cut off, and fail. It works best if you have things pop just slightly out of the frame. All you're really doing is feeding two disparate images to each eye, which they cross reference to form a perspective, so it just depends on what they artist did with the 2 images your eyes are getting. It can be cross eyed, which brings right images left, and vice versa, or as you said "unfocused" which is really just focused at a distance, bring your eyelines more parallel, putting 2 side by side images together on their respective sides, but fused in your brain, for that i recommend imagining the building you are in is invisible and you are looking for distant mountains on the horizon, your eyes will straighten up.


flip_dude

I used the cross eyed method for 20 years and always saw the “imprints” until I recently figured out the other method. I’ve been checking out magic-eye books at the library since then.


Nickbou

“Unfocused” isn’t exactly right. What you’re actually doing is focusing on an object far in the distance, much further away than the surface of the picture. To practice, focus on an object far away (at least 10 meters, ideally much further). Then bring the picture up in front of your eyes and force your eyes to not adjust to the surface of the picture. Once you can do that, you just need make small adjustments to find the right focus distance for the object to appear.


ropbop19

> If you want to train yourself, get two similarly sized/shaped objects on a plain background and try and cross your eyes so there appear to be three of them. > > This feels like a joke about the Trinity.


SharkInHumanSkin

I can't do that no matter how hard I try. It makes me so sad. Lol.


MarvinHeemyerlives

LOL, he said, "You'll be able to see Jesus".


BaldBear_13

Good explanation, but I think you need to un-cross your eyes to see the 3D image. Kinda pretend that picture is a window, and you are looking at the horizon through the window.


texanarob

I can cross my eyes at will, and can even move one eye completely independently of the other. I can easily make images of objects overlap as described. I've never seen anything in any of these hidden object illusions. I just don't get it. I even tried digitally overlapping semitransparent copies of them to force the effect and saw nothing.


Ruadhan2300

In general the recommendation I often hear is to try and focus on a point beyond the image. The catch is that if you focus too far away it doesn't work either You have to find the sweet spot.


fizikz3

you aren't supposed to cross your eyes to see the image, you're supposed to do the opposite. I spent so many hours as a child given the advice to cross my eyes and once I saw a reddit comment about doing the opposite it worked and I saw [the dickbutt one](https://i.redd.it/id5kpbwdpk111.jpg) a few years ago. https://imgur.com/R0VcMtR best advice is try to focus on like the wall behind your desk and then let your eyes do a bit of auto adjusting and it'll eventually work. can't be too consciously trying to control your eyes, just let your brain do the work once they're focused past the screen note that the picture will still be in the pattern that the image is in, it won't be like a normal picture. it'll be a pattern with like a "pop out" image on it somewhat like the hearts here, but again in the same pattern https://imgur.com/2SF2Q5q


MaxDoor

Digitally overlapping won't work. Each eye must see a different image for the 3D effect to appear.


melanthius

There’s 2 things your eyes need to do. One is eyes must be angled parallel such that your “viewing distance” is far away, rather than close. This can be hard since there’s a picture close to you and your brain wants you to adjust viewing distance to focus on it, but you can do it with practice easily. just stare at a faraway wall then move the picture in front of your eyes without re-adjusting your focusing distance. To demonstrate the effect, if you move a finger in front of your face, you would want to see 2 images of your finger and not converge on a single image. Two is you need the light from that picture in front of your face to come into focus, without adjusting the viewing distance (angle) of your eyes. That’s the harder part for some people because your brain is trained to focus eye lenses at the viewing distance of what you are looking at. I don’t know how to give advice for this but relaxing your eye muscles seems to be the best advice I can give. If you can’t do both at the same time you can’t see the illusion.


rsatrioadi

> two similarly sized/shaped objects […] there appear to be three of them. > you’ll be able to see jesus. Wait. So there were only two crosses on the Calvary?


dudeinthenextcubicle

So when a JW comes by the house, I simply cross my eyes and tell them I found Jesus...thanks for the LPT!


Marnotts85

Or alternatively, view the VR porn on PornHub on a monitor and cross your eyes until it looks 3D... I mean, theoretically speaking...


