Rotating Snakes Illusion

Now let’s look at the last illusion under the topic of visual illusion studies that of rotating snakes. You have to be warned. It might be a bit dizzying to look at. So what do you notice? Can you see the snakes moving? The pattern is actually static but appears to be in motion. It seems as if there are several snakes moving in a circular direction. To better unpack the reason behind this illusion, scientists created a black and white version and a control stimulus, which is basically identical in the overall configuration, but with no perception of motion. Why can’t we perceive the illusion in the control pattern?

Well, if you take a look at the pattern of the local input or the sequence of brightness of the blobs, it’s been changed, disrupting the illusion. Indeed, the illusion works only of the blobs are arranged

with this sequence: black, dark gray, white, followed by light gray. Now it’s your turn! In the next step, you will do your own experimenting by setting up a free choice test, which you can easily do with your pets. Good luck!