Test: Use Your Eagle Eye to Find the 3D Images Hiding in Plain Sight

Optical illusions are a sort of prank that our mind plays on us by making us believe that we see something, when in fact it is showing us something else. That’s exactly the case when it comes to something called stereograms, which can very easily deceive us by hiding 3D figures in flat, shapeless images.

For you to not be caught off guard, Gain Tip thought to test you by showing you how the optical illusion generated by the stereograms works. So we prepared 18 images for you to use to train your eyes and find the hidden shapes in a snap. But we also included a bonus to explain how you can detect 3D images, hidden in images, just in case you can’t find them easily.

How stereograms work

Like we said before, stereograms are 3D optical illusions that are caused by binocular vision: when we look at an object, our right and left eyes visualize it in a slightly different way. They then send that information to our brain, so that it can process it, and finally “translate” it into the 3D objects we see every day. So stereograms are based on the principle of creating an illusion of depth where there isn’t depth at all.

1. Ready to start? Find the hidden lion.

2. Find the hidden rhino.

3. Can you see the rabbit?

4. There’s a bear hiding here.

5. And here we have a fox.

6. Try to find the hidden cat.

7. Can you find the flamingo here?

8. Try finding the camel in this one.

9. You’re lucky this bull cannot leave the screen!

10. This dog cannot be found easily, we must say.

11. Can you see the piglet?

12. And here there’s a naughty monkey hiding.

13. Can you find the sheep in this image?

14. And here there’s a nice duck.

15. Could you find the hidden horse?

16. Try finding the hippo.

17. Find the hidden elephant.

18. Hey, you did a great job! This is the last one, ready? Can you spot the hidden dolphin?

Could you find all the animals? Here are some tips to find all the stereograms.

To be able to see the 3D images of the stereograms, you don’t need 3D glasses, but you do need a lot of ingenuity and patience, and the results are worth it! If you can’t see them with the naked eye, there are a few methods you can use to make sure you can still find them:

The important thing is to de-focus your view of the image, so that you can see it from each eye’s single perspective at the same time.
You can focus on the center of the image and slowly move closer to it until the images starts making sense.
Stand 30 centimeters away from the image and relax your eyes until your vision becomes blurred and sort of doubled. This will make your eyes wander off at different angles. You will soon find one in which the hidden image will gradually appear. Keep staring at the image until it takes on a clear shape.

Many people, no matter how hard they practice these exercises, cannot see these images. This can happen if you have problems with your binocular vision. As we have pointed out before, in order to see the binocular image, both eyes must see the same image at the same time. Those who have strabismus, a lazy eye, or any similar condition might not be able to see them since the brain processes images using a different concept of depth.

Were you able to see all the animals hidden in the pictures? Feel free to share this article with your friends to see who gets the best results.