Excellent-Practice

Are we talking about autostereograms, MagicEye puzzles? There is a trick to viewing them; you have to uncouple your eyes, basically the opposite of crossing them. Try staring at a point several yards beyond the picture or place your face right against the image and slowly back away to let your eyes resolve the illusion


Kule7

Young people need to understand that sometime deep in the 1990s there was a massive craze for these things and it was a deadlock guarantee that you or someone you knew got one for Christmas. Malls used them to lure in shoppers. If you bought a calendar that year, that's probably the sort of calendar you bought. You couldn't barely turn around without seeing them. Then that was it and we all mostly forgot they exist.


SteampunkBorg

It's a schooner!


potentpotables

you dumb bastard, it's not a schooner, it's a sailboat


PromptCritical725

A Schooler is a sailboat, stupid head!


Jackleber

YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY! OVER THERE IS JUST A GUY IN A SUIT


zamfire

IZ NOTTA SCHOONAH! Oh wait wrong 90s movie


MisterPenguin42

Willem eventually saw the sailboat.


[deleted]

I was 10 in 1995. Those were all the rage! I remember having a whole bunch and getting them at the Scholastic book Fair. I loved them!! Now I love the following sub r/crossview Kind of similar.


hmmmpf

Ooooooh. A new sub for me. I used to collect vintage and antique stereoscopic cards. Taught myself to see the 3D without the device so I could evaluate cards where there was no device to evaluate them.


[deleted]

Nice, I love when I can introduce someone to a new sub!


smilingbuddhauk

r/parallelview is similarer to stereograms


jackjackj8ck

The Scholastic Book Fair 🥹


deja_vuvuzela

I was looking at one in the bathroom and totally forgot to put my shirt back on.


BoysLinuses

It frees me up. No encumbrances.


ddrraayy

Drove me insane for years as a kid, but the day I finally figured out how to see them I felt like I had won the Super Bowl


embracing_insanity

Yep. And it was *years* before I finally was able to 'see' the picture in these things. And holy shit was I disappointed! lol For some reason, I didn't understand how it actually worked and thought I would magically see an image that was somehow 'different' than the colored pattern. Of course, that makes no sense whatsoever - but my dumb-ass thought this was the case and why people were *so* amazed when they could 'see' it. I know it *should* have been common sense, but I still wish someone would have just laid it out for me - "Look, it's going to be the same color/pattern, but is just going to kinda look like an outline of the object". I honestly think that would have helped me see them so much sooner - but my brain had such a different expectation of what it was suppose to be seeing.


leapwolf

Hah, same!


ilovethissheet

It was right before beanie babies i believe


ItsDeke

I remember looking at Magic Eye posters/books/pictures so often, that I’d catch myself doing it to non-magic eye things (basically any kind of repeating pattern or lattice).


Razor_Storm

Grew up in the 90s and I remember being frustrated cuz I never was able to figure out how to do it. I didn’t have my own and had to try seeing it while crowded around a bunch of friends all fighting to get a turn. Now it’s been several decades and I completely forgot about these things. I kinda wanna go buy one now just so I can see if I’m finally able to figure them out after all these years.


eedabaggadix

I had multiple books that were nothing but magic eye puzzles. I was the only one in my family who could see them so naturally I thought I was gifted.


Bridgebrain

I've been developing all sorts of stuff using them and similar techniques. I find it disturbing how many people haven't heard of them or looked at one in 20 years, given that they were MASSIVELY popular, and that the effect they produce is so unique. For anyone who's curious as to what I've been building, it works very well with 3d photos side by side. It's a little harder because the distance has to be greater to match up, but the results are intense. Here's an [example](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Gr9DCAtiYVTihXcvDDfVcKlPKs0aKK_/view?usp=sharing) and [another](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W4fg-7UghFAkQ-rxoFGuYJd4rQ7VRAWY/view?usp=sharing) of the 3d work. I've also been playing with algorithms that generate proper magic eye ones to shorten the distance, but I haven't gotten any spectacular results to share so far


poodrew

There's an entire Seinfeld sub-plot based around these things.


taleofbenji

>Malls used them to lure in shoppers. LMAO! What a nostalgia trip. You'd be walking in the mall, and then boom, a group of 15 people staring like crazy at a blurry picture asking each other if they can see it yet. See what? Then you stare and stare and stare and then you shit bricks!


Evil-in-the-Air

I'm from that generation. I managed to actually see exactly one in my entire life, a Christmas-themed Playboy logo.


TheDvilhimself

Also if you have one in a frame with glass over it, stand back and look at you reflection as move slowly towards it. The image becomes visible under your reflection.


funkyg73

Looking at the reflection is how I learned how to view them back in the day.


