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They say there is always more than meets the eye. So today, we are going to take you on an illusory roller coaster where things are not what they seem, or rather they seem to be not what they are… Unless you look twice, and thrice, and then everything seems fine.
Bored Panda has compiled a list full of mind-bending camouflages we encounter every day and don’t give much thought to. From a sizzling paella bowl that resembles a pool full of tiny humans to a piece of toothpaste that came out just like someone’s taken their nose off, these are some of the most amusing optical illusions.
Be prepared for your mind to play tricks on you, and don’t forget to check out our previous posts with incredible optical illusions here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
This Is The Top Of A Fence Post
RELATED:
#2
The Armadillo Lizard Looks Like A Baby Dragon
#3
My Black Cat Looks Like My White Cat’s Shadow
Call me crazy, but today on my way to work, I saw a trash bag that looked just like a bird. I gave it a second glimpse, only to realize my eyes were deceiving me, and that it was, in fact, nothing more and nothing less than a plastic bag.
Chances are most of us happen to have optical illusions now and then. They distort reality in such a way that we see objects, shapes, or things that are not entirely there. Usually it doesn’t last long, but it doesn’t make it any less realistic.
Kim Ransley, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney, explains that “In day-to-day life, the ability to distinguish objects helps us work out what is around us when parts of the scene are covered or lighting is poor.”
However, when it comes to the visual patterns that appear in random things and places, and occur purely by chance, these “can also trigger the system, causing us to see familiar objects in very strange places—such as the appearance of a face in a cloud.”
#4
I Found A Pattern On Some Rocks In Sweden That Looks A Bit Like Starry Night By Van Gogh
#5
The Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma Disstria) That Looks Like It's Wearing A Penguin Sweater
#6
Frozen Spider Web Looks Like A Knitting
It turns out, this is all due to our ability to see, which involves the brain molding raw sensory data we get from the world around us into a more refined form. Kim explained that most of these refinements “are deliberate—they’re designed to help us survive.”
Other times, “certain patterns regularly trip our brains up” even if they have evolved to guess right most of the time. “That’s when we might see an optical illusion,” she concluded.
#7
This Is Moss Agate From Indonesia, The ''Moss'' Is Actually Iron And Other Mineral Inclusions In The Stone That Make It Look Like It Contains A Secret Forest
#8
These Trees With Christmas Lights Under The Snow Look Like Rocket Launch
#9
The Moon Looks Like Saturn
From afar you may wonder, “Is that an asteroid ring around the moon?”. Well, the disguise of this waning moon is actually a thin cirrostratus cloud. The way the cloud interacts with the moon creates a unique display of beauty that steals protagonism from the surrounding stars. Below the moon? The dimly lit silhouette of volcano Pacaya and the Guatemalan highlands can be appreciated.
Captured at dawn December 24, 2019
#10
Doggo Looking Like A Bear After The Bath
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
That face. That expression. All that love just for you. Beautiful little bear pup.
#11
The Light Coming From The Bathroom Window Makes My Cat Look Like She Just Had A Great Idea
#12
I Took A Picture Of A Window With Rain On It And It Looks Like A Planet Surrounded By Millions Of Stars
#13
The Wings Of The Atlas Moth Look Like Snakes
#14
These Sunset Clouds Look Like Lava
#15
This Baby Bird Looks Like A Pinecone
#16
This Window That Looks Like A Painting
#17
Encountered A Hairless Guinea Pig That Looks Like A Baby Hippo
#18
The Pebbles On This Beach Look A Lot Like Eggs
#19
This Cat Looks Exactly Like A Bowl Of Flour
#20
The Snow On My Husband's Car Looks Like Cloth
#22
The Window Of This House I Rented Looks Like A Painting
#23
My New Petunia Looks Like A Galaxy
#24
This Is Jubilee. She Just Happens To Look Like Bad Taxidermy
#25
Every Year, My Next Door Neighbors House Looks Like A Can Of Arizona Green Tea
#26
The Way My Company’s Cooling System Becomes Giant LEGO Bricks In The Snow
#27
I Almost Died. I Found My Mom's New "USB Hub" Sitting On Her Desk
#28
This Oven Kinda Looks Like An Easter Island Head
#29
Morro Rock Looks Like A Pile Of Gold During Sunrise
#30
This Turtle's Shell Looks Like A Sombrero
#31
These Rice Fields Look Like Stained Glass From Above
#32
Baby Snapping Turtles Look Just Like Little Dinosaurs
#33
This Bush Looks Like I Just Won Solitaire
#34
The Inside Of These Acoustic Guitars Look Like Luxury Apartments
#35
You'll See It Once And Never Again
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
They're right. Once you know what it really is the illusion is gone forever.
