Optical illusion claims to reveal how stressed you are depending on what you see (but it’s not what it seems)

An optical illusion has drawn in thousands of viewers with a promise to reveal their current level of stress. 

The mind-bending image, which was supposedly created by a Japanese neurologist to test stress levels, was shared to TikTok @interestingthingsifind and has garnered almost 6,000 responses and 78,000 likes.

Viewers are invited to look at the image and to reveal if they are ‘calm, stressed or very stressed’ according to how quickly or slowly they think it moves – or whether it’s standing still. 

The caption reads: ‘This image was created by a Japanese neurologist. If the image is still, you are calm, if the image moves a little bit, stressed, and if it moves like a carousel, you are very stressed. Tell me how are you doing?’ 

However, the supposed neurologist – Yamamoto Hasima – does not, in fact, exist and the optical illusion was originally created by Yurii Perepadia, a freelance graphic artist from Ukraine. 

In a post on his Instagram – where he posts an array of mind-bending optical illusion designs – he confirmed that it was he who created the image and not Yamamoto Hasima. 

He wrote of his creative process: ‘I drew this optical illusion in Adobe Illustrator on September 26, 2016. To create it, I used the effect of Akiyoshi Kitaoka. 

‘This is a white and black stroke on a colored background, this is a white and black stroke on a colored background, which sets in motion the focus of vision and it seems to a person that the details of the image are moving. 

‘Japanese psychotherapist Yamamoto Hashima has nothing to do with this picture. Moreover, Yamamoto Hashima does not really exist. Google to help.’     

Optical illusions are designed in a way to make it possible for the human eye and brain to believe that the image is moving like a video.

In this case, the clever image is tricking people into thinking that it is either moving quickly, slowly or not at all – and that your mood determines this. 

Users were quick to relate to the caption in the TikTok post, while others were a little more cynical of its accuracy in determining people’s moods. 

One TikTok user, after seeing the image ‘move’, said: ‘Very very stressed apparently,’ while another agreed, saying, ‘Slowly moving. So I am stressed a little!??!’ 

A large number of people felt at peace after observing the image, with someone stating, ‘I’m calm today. In the past it’s always been moving,’ while another declared, ‘No movement.’ 

One person also reported: ‘Just had gin & tonic and it’s slow.’ 

Other users felt like the image did not produce any conclusive results. One user wrote: ‘It depends on where you look at the image…’ 

Another stated: ‘It does not move when I look at it directly. Only when it’s in my peripheral vision.’ 

It comes after another optical illusion imaged claimed it can determine whether you are logical or intuitive based on what you see first in the picture. 

The mind-binding image was shared by the US-based PsychologyLove100 TikTok account. 

It shows an image that includes several elements – which ones do you see first when you look at it? 

According to the social media account, what you first decipher in the overall picture determines whether you are an intuitive or a logical type of person and what your go-to thought process is. 

Take a quick glance at the image to see what you notice first…

‘If you’ve seen three bears first, you have an analytical mind, you’re good at analyzing facts and figures and have a logical approach,’ the video claims. 

‘You don’t act on impulse. You prefer a step-by-step approach to things,’ it adds. 

The videos goes on to explain that people who think logically tend to use conventions and regulations in order to organise their thought process. 

That also manifests itself in debate and arguments, where a logical person will have a more detail-oriented thought-process than others. 

The video also explains that people who think analytically tend not to see a problem as a whole, but rather break it down in distinct concepts when tackling it to make it easier to solve. 

That makes them particularly good at solving issues with a keen eye for detail. 

However, people who saw mountains before bears are ‘intuitive thinkers,’ the video claims.  

This means they tend to follow their instincts, which are usually right, when confronted with issues. 

These people are also confident trusting their intuition, even when other people have contrary advice.  

While they are usually right to follow their gut, this intuitive way of going about things also mean that they may sometimes miss facts, and rely on their past experience to guide their decision making. 

However, this trait doesn’t mean that intuitive people are indecisive, as they tend to be efficient at making decisions for themselves.  

They tend to be smart and well-placed to assess situations as a whole, and are likely to think outside the box when solving problems.