Optical illusion: vase or the faces, what do you see in these thoughts first? | Today news

Have you ever looked at a photo and saw two different things? If yes, you have experienced an optical illusion – a visual puzzle where you do not always see what is really there. One of the most famous examples in the above image is the Rubin vase, where your brain turns between a vase or two faces in the profile. But it is just one of the many illusions that reveals how our minds work. What are optical illusions? Optical illusions are images that deceive the brain. It causes us to observe something that does not match the actual physical reality. These illusions happen because we are constantly trying to interpret brains what our eyes see – and sometimes they think wrong or turn between equally valid options. The Rubin Vaas -illus: Faces or vase? The Rubin vase -also known as the figure -soil -illus -was created in 1915 by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin. At first glance, it looks like a black vase. But with a shift in focus, you may see two white faces looking at each other. The turn? You cannot see both the vase and the faces at the same time. This is because your brain has to choose: what is the ‘figure’ (main object) and what is the ‘ground’ (background). This visual back-and-forth is a classic example of how we assign depth and meaning to images. Why can’t we see both images at the same time? Your brain is a master of filtering visual information – but it can only focus on one interpretation at a time. If we could process several versions of reality at the same time, it would be overwhelming and confusing. So the brain chooses a dominant version and ignores the rest – until it switches. This process is called perceptual bistability. It helps to simplify what you see by separating “figure” from “soil”. If contours and shapes are ambiguous, your brain must “choose” the most sense – and sometimes it changes. Why are optical illusions important? These illusions are not just fun – they are scientifically valuable. It helps researchers: Understand how the brain processes depth, shape and movement. Improve computer vision and AI systems. Design better user interfaces, warning signs and visual art. Diagnose neurological conditions where perception breaks. Questions What exactly is the Rubin vase? It is a black-white image that can be interpreted in two ways: whether as a central vase (figure) or as two side profiles of faces that look at each other (soil). Why can’t we see both the vase and the faces at the same time? This is due to perceptual bistability – the brain can only focus on one interpretation of the image at a time. It must decide what the ‘figure’ is and what the ‘background’ is. Who created the Rubin vase? The illusion was created by Edgar Rubin, a Danish psychologist and phenomenologist, as part of his work on visual perception. What is the perception of the figure grounds? Figure soil perception refers to the brain’s ability to distinguish a main object (figure) from the background (soil). The Rubin vase is used to illustrate how these roles can convert, depending on what the viewer focuses on. Is the Rubin vase used in modern research? Yes. Reference is still made in cognitive psychology, neuroscience and even AI -visual recognition systems to study how organisms or machines process complicated visual data. What does this illusion tell us about the human brain? It shows that perception is not passive. Our brains are actively interpreting sensory inputs, filling in gaps, linking focus and deceiving us sometimes based on context and expectation. How is it used out of psychology? The Rubin vase affected logo design, art and advertisements, where reversal soil reversal is used to create striking footage and metaphors. It is also used in education to teach perception and cognitive flexibility.