Bizarre optical illusion is making people see different numbers and it’s hard to tell who is right

The purpose of optical illusions is to trick the human mind in order to make people see things that aren't there or conceal things within puzzles. Such images, which include spinning patterns, tend to stay with people long after they observe them closely. These mind-bending illusions have been created for years by scientists and artists to investigate how eyes interpret the world. One such optical illusion generated online debate after becoming popular online. The internet was confused by the illusion which was posted by a user on X, showing a sequence of numbers cleverly hidden inside a black-and-white spiral at its center.

Chances are, one could spot at least a few numbers, but the exact number that people can see became the subject of a heated debate online. The swirling black-and-white spiral, moving in multiple directions, added a layer of confusion, and at first glance, people might only catch a single digit in the center. But as they focused more, additional numbers were visible too. Many users flocked to the comments section to share their interpretations. One X user, @PaulChocky, commented, "I can see 45283, since looking at the other replies I’ve others are seeing 2 other numbers. I can see there are numbers there but can’t make them up."

Another person @babyfacedjedi wrote, "3452839. I had more trouble remembering what I saw than seeing it 🤦‍♀️ could only remember 2 numbers at a time. Eyesight great. Memory crap." Similarly, X user @miller_klein, commented, "3452839, but to be honest, the first 3 is a bit of a guess. Can’t get a fix on it. Easier to see if you jiggle the image up and down, but I don’t know why." They weren’t the only ones floating this theory, as many others in the comments also believed that the number hidden in the illusion was 3452839.

However, a different group of viewers offered their take, presenting alternative interpretations of the mysterious digits.

@CreativCulinary wrote, "528. And I can see some other numbers that people have mentioned if I scroll back and forth and really try but if I hadn't moved the image they were not visible." Then @HVajanne, suggested, "The utmost letters became visible by moving the screen carefully, using a headlamp, and occasionally standing in a dark room." Not only are optical illusions a fun way to kill time or compare answers with friends and coworkers, but they also provide important insights into how people process information based on different perspectives.

This kind of optical illusion is also known as a physiological illusion, and it tricks the brain by bombarding it with light, shapes, or colors. Many of these illusions create the illusion of motion from a completely still, two-dimensional image, as reported by The Mirror. When the brain perceives depth or movement where there is none, it starts making false assumptions. In this puzzle, the numbers and patterns exist on separate layers within the image, and the varying shades make it difficult to distinguish between them. It plays on contrast sensitivity, a visual skill that can reveal the health of one's eyes by helping people differentiate between objects in the foreground and their backgrounds.