These Magic Eye Images Only Work For Some People — But They Can Reveal A Lot

Hands up: who remembers Magic Eye pictures being all the rage back in the ’90s? The countless hours we spent squinting at those psychedelic photos, desperate to see what everyone else spotted... But Magic Eye images aren’t just a bit of fun. These clever illusions can reveal some pretty interesting insights about ourselves.

How Magic Eye images work

It’s actually fairly simple. All you need to do is gaze at one of these pictures in a certain way, and a hidden 3D shape should leap out at you. But this is easier for some people than for others. If you’re having trouble finding the secret figure in these illusions, use this ingenious technique. It even comes courtesy of the Magic Eye makers themselves, so you know it’s legit!

Step one: stare at the image up close

According to the official Magic Eye method, you need to start by looking at the middle of the picture right up close — so the screen is almost touching your nose. Obviously, it’s going to appear blurry at this stage, but that’s okay. Next, you should “focus as though you are looking through the image into the distance.” Okay, you’re almost there.

Step two: start moving your eyes

The Magic Eye instructions continue, “Once you perceive the hidden image and depth, you can look around the entire 3D image. The longer you look, the clearer the illusion becomes.” And the further back you move, the deeper the illusion becomes. But if you still can’t see anything? There’s actually a scientific explanation why.

Why some people can’t see them

If you’re not able to spot the hidden images in Magic Eye illusions, there may be a problem somewhere in your stereo or binocular vision. It could be that you could have a misalignment in one or both of your eyes. This could be down to astigmatism, for example, or even cataracts. But don’t call your optometrist right away; try out the technique you’ve just learned with the following images.