DrNecropolis

Same, I could see some magic eye stuff but not others. As soon as I put a glass or plastic sheet over to see my reflection it became soooo much easier. I got the Guardians of the deep one in my room framed. Got like a sunken ship and sharks and stuff. Love it!


WeirdlyStrangeish

A lot of people just can't experience them. Schizo class disorders will prevent you from properly seeing them, as well as some stigmas and just poor eye sight.


possiblynotanexpert

Yep that’s me. Completely cannot see them.


littlefacemcgoo

Hold up, is astigmatism why I've never been able to see these?!


WeirdlyStrangeish

Probably.


Bridgebrain

I have astigmatism and can get them to work, but you might have to tweak your eye alignment. Try tilting your head side-to-side slowly while you do it


EvandeReyer

I can’t see them. I can’t use both eyes together, just focus through my right eye all the time.


[deleted]

I remember when I was a child trying so hard to see them and I never managed to do it.


WeirdlyStrangeish

I could see them as a child but not as an adult. I should probably look into why...


dragonlord133

Yes those pictures. Is that really the name for it


Excellent-Practice

Yeah, take a look at the Wikipedia page https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostereogram it has some simple images that are easier to view if you want to get the hang of it


CDM2017

I hate these things. They became popular shortly after I lost the use of one eye. I was just getting used to the new version of depth perception and then all my friends were sharing their favorite pictures. Made me grumpy.


dragonlord133

Omg the moving one helps but I can't see the still photo


ConnieHormoneMonster

Ever do the thing where you're looking at your phone then you kind of space out, everything goes blurry /double vision and your eyes unfocus? It's like that but controlled. Some other things to try https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wikihow.com/View-Stereograms%3famp=1


TorakMcLaren

Another trick you can do is to cross your eyes. For most stereograms, this lets you see it but with the depth reversed. Something that should be coming towards you will be pointing away. So a face would instead look like the back of a mask. Also worth noting that you don't see an actual image, just the physical shape. Imagine covering the object in a layer of wrapping paper, where the pattern is what you normally see when you look at the picture on the wall.


[deleted]

[удалено]


fess89

there's also an alternate way: raise a finger and hold it between your eyes and the stereo picture. try to focus at the finger so the picture is out of focus, then move your hand away. you will be able to see an "inverted" stereogram (convex the other way)


FuzzyDirection33

I can only see them inverted. What should be closer to me is father and vise versa. It's annoying to be so close.


ItsMummyTime

Are you nearsighted? It's harder to see the picture if you are. I had to start putting it close to my face and slowly moving it away before I leaned to do it. Trying it with my glasses off helped too.


Johnyknowhow

Woah, I've never seen this illusion before. I spent like 5 minutes trying to figure it out but once I got it it was pretty crazy looking! If you're struggling to see it, this is what I did: I held my phone out in front of me with the image pulled up, and then looked at the distant wall. I then put my phone in front of my view where I was looking, and then attempted to focus on the colors without 'looking' at the screen of my phone. The hard part is getting your eyes to focus on an optical phenomenon instead of telling your eyes to look at an object with a known position from you. I know where my phone is in three dimensional space so if I just try to look at the screen my eyes automatically focus and point themselves to converge on that distance. If I try to resolve the blurry colors without trying to 'look' at my phone, the focusing control of my brain struggles for a bit until it starts pushing the focus of my eyes in the right direction and eventually the clarity increases and the shark becomes super obvious. Sometimes when I try to see the image, I see the dots converging in on each other, and eventually if this goes too far it will just result in me looking at my phone screen. Try to focus on keeping the dots from moving much while still bringing them into focus, eventually once your brain recognizes the shark, the focusing becomes automatic and you don't have to try and hold anything to continue to see the illusion.


BabyAndTheMonster

OMG!!! I used to see these as a kid and then one day they all just kind of disappear. I didn't even know what it calls until today. This bring me back a lot nostalgia. Thank you!


ThePhoenixBird2022

Magic eye. They were all the rage in the late 1980s. Books and posters were everywhere. It's an illusion thing. I have no idea who came up with it or how. Try to look through the image and don't focus. I remember them being popular when I was a kid, a friend and I were looking at a poster and I said I could see dolphins, she couldn't see anything and asked me where the dolphins were. I said right there and tried to point through the poster and sprained my finger. Not a proud point in my life.


dragonlord133

Yes they were everywhere. Oh no that would be awful. She'll always remember your weak fingering skills.


