I'm amazed this simple optical illusion just broke my brain

Checker shadow optical illusion — (Image credit: rastroboy via Reddit)

Optical illusions come in all forms, from mind-melting artwork to photography trickery, but there's one style that never fails to perplex the internet – the humble colour illusion. Fooling the brain with some sneaky saturation trickery, this simple yet mesmerising illusion is doing the rounds once again, and op art fans can't believe their eyes.

Often, the best optical illusions are fairly simple – it seems the more basic the design, the harder it is for our brains to register what we're seeing. Feast your eyes on the illusion below and you'll see what I mean.

A & B be the same color. from r/opticalillusions

The illusion in question features a grid of alternating green squares, with one half illuminated, while the other appears to be in shadow. Looks pretty standard, right? Until you realise the boxes labelled A and B are the same colour.

A simplified version of Edward H. Adelson's checker shadow illusion, this mind-bending trick demonstrates how our brains perceive shadow, automatically 'correcting' what it sees based on visual context. To see this illusion in action, place your hand directly in the middle of the two squares, and you should be able to see the same shade.

Comparison of boxes A and B that are the same shade of green — (Image credit: rastroboy via Reddit)

For more optical illusions, check out this baseball player op art that shifts right before your eyes or take a look at this astounding optical illusion graffiti.

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Natalie Fear is Creative Bloq's staff writer. With an eye for trending topics and a passion for internet culture, she brings you the latest in art and design news. Natalie also runs Creative Bloq’s Day in the Life series, spotlighting diverse talent across the creative industries. Outside of work, she loves all things literature and music (although she’s partial to a spot of TikTok brain rot).

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