Viral: Is it a man or is it a dog? Optical illusion intrigues netizens

Things are often not how they appear to be at first glance. Such is the wonder of optical illusions that makes people see what is not there, showing a disconnect between reality and perception. Many pictures with such optical illusions get shared on social media. One such image has gone viral recently as people can not figure out if the subject of the picture is a man walking towards the woods or a dog running forward.

For those who look at the picture first, most of them see a subject that looks like a man walking towards the snow-laden woods, showcasing a flaw in their perception. It is only when they look at the picture from up close and for long enough that they realise it is an optical illusion. The subject of the picture is actually a black poodle dog running towards the camera through the snow.

The picture surprised many for its strange illusion and it has since gone viral as more and more people on social media started talking about it and sharing it further. Netizens are discussing the flaw in their perception and how the picture is tricking them into seeing something else. It is only after a couple of viewing that they agree that it was actually a black dog and not a man.

It's a man wearing a sweatshirt with a poodle image printed on the back. Nothing will convince me otherwise. I'm going to bed.

— Simon (@IHearSimon) February 4, 2021

My eyes saw the man, then saw a bear on his jacket --- kept staring at it until they finally saw what was really there.

— Leigh Jambalaya (@LeighJambalaya) February 4, 2021

What are optical illusions?

Optical illusions take place when the brain cannot comprehend or perceive what the eyes see in terms of what is real and what is not. It is because our minds look for patterns to identify what we are familiar with when we look at something. While this programming is useful most of the time, it can lead to this flaw in perception too.