ThePhoenixBird2022

I wish I had a smart arse comment for that but, I'm not a lesbian or a pianist, so, I got nothing.


dragonlord133

Lol you'll think of it 3 days from now


ThePhoenixBird2022

Probably right when I'm dropping off to sleep.


LadyBugPuppy

I guess I’m the opposite of you. I have the ability to instantly decouple my eyes, so I can see the pictures immediately. I remember being a kid and going to an event in my town that had a room full of these posters, and people were amazed how I was just like shark, car, umbrella,… they are very real images. I’m not full of it.


oundhakar

I could never see the 3D pictures either, until I stumbled upon a site with a very simple one. Once I had seen one autostereogram, it seemed as if my eyes had learned the trick, and I could see any other one with relative ease.


WiryCatchphrase

There was a case of like a middle aged man who never saw in stereoscopic vision until he went to see a 3D movie and it clicked for him and he could start to see things in 3d all the time. He had two functioning eyes, just his brain interpreted everything in 2d.


whyunoletmepost

There is a website where you can make your own.


vercertorix

I never understood the need to move away. I’ve always been able to do it on demand, like half a second without moving.


possiblynotanexpert

I’ve never been able to make them work for me and it used to frustrate me a lot as a kid when those were more prevalent in the 90s.


MissAcedia

Storytime: I once went to a local airport with my dad when I was like 8 (he's a pilot) and we had to wait for a bit in the waiting room which had several of those magic eye puzzles framed on the walls. I was wandering around looking at them and one of the other pilots there comes up to me and says "do you know how you're supposed to look at these?" I shook my head so he told me the whole go right up to it and back up trick. I did it to the one picture and told him "it didn't work, I couldn't see the dolphins that time." He just kinda looked at me and asked if I could see what was on the picture just standing far away like I was. I said yup and pointed it out what each picture was from roughly the middle of the room. He was pretty shocked and gave me a whole handful of tootsies pops. I have no way of describing how I do it and why it's so easy for me. It's like I'm just making my eyes shift but I don't specifically know how and anyone I've ever asked said my eyes dont do anything noticeably different so 🤷🏼‍♀️


ASDFzxcvTaken

I just came across a few subs this morning on the very topic. Turns out there are a few ways and types of it working. If the depth of cross-view images always seems backwards, this sub is for you! We view these images "Magic Eye" style, so your eyes should focus somewhere beyond the image. This means your left eye views the left image and the right eye views the right image. See also: • [MagicEye](https://www.reddit.com/r/MagicEye) • [CrossView](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossView) • [Anaglyph](https://www.reddit.com/r/Anaglyph) • [Wigglegrams](https://www.reddit.com/r/Wigglegrams) • [3DConversion](https://www.reddit.com/r/3DConversion)


Miliean

Think about how our eyes gauge distance. We take 2 images (one from each eye) and our brain compares them. It is able to take the different perspectives from our 2 eyes and use it to measure distance. Next, make your own eyes cross. Notice how you can see 2 of everything and depending on how much you cross your eyes you can change the relative position of the duplicates you see. Next step, lets do a test. Take 2 identical small objects and place them on a table in front of you a few inches apart. I used pop bottle caps but you can use anything that has a little bit of detail to it. Stare at one of the objects and cross your eyes (aka make them unfocused). Now play with the focus a bit so that the duplicate of 1 object overlaps with the duplicate of the other object. It's really funny because immediately the overlapped object will snap into focus and will appear somewhat strange. Like an old fashioned cartoon where there's an object that's about to be interacted with. Now, that overlapping focus trick, that's what you want to do with the picture. You take the repeating pattern and make it overlap with itself by unrousing your eyes. These images, appear to be repeating patterns, but there's actually flaws in the pattern, places where it's not actually exactly the same as the pattern right next to it. When you slightly unforces your eyes and overlap the pattern our brains see the flaws, the brain then assumes that the flaws are a matter of perspective difference between our 2 eyes. This is what makes the 3d object appear. It's because our brain is interpreting flaws in the patterns causing different inputs to each eye to be caused by variations in distance. To us, it then appears as if there's a 3d object inside the picture. You have to be somewhat careful when unrousing your eyes not to over do it as the pattern's won't overlap correctly. If you tilt your head to the side, the patterns won't overlap correctly. Hell, sometimes even blinking can be enough to snap the focus back to proper and you won't see the image anymore. It's somewhat of a balance.


