Illusions and mind tricks

1. Unit 1 Module 2
Forensics
Your powers of observation will be required.

2. Learning Goals
• To get a better understanding of how we
see things in the real world.

3. Activity 1
• Look at each of the illusions on the board.
Discuss each one to try to see what is
unique about each one.

6. Stare at the dot in the centre of the circles.
Move your head towards and away from the image, you
should see the circles start to rotate. Move the opposite
direction and they appear to move in the opposite direction.

7. Are these two pictures the same?

8. Look around the image and the cogs appear to start turning

9. Checkerboard
pattern, with clearly
marked squares on
the board.
A and B are two
different colours…
right?

11. Read the passage once only.
Count the number of F’s you see
Answer: There are six

12. The central bar is the same shade
of grey throughout!

13. The horizontal lines are all parallel

14. Which red dot is larger? …. Sure?

15. Stare at the dot and
blink rapidly.
The wheels should
start to turn.

16. Do you see grey blobs at the corners…?

17. All these straight lines are parallel…

18. Look around ..!

20. How many legs does an elephant have?

21. Are you sure it’s a spiral..?

22. How circular
is your circle?
This one is
perfect

23. The blue
shapes
are all
perfect
squares!

24. Which line is longer? AB or BC?

25. The red lines are all straight, honest!

26. The giant man!

27. The red lines are parallel

28. Marble columns or shadow people?

29. Stare at the middle dot.
After a while, the shading starts to fade

30. Impossible shape

31. Rabbit
or
duck?

32. Wavy
or
straight
lines?

34. Stare for a while – big ones go up, small ones go down!

35. Are the
diamonds
at the top
darker?
Nope!
… same
throughout!

36. Keep
staring…
When did
she open
her eyes?

37. How many different colours?

38. Stare at the
centre
The lighter
“lines” will
start to
shimmer or
move

39. Two
tables
The table on the right is more square,
right? They’re actually identical
(trace the outline if you don’t believe it!)

40. Painted
trucks

44. • Now have a look at the next slides to test
cognition (are you paying attention)

45. Selective attention test

46. How observant are you - 1

47. How observant are you - 2

48. How observant are you - 3

49. How observant are you - 4

50. Double dutch

51. Explanation??

52. Activity
• There is a thing called an ambigram.
» flip it
• Design your own ambigram with your
name both ways

53. EXAMPLE