#36
This Building Looks Like A Single Wall Of Windows
#37
A Shot Of Burning Man That Looks Like A Solar System
#38
Tiny Weeds In My Garden Look Like A Desert Oasis
#39
This Small Red Potato Looks Like An Anatomical Heart
#40
My Purple Potatoes Look Like Gemstones
#41
The Shadow Of My Bookshelf Looks Like A City Skyline
#42
These Clouds By My House Look Like A UFO Invasion
#43
This Paella Looks Like A Bunch Of People In A Dirty Pool
#44
The Moss Growing In This Bus Stop Gutter Looks Like A Tiny Ancient Ruin On Top Of A Hill
#45
This Dead Plant Looks Like A Broomstick
#46
My Car Wash Foam Looks Like A Sparkling Sunset
#47
How The Ice Looks Like Scotch Tape On The Roof Of This Barn
#48
My Toothpaste Came Out Looking Like A Nose
#49
Fixing My Parent’s Computer This Morning. Turns Out The P Is For Potato Salad. Not What I First Thought
Hilary Mol 5 years ago
That would have stopped me, too. Until I realized the "d" icon was from the "delish" website.
Sabse 5 years ago
That is funny, but in Germany you will never ever find a warm potato salad 🧐
Yvonne Blau 5 years ago (edited)
Actually there are some weird people in the south of Germany who make warm potato salad.
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Pepper Pots 5 years ago
LMAO omw bored panda never ceases to amaze me, I can always find a good laugh here
#50
Who Else Thinks My Wife's New Can Opener (Hehe) Looks Like A Strange Sex Toy?
#51
My Cucumber Plant Grew A Vine That Looks Like A Treble Clef
Miss Salazar Slytherin 5 years ago
Well then your plant is officially Ling Ling (Twoset fans anyone)
#52
This Pumpkin In Our Garden Split And It Looks Like It Has Teeth
#53
An Iron Chain So Rusted By Sea Salt It Looks Like It’s Made Of Wood
#54
My Mom Sent Me A Picture Of Her Dinner. I Didn't Understand Why It Wasn't Playing
#55
This Picture Of A Landscaping Supply Place Looks Like Water Color Palette
#56
This Rusty Lock Gate Looking Like A Painting
#57
The Ice On My Friend’s Car Froze In The Shape Of Mountains And A Tree
#58
These Shells Look Like Little Butterflies
#59
The Wick Of My Candle Looks Like A Mushroom(-Tree?)
#60
The Wrinkled Eye Of An Ancient Priest
#61
Eggplants That Actually Look Like Eggs
#62
Watercolor Sank To The Bottom Looks Like An Eyeball
#63
Tootsie Roll
#64
I Thought There Was A Severed Finger In My Fruit Bowl. It Was Just Some Ginger
#65
Removed An Old Desk Drawer And It Looks Like An Abandoned Store
#66
My Grandmother’s Immigration Forms From The 1950s Look Just Like Cards Against Humanity
#67
The Sunrise Makes The Steam Look Like A Flame
#68
A Snake That Looks Like Cookies And Cream
#69
This Egg Looks Like My Skin
#70
My Crescent Rolls Came Out Looking Like Walruses That Just Can't Anymore
#71
Sharp Teeth Boy
#72
My View Of This Ladder Kinda Looks Like An Escher Drawing
#73
The Way This Tree Root Is Growing Makes It Look Like Toxic Sludge
#74
I Ate Coconut And Mango Ice Cream That Looks Like A Half-Eaten Poached Egg On A Waffle Cone
#75
I Found This Leaf That Looks Like A Weather Radar
#76
My Cat’s Facial Colouring Looks Like A Hand Flipping You Off
#77
My Cactus' Bud Opened And I Think It Looks Like An Alien Or Maybe Audrey II
#78
I Refilled My Soap Dispensers With New And Different Brands. The Density Caused The Old Soap On Bottom To Rise, Making It Look Like Fungi
#79
Great Pyramids Of Florida
#80
My Keycard Is Like A Cute Baby Next To The Cutting Board
#81
Due To The Light Fixtures' Reflections And The Window's Frame, This Photo I Took In Iceland Looks Like A Painting Of Another Planet
#82
This Tibetan Cherry Tree At My Local Park Looks Like Copper
Pansexual (In theory) 5 years ago
Last time this was used in a BP post everyone thought it was a pole 😂
#83
These Cactuses Look Like Fireworks
#84
This Picture Of My Cat In A Box Looks Like A Polaroid Picture
#85
These Mushrooms Look Like Cigarettes
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
At least these are infinity percent healthier than cigarettes.