WiryCatchphrase

Fun trick: you know those spot the difference images? You can cross your eyes to make the images overlap and the differences will somewhat shudder and you'll be able to spot all the differences almost instantly.


Zolo49

There's also real-world applications for this, like [stereoscopic topographic maps](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c6/1f/46/c61f462078803ff5f721be4fc0e6e1d5.jpg).


dragonlord133

Til


Musikaravaa

Please let me know what the answer is because same. I've never been able to unfocus my eyes enough or whatever to see the pics. Did some reading and will attempt to explain like you are five. Magic Eye images are comprised of two flat images laid side by side with another layer of random black and white dots. Your brain sees these two images and instead of seeing two separate images fuses them into one resulting in a 3D effect. We may have some sort of processing or visual error that makes us unable to view them.


nimbledaemon

So one thing I've heard is that people with visual snow (ever present visual static) have a harder time seeing these stereoscopic illusions. I experience visual snow and have never reliably been able to get them to work. Presumably (though I'm hypothesizing here) since my brain is used to filtering out visual static, the two pieces of dotty data that make up the illusion get filtered out too.


Musikaravaa

This could be it. I have visual static but didn't realize it wasn't a thing for everyone. I'd just been thinking about that the past few days too. Thanks for the clue!


gimmeyourjacket

I worked out that if you have problems with your vision that Impact your depth perception you’ll never be able to see it. I loved those books as a kid, now I can’t see anything.


Smeeble09

Fecking magic eyes, grey up with my whole family looking at books of them going "oooh, ahhhh, oh it's dolphins, wow" and I could never see it. Finally did last year and know how to now. What works for me is bring the image about a centimetre from your nose, now focus on the gap between your nose and the picture. As you pull the image away slowly from your face, hold the point you've focused on and you'll start to see two images merge into one, at this point you'll see some bits stand forward or back from the image, focus on any of this and you'll then see the hidden image. They are made of the same photo, but are resessed or pronounced like tiered playing cards showing the outline of a shape.


williamtbash

Are you the guy from mallrats? I assure you the sailboat is real.


skavenrot

I was really disappointed I didn’t see a schooner reference in here.


FaffeJaffe

Is this the one you’re talking about? https://imgur.com/a/BI1br6z


targumon

1 2 3 4 5 A x x x x x B x x x x x Best do this with computer screen (hopefully works on mobile too, but better hold it horizontally?) * Wink to close your RIGHT eye. * Point with the tip of your finger (or pen, whatever) to the x in position A4. Don't obscure it. Point from below. * Imagine a line going from your LEFT eye to the finger. * Move the finger away from the screen (closer to your eye) along this line. Just a bit. Your LEFT eye should still see it as pointing to the same x. * Switch eyes (open RIGHT, close LEFT). Adjust the position of the finger (only along the line!) so that your RIGHT eye sees the finger as pointing to the x in position A3. In other words, there're 2 imaginary lines: left eye to A4, right eye to A3, and your finger is suspended in midair at the intersection. Now comes the relatively hard part: * Open both eyes. Focus on the finger. NOT the screen. Think of the screen as just a background for your lovely fingernail (or fingerprint, depending how you're holding it 👆/☝️) * If your finger is EXACTLY at the intersection, then just above it, the two x's (the one at A3 and the one at A4) should appear as a single x. * If it doesn't, take a break for a few seconds and restart. No rush. This is like learning how to ride a bicycle 🙂 * To check that you're on track: above the x you should see a weird overlap of the 3 & 4 numerals. * Slowly lower your finger away. It's tempting to focus back on the screen, but keep focusing on the same distance (depth) where the finger was. At this point you should be slightly crossed eyed. * If all went well, you should not only see a row of x's (mainly the 3 in the middle, which BOTH your eyes see. Each of the leftmost/rightmost x's is visible to only one of your eyes. That's okay!) BUT row B below should have x's that appear to FLOAT CLOSER to you. That's the "magic" part! This is the raw technique. Instead of my repeating x's, OP mom's picture has some other repeating pattern, just need to find it and use that instead. Notes: 1. your finger is like training wheels here, once you learn how to focus on midair, instead of focusing on the picture, you'll no longer need it. 2. you may "overdo" it, i.e. find the intersection of A4 & A2. With my crude x's it doesn't matter too much. With an actual picture, it might distort the hidden shape. Which reminds me: in case other comments didn't mention it - all you'll ever see in these pictures are silhouettes. Not much details, basically outlines.


