This Spinning Optical Illusion Isn't Actually Spinning

There’s nothing quite as mesmerizing as a spinning optical illusion that isn’t actually spinning at all. A user on the website Imgur recently showed that by posting a picture of one of those head-scratching illusions with a simple caption: “hypnotic.” It seems like the internet agrees with that description — even though some of us don’t fully understand it.

The picture in question, as you can see below, features a pattern of black-and-white stripes with a seemingly endless supply of circular shapes. If you can manage to focus your attention on the very center of the picture, you might notice something strange: Several folks report seeing the image move. While some see circles spinning around the middle of the picture, others observe a slight vibration or “wiggle” in the design. Yet others don’t see any motion at all. Regardless of what people see, this image is making internet users all over the world take a second look, which is what we suppose an optical illusion is supposed to do.

Take a close look at the picture below — while paying very close attention to the center — and see what strange illusion you observe (if you see any illusion at all, that is).

https://imgur.com/LXqzRW6

If you ended up seeing some weird motion in the picture, don’t worry, you’re not losing your mind. The spinning optical illusion is most likely caused by the separate circle in the middle of the picture, which is laid on top of the rest of the stripey circles “spinning” around it. But if you didn’t see any movement in this design, you can also rest easy knowing that this is a completely still image — any “spinning” in it is not actually happening.

No matter what you saw, try not to stare at the spinning optical illusion for too long: We don’t want you going dizzy trying to spot something that isn’t there!