Our eyes are complex structures, made by a God of beauty and craftsmanship. They are how we perceive the world around us, and I would say we rely on sight more than any other sense. Though our eyes are formed by God, they are not perfect, for we are not perfect. Fortunately, there is beauty in our humanity and in our imperfections. Imperfections in a glass bottle, such as bubbles and whittle marks, add to the character of the piece, giving it unique qualities.
Even in our brokenness, God’s beauty still shines through. When things are mysterious and strange and do not work as they ought to, there still can be great splendor in their fallen nature. God’s life dwells in death and makes even human mistakes part of his glory.
Optical illusions—They are tricks played on the eyes, showing how easy it is for our eyes and minds to be tricked. They show how everything cannot be understood by sight, for things are more than they appear.
Here are some optical illusions—Enjoy these bits of beauty in brokenness.
1. Stare at the four dots in this image for 30 seconds- Then look at a blank surface and blink repeatedly…
2. Stare at the central dot in this image and you will eventually notice the gray haze disappear…
1
3. Look at this image- It’s not a .gif- it’s a .jpg – And yet it looks like it’s moving, right?
4. How many black dots do you see?
5. Are the lines in this image straight or crooked?
6. Do you see a young woman or an old lady?
7. Just imagine these blocks in real life…
8. Or picture yourself walking up these stairs…
9. Look what this guy did the Tower of Pisa!
10. This gives a new twist on the phrase “The Chosen One”
11. The buildings on Main Street USA in Walt Disney World have special levels– The first floor of the buildings are twelve feet tall, the second floors are ten feet tall and the third floors are eight feet tall, but from the ground, each floor seems to be the same height, making the building appear taller than it is.
12. This video shows a unique piece that… well, just watch it for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf16gh-uqro&feature=player_embedded
13. This scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (my favorite of the original [and only good] movies) gives new meaning to the phrase “Leap of Faith”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFntFdEGgws
14. This last video is a fun piece from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, and the ending song is a perfect conclusion to this exploration of illusion and imagination…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIDKx0BoMdg
Hope you see the world in a new way every day! Grace.
David on January 18, 2012 at 5:46 pm said:
Okay now I am cross-eyed, seeing dots, and pretty sure I’ve gone mad
Janet Deschamps on January 20, 2012 at 8:57 pm said:
love these optical tricks- always amazing that people can think these up. Didn’t watch all of WW- never have liked that movie!
admin on January 23, 2012 at 4:06 am said:
David- I’m pretty sure you went mad a while back.
Janet- What about Willy Wonka did you not like? (And that’s fine, to each his or her own)
Bailey Kennedy on January 26, 2012 at 2:09 am said:
These were really cool! Still can’t see the old lady though…
Nancy Weppler on January 31, 2012 at 6:46 pm said:
I love your intro to this entry…………as you might guess, I chickened out on doing some of the optical illusions because of the fickle nature of my eyes……………maybe later.