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Our pattern-recognizing brain can be a little too eager to help us and will just tell us what it thinks we see. As a result, we’ll happily accept a further on, black cat as just a shadow and a series of scratches on a boat as a wonderful image of a tropical island. So it would be best to always look twice, not just when crossing the street, but when seeing almost anything.

The mildly interesting subreddit, on top of being quite humble, gathers the best happy little coincidences our brains and eyes put together. So scroll down and get comfortable, since you’ll probably be staring at some of these for a bit. Make sure to upvote your favorites and if you want some more things that look like other things, Bored Panda has got you covered, you can find them here and here

#2

The Mushroom On This Dog's Snoot Looks Like An Upvote

The Mushroom On This Dog's Snoot Looks Like An Upvote

PaperTronics Report

#3

The Way The Sunlight Reflects Off My Vase Makes It Look Like Smoke

The Way The Sunlight Reflects Off My Vase Makes It Look Like Smoke

SimpleSpyder Report

Some illusionists even try to get people to “fall” for these tricks through knowledge of psychology and clever design. One of the better-known, intentional examples is the Rabbit-Duck illusion, which is a sketch of either the head of a rabbit or a duck. The same person can respond that they see different woodland creatures at different times of the year, though this may be because there is no actual reward for saying that you can recognize both, just the expectation that you see something. 

In the case of the rabbit-duck, duck-rabbit, or however you prefer to call it, the brain is creating a full image out of disparate pieces. Like the images here, it’s just our mind trying to figure out what is going on, while filtering everything through what we already know. Unfortunately, our brain can only work with what our senses give it, and once it’s made up its (or our) mind, it might be disinclined to help you see what’s actually happening. So in the case of the two cats, it might not notice the second cat because it’s already ‘established’ that the first cat’s shadow is visible.

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#4

The Way The Light Shines Through The Bookcase Makes A Cityscape Shadow

The Way The Light Shines Through The Bookcase Makes A Cityscape Shadow

Mitchdavismann Report

#5

I Present To You The Rare And Wonderful Dogtopus

I Present To You The Rare And Wonderful Dogtopus

lospolloshermanas Report

#6

Pen Made Of Recycled Water Bottles Casts A Shadow Of A Water Bottle

Pen Made Of Recycled Water Bottles Casts A Shadow Of A Water Bottle

Tyler__Harris Report

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karen Young
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone is smarter than they thought. Or knew they were smarter and wanted to see if the rest of us were.

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Camouflage works in similar ways, by hijacking the methods our mind uses to determine what is what. Once we have accepted that a clump of bushes is a clump of bushes, it will fade into the back of our minds. We might only start to see the hypothetical camouflaged man if we are actively looking for someone or something that may be hiding in the clump of bushes. Animals use this strategy to great effect, while humans, as usual, just copy their homework to replicate the patterns, colors, and shapes found in nature.

#7

Sunlight Through This Fountain Looks Like It Is Pouring Lava - l'Aquila, Italy

Sunlight Through This Fountain Looks Like It Is Pouring Lava - l'Aquila, Italy

daenel Report

#8

My Friend's Snake Has The Superman Logo Naturally Emblazoned On Its Skin

My Friend's Snake Has The Superman Logo Naturally Emblazoned On Its Skin

backdoorwolf Report

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#9

These Fishnet Stockings Made From The Table’s Shadow

These Fishnet Stockings Made From The Table’s Shadow

Nicky-Al-Dente Report

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Sometimes nature itself conspires to trick and confuse us. For example, a mirage is caused by light bending in such a way that a human, normally depicted as tired and thirsty, sees reflections of things further away or in the sky. Often in popular media, the person, no doubt wandering through the desert, sees an oasis and drags themselves towards it only to find more desert. This is actually not a mirage, simply some sort of psychosis. A real mirage is just the bending of light that can actually be caught on camera. Mirages aren’t limited to the desert and can be found near large bodies of water as well. 

