Zollner Illusion

Zollner Illusion

Ahhh, yes. The famous Zollner Illusion. Don’t the black lines look like the aren’t parallel? Of course, they are – it’s because of the feathered lines that make us perceive it differently. This is one of the classic optical illusions, and has been around since the 1800’s, when Zollner created it.

We have added our own touch to it, and it’s still just about as strong…

Zollner Illusion
The Zollner Illusion

I find that this is another optical illusion where there are two illusions in one. Of course, the main thing that tricks your eyes first is that the lines, although they are all parallel, actually look a bit crooked. The second thing, is that the smaller lines do not look lined up. As you cast your gaze across one of the thicker lines, take a look at the thinner ones. Don’t they look like they are stair stepping, and that they aren’t evenly matched up on both sides. This especially works well in your peripheral vision as well, as you scan across the image with your eyes.

Note: All the diagonal lines are perfectly parallel. In some cases, we’ve slightly adjusted the spacing, and you can see that the spaces almost look like they are not even, when in fact, they are.