#86
Bubbles In My Hand Sanitizer Look Like A Mini Solar System
#88
The Way The Water Reflects The Red Ceiling In The Hospital Parking Garage And Look Like Blood
#89
The Hole In This Table Looks Like Earth Seen From Space
#90
My French Fry At McDonald's Looks Exactly Like A Banana
#91
Was So Excited To See A Baby Deer On My Hike
#92
Looking Out Of A Ruin In Outback Australia. Kind Of Looks Like A Picture Frame On A Wall
#93
This Non-Smoking Post Looks Like A Cigarette
#94
My Friend Dropped A Paint Lid. The Result Looks Like A Brain Scan
#95
Thought This Was A Desktop Background But It’s Just A Reflection Of Our Couch
#96
These Cactus Fruits Look Like Tiny Pineapples
#97
This Tire Mark Was That Looks Like A Double Cheeseburger
#98
My Dog Likes To Fetch Hair Ties And Hold Them In His Mouth, Making Him Look Like He's Wearing Grills
#99
My Reflection On The Mirror Looks As If It Was A Regular Picture On The Wall
#100
Is Pringles Ready For A Human Mascot? Call Me
#101
This Moth In My Bathroom Looks Like The End Of A Joint
#102
This Circular Piece Of Confetti Which Looks Like A Hole In The Hardwood
#103
This Burnt Cheese Looks Like A Penguin
#104
This Rust That Look Like Treebark On A Bus Stop Sign
#105
My Burnt Match Looks Like A Stage Microphone
#106
Small Apples That Look Like Cherries
#107
My Boyfriend’s Knee Makes It Look Like A Tiny Old Man Is Sitting On My Bed
#108
This Clay On My Hand Makes It Look Like I Have Grayscale
#109
The Holes In This Swiss Cheese Make It Look Like The Cow Has Eyes
Henry Cheves 5 years ago
The holes aren't supposed to line up. They are supposed to form naturally.
#110
This Spider Hanging Out Near My Front Gate Latch Has An Abdomen That Looks Like A Map Of The World
#111
My Coworker's Coffee Looks Like An African Acacia Tree
#112
The Tomato We Grew Looks Like Sauron’s Eye
#113
We Grew An Eggplant That Looks Like The Poop Emoji
#114
This Building In NYC Looks Like A Massive Jenga Game
#115
This Moth I Found On My Front Door Is Camouflaged To Look Like A Bird Poop
#116
My Abstract Piece Looks Like A Melting Mirror
#117
This Subway Station Looks Like A Space Station
#118
My Lush Bath Bomb Just Makes It Look Like A Tub Filled With Pee
#119
Foam On My Pasta Water Looks Like A Fish Fillets
#120
A Deformed Piece Of Candy Corn Came Out Looking Like A Traffic Cone
#121
My Cactus Just Bloomed, And Its Flower Looks Like A Demogorgon
#122
My Friend Told Me That I Look Like A Popsicle Stick
#123
This Smudge On My Glasses Looks Like A Mountain
#124
Pattern On This Tree Stump Looks Kinda Like The ‘Starry Night’ Painting
#125
My Towel Fell Off Its Hook And It Looks Like Soft Serve Ice Cream
*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 5 years ago
I love it when towels fall like this, they look so dramatic XD
#126
This Puffball Mushroom Looking Like Epcot For Ants
Kathrine Rux 5 years ago
that's not a puffball i dont remember the correct name but this one is highly poisonous puffballs are smooth and edible
#127
Bottom Of My Teacup Looks Like An Eyeball
#128
I Thought This Weed Flower Looked Like The Covid Renderings
#130
These Roof Vents Look Like Mandalorian Helmets
#132
The Kettle Looks Like A Butt
#133
This Giant Beet From My Garden Looks Like A Heart
#135
This Dough Ball Looks Like A Huge Storm Seen From The Space
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What do you think ?
serato 5 years ago
I love this thread. I love it when people take a closer look at things and fantasy erupts :D
Kizzie 5 years ago
For the broomstick one: It's from a tulip tree... Liriodendron tulipifera. The flowers look like tulips. I have one near my home. GettyImage...d58fee.jpg 
slothy the slow 5 years ago
Those are some amazing illusions! https://www.boredpanda.com/?p=2510641 These holes on the ground look like a dog burry itself. Check it out.
serato 5 years ago
I love this thread. I love it when people take a closer look at things and fantasy erupts :D
Kizzie 5 years ago
For the broomstick one: It's from a tulip tree... Liriodendron tulipifera. The flowers look like tulips. I have one near my home. GettyImage...d58fee.jpg
slothy the slow 5 years ago
Those are some amazing illusions! https://www.boredpanda.com/?p=2510641 These holes on the ground look like a dog burry itself. Check it out.
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