#10

The Colors In This Piece Of Agate Look Like A Sunset

The Colors In This Piece Of Agate Look Like A Sunset

forged_elements Report

#11

This Bubble In A Frozen-Over Ice Fishing Hole Looks Like The Moon Rising Over A Forest

This Bubble In A Frozen-Over Ice Fishing Hole Looks Like The Moon Rising Over A Forest

JephriB Report

#12

Frozen Feature Shaped Like A Mushroom

Frozen Feature Shaped Like A Mushroom

pete_ohara , www.instagram.com Report

Mother nature wasn’t done with just mirages, certain illusions can also be found near obstructed horizons, where our brains create a slope on a hill that is actually stable. This is sometimes referred to as a gravity hill, though it’s a lot less sci-fi than it sounds. It is also sometimes called a magnetic hill, though neither gravity nor magnets have anything to do with it. It’s caused by surrounding items appearing straight when they are actually leaning, making the ground appear like it’s sloping in one direction or another. 

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#13

The Inside Of My Red Onion Looks Like A Lotus Flower

The Inside Of My Red Onion Looks Like A Lotus Flower

Ban_Pending Report

#14

My Blinds Reflection Looks Like Lunar Phases On My Wall

My Blinds Reflection Looks Like Lunar Phases On My Wall

spaniard702 Report

#15

The Sunset Lighting Makes It Look Like Firebreath

The Sunset Lighting Makes It Look Like Firebreath

PoonSwoggle Report

We sometimes create these illusions ourselves, like the watercolor effect. It comes about when a colored line on a white background appears to ‘bleed’ parts of itself into the white area. Our eyes see this similar to a watercolor painting, where the edges of the brushstroke are lighter than the center. While this actually happens when using watercolors, in the watercolor illusion, the colored lines do not actually have a pale border of any sort. While it is less understood than the others mentioned here, scientists believe it could be a result of our brain ‘splitting’ the image into a background and something placed upon it, i.e. the line. 

#16

My SO’s Mother Has Cutting Boards That Look Like Books When They’re Put Away

My SO’s Mother Has Cutting Boards That Look Like Books When They’re Put Away

mosoriaa Report

#17

My Cat's Shadow Is Actually My Other Cat

My Cat's Shadow Is Actually My Other Cat

IAMGodAMAA Report

#18

The Center Of This Tree Looks Like A Heart

The Center Of This Tree Looks Like A Heart

Icilypuff Report

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rabitaille avatar
Paul Rabit
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Talk about finding the “heartwood” of the tree! (…I’ll see myself out)

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The simplest way a layperson can go about making something confusing would be to apply something called contour rivalry, which is also a great band name. Simply put, it’s the process of using shared indents, lines, and groves to create a series of images that change when viewed from different angles. This method has been known for over two thousand years, but creative artists can still use it to trick and confuse viewers. 

#20

A Moth On My Mini Buddha Statue Makes It Look Like Buddha's Wearing A Coat Or Cape

A Moth On My Mini Buddha Statue Makes It Look Like Buddha's Wearing A Coat Or Cape

ScruffyTree Report

#21

Freezing Rain On Tree Branches Look Like Blood Vessels

Freezing Rain On Tree Branches Look Like Blood Vessels

grafxguy1 Report

#22

This Onion Ring Shaped Like A Perfect Treble Clef

This Onion Ring Shaped Like A Perfect Treble Clef

childofthemoose Report

#23

This Basket, Flattened By A Semi-Truck, Now Looks Like A 3D Picture Of A Basket

This Basket, Flattened By A Semi-Truck, Now Looks Like A 3D Picture Of A Basket

BRQuick Report

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Llama_flower93
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even this is way better art than some of the crazy stuff I hear people call art. Lol

