1. Are You Really Focusing?
One of the reasons we suffer from poor focus is because we think we are focusing… but we’re really not.
It’s hard to self critique. And with no basis for comparison, how can you really know if you’re focusing effectively or not?
Well, one way to do this is through the use of these optical illusions. These images were each designed to deceive the eye in some way. They use a combination of colors and shapes to trick your eyes into seeing movement where there is none, make objects appear, or even disappear.
TEST 1
Let’s try this one. Focus intently on the crosshairs in the center of this illusion by Jeremy Hinton and see what happens to the lilac color spheres…
As your eyes focus completely, the entire image goes completely gray and the colored circles disappear. Let’s try another…
TEST 2.
This illusion is called “Rotating Snakes” by Japanese professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka. The color wheels in this image appear to be turning as you gaze around the image.
See what happens when you focus on a single, tiny point in the image for a few seconds.
When your focus narrows down to “laser beam level” you can see that the wheel are not in fact spinning at all. Ok, one more of these just for fun…
TEST 3
This image created by Paul Nasca uses the arrangement of colored circles to create what’s called a peripheral drift effect as you gaze around the image.
Watch what happens when you pick a tiny point and focus on it…
When you truly focus, the movement stops completely. You’re eyes can plainly see the these are simply ovals layered on a green background.