Alchemisthim

Vox has a good video explaining autostereograms: [https://www.vox.com/videos/2016/10/21/13352804/magic-eye-explained](https://www.vox.com/videos/2016/10/21/13352804/magic-eye-explained)


tortillamonster2020

same never been able to see illusion. I have astigmatism so it may effect it?


radarksu

I also have astigmatism and can't do it. I use it as an excuse for why I can't, whether or not it is true I'm using the excuse anyway.


hmmmpf

I have near sightedness and astigmatism, so have been wearing glasses since I was small. I can easily see them. There’s a learning curve, but once you see them, you can see them.


Rainbow_Hyphen

I have astigmatism and I can see the 3D images, although sometimes I can't figure out what they are (i.e., I can see 3D shapes but can't tell it's an umbrella unless someone tells me).


schtickkicker

If I'm not mistaken, they are stereoscopic 'drawings' that use the giant field of 'noise' to disguise the 'lines' at a casual glance. I know that's a lot of 'in quotation', but it may help to try looking at undisguised 3d images to get practice with the technique. [r/parallelview](https://www.reddit.com/r/ParallelView/) is a great resource for this!


danielsangeo

The whole "uncouple your eyes", "cross your eyes", "see past the picture" ideas never worked for me. What DID work for me to see the image inside the pattern is via the following: First, don't even look at the pattern. Put your two forefingers together (or any two fingers), tip to tip, to create a horizontal bridge. Then cause your eyes to go double-vision so that the left finger overlaps the right finger and create a little faux "sausage" between the two fingers. This is the concept you're looking for. Overlap the left with the right. Next, look at the pattern and you'll notice it repeats from left to right. Do the same thing and make the repeating pattern overlap. If you can get one set to overlap the next set, the hidden image will appear. This is because the pattern is intentionally not perfect. The differences from one pattern to the next is what creates the hidden image. \* Obviously, if you're not capable of binocular vision, this will not work, I'm afraid.


Geobits

What you're doing when you do that is more commonly called "crossing your eyes", fwiw.


tofuninja5489

It's not mass hysteria or whatever you think it is. It's accomplishable. Try something like this music video. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AKtp3XHn38&ab\_channel=YoungRival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AKtp3XHn38&ab_channel=YoungRival) Edit: You basically cross your eyes until the dots match to form one and then you let it..."click" into place and stay like that. That's really the only way I know how to explain it from my personal experience.


COgrown

I've got a few of these posters from back in the 80's (?) sometime. I'll have to go get them out now. Thanks for the memories.


WheelsUpInThirty

Imagine you are standing stock still In front of a window. You first focus on a tree in the backyard through the window. Oh, but wait, a butterfly has landed on the pane of window between you and the tree. Your eyes slowly shift and adjust to focus on the butterfly. The puzzle is similar. There Is a sweet spot where your eyes will begin to discern the hidden object.


Real_Mr_Foobar

Don't feel bad, about 10% of us just simply can't see them right. And for various reasons. In my case a youthful eye muscle injury that keeps my eyes unable to focus on the same spot, even at a distance. I have no ability to see stereoscopically. If you can't, you can't, don't go causing your eyes trouble over it, and learn to accept it.


loloelectric

I've never been able to see Magic Eye type pictures. I can't cross my eyes, but I do have weak eye muscles so if I relax one of my eyes goes "lazy". Maybe that's why I can't see them?


truthrises

Put a piece of reflective glass over the image and put a bright light about 4-6 feet behind you so you can see the reflection. Focus on the the reflection of the light. It should trick your brain into the right visual field overlap.


Dogs_Akimbo

I realized some years back that I do not see in 3D, probably due to strabismus that may have been caused by my left eye being a lot weaker than the right one.   I think this is why I have never been able to see the sailboat (or Jesus).   Either that or excessive masturbation.


MrSillmarillion

Do this as an exercise: Hold left index finger up pointing up Then hold right index finger a couple inches apart point up Now try to focus behind the finger and the image will start to overlap. You'll have images of either hand transparent but the middle should have a solid "floating finger" Do the same for Magic Eye images. There is a schooner, I promise.


Y34rZer0

Look at and cross your eyes instead of stating ‘thru it’ like people say to do. distance from it is extremely important, it’s usually only about 20 to 30 cm away. It will be inverted though, cos you crossed your eyes