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#24

Cat 3000 Heat Radiator

Cat 3000 Heat Radiator

avantgardecats Report

#25

Coco Biting On A Toy Lightsaber, Looks Like He's Shooting His Laser Beam

Coco Biting On A Toy Lightsaber, Looks Like He's Shooting His Laser Beam

cokeplusmentos Report

#26

These Opals Look Like Mini-Hatching Dragon Eggs

These Opals Look Like Mini-Hatching Dragon Eggs

smm2194 Report

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#30

The Shadow Of Two Mailboxes Makes A Perfect Up Arrow

The Shadow Of Two Mailboxes Makes A Perfect Up Arrow

merax_cc Report

#31

This Grape That Looks Like A Pumpkin

This Grape That Looks Like A Pumpkin

UnbrokenBrown Report

#32

Tiny Natural Geode Shaped Like Foot Prints

Tiny Natural Geode Shaped Like Foot Prints

reddy_freddy_ Report

#33

My One Dog Looks Like My Other Dog's Shadow

My One Dog Looks Like My Other Dog's Shadow

cheesewit40 Report

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mooshoflove
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha, legit took my brain way too long to register the ACTUAL 2nd pupper!

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#34

Light Reflected Onto This Wall Looks Like Chromosomes During Meiosis

Light Reflected Onto This Wall Looks Like Chromosomes During Meiosis

wheeliechacha Report

#35

The Sunset Looks Like A Forest Fire

The Sunset Looks Like A Forest Fire

Jinglebell727 Report

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Maisey Myles
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once saw a sunrise through the trees I thought it was a fire. Wish I snapped it

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#39

This Man Stopped By My Friends' Vintage Clothing Store, And Their Ring Light Looks Like A Halo Above His Head

This Man Stopped By My Friends' Vintage Clothing Store, And Their Ring Light Looks Like A Halo Above His Head

tolegittoquit13 Report

#40

The Tree Outside My Kitchen Has An Almost Perfectly Pi Symbol Shaped Branch

The Tree Outside My Kitchen Has An Almost Perfectly Pi Symbol Shaped Branch

LifeSupreme Report

#41

The Frozen Windows On My Plane Made It Look Like We Were Flying Through A Nebula

The Frozen Windows On My Plane Made It Look Like We Were Flying Through A Nebula

ramence Report

#42

After Five Years Of Use, My Pizza Stone Looks Like The Moon

After Five Years Of Use, My Pizza Stone Looks Like The Moon

chestertravis Report

#43

This Frozen Puddle Looks Like A Topographic Map

This Frozen Puddle Looks Like A Topographic Map

kmgenius Report

#44

The Shadow From This Plant Makes It Look Like There's A Decal On My Friend's Car

The Shadow From This Plant Makes It Look Like There's A Decal On My Friend's Car

fidlarla Report

#45

This Pot I Was Letting Soak Formed A Yin Yang In The Grease And Soap

This Pot I Was Letting Soak Formed A Yin Yang In The Grease And Soap

call_it_sleep Report

#46

Random Blister That Looks Like An Exclamation Point Appeared On My Finger

Random Blister That Looks Like An Exclamation Point Appeared On My Finger

ZeloChief Report

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#47

The Way The Paint Dried In This Old Bottle Looks Like A Tidal Wave

The Way The Paint Dried In This Old Bottle Looks Like A Tidal Wave

Epotheros Report

#48

The Shadow From A Rivet Makes It Look Like Sacajawea's Smoking A Blunt

The Shadow From A Rivet Makes It Look Like Sacajawea's Smoking A Blunt

pillowcurtain Report

#49

My Blue Moon Beer Has An Orange, But It Looks Like There Is A Fried Egg On Top

My Blue Moon Beer Has An Orange, But It Looks Like There Is A Fried Egg On Top

reddit.com Report

#50

The Dust A Flag Left On My Wall, Makes It Look Like The Wall Is Fabric

The Dust A Flag Left On My Wall, Makes It Look Like The Wall Is Fabric

MereCoincidences Report

Note: this post originally had 125 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.