18 Optical Illusions That Happened Completely By Accident

Kasia Mikolajczak
person standing in a optical illusion
Unsplash | Randy Jacob

I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely a visual person. So I always marvel whenever I find something unusual. And I can say the same about optical illusions.

The images that differ from the objective reality are fascinating to me. How about you? Are you a person who enjoys that sort of thing or finds it frustrating? Well, if you love it, here are a few amazing examples of it. Enjoy!

These Glasses

lamp reflection in sunglasses that looks like eyes
reddit | Reddit | u/youngack

Check out this reflection of an overhead lamp on the sunglasses. Isn't it wild or what? It totally looks like some kooky eyes, haha. I think if I saw that, I would be really surprised and baffled at the same time. I love stuff like that.

This Kooky Eye

sink drain that looks like an eye
reddit | Reddit | u/Liammm

Speaking of kooky eyes, what do you think of this one? Oh, wait, this isn't even an eye. Somebody tried to take a photo of their sink out of boredom and instead got a shot of an eye-shaped whirlpool. Come on now! How awesome is that?

These Espresso Martinis

espresso martinis that look like bar stools
reddit | Reddit | u/madcaplarks

At first glance, you might think these are bar stools, no? But you'd be wrong. Get this, they're actually espresso martinis lined up on the bar. Can you believe that? Haha! That looks so cool. I love that. Okay, and now I'm craving an espresso martini. Thanks a lot.

This Surprising Reflection

pattern projected on a wall through the sun
reddit | Reddit | u/katiethemushroom

"A few days a year, the sun shines through our door at the perfect angle to project this pattern on the wall."

Oh my, how cool is that? Don't you love it when nature does that? It must be so fun to spot that. What a nice surprise.

These Cats

white cat that looks like black cat's shadow
reddit | Reddit | u/peachesnscreamz

"My black cat looks like my white cat’s shadow."

Wait a minute, so this isn't a shadow of the white cat? I totally thought it was. I bet these two cats love to trick their owners like that, huh? Those rascals, haha.

These Random Men

three random men sleeping on a train look exactly the same
reddit | Reddit | u/thrashbandit

Oh, my goodness. Check this out. These three random men somebody spotted sleeping on a train, pretty much look like the same person. What? That's quite the coincidence, no? Or maybe it's just a glitch in the Matrix, huh? Wow!

This Dog Driver

dog's head sticking out looking like he's driving a car
reddit | Reddit | u/overwatchretiree

"My dog looks like a concerned driver."

Haha! This is so hilarious, no? I would have loved to capture something like that. I wonder what the dog would have thought of this picture if he had seen it. I bet he'll be like, "I'm a good driver. Leave me alone."

This Neat Reflection

neat reflection of cars in the river
reddit | Reddit | u/Expwar

"Interesting reflection caught on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. Almost looks like an underwater city."

Oh, wow! Indeed, it does look like that, huh? It's so awesome that somebody was able to capture it. I bet they did a double-take when they saw that. It's like a little underground city that came out of nowhere.

This Subway Station

subway station that looks like an optical illusion
reddit | Reddit | u/liketo

Holy moly! What in the heck is going on at this London underground platform? The way this appears, it makes the floor look like it's warped, no? I don't know about you, but I would be pretty freaked out if I saw this. Yikes!

This Closet

closet clothes creating an optical illusion that looks like two faces
reddit | Reddit | u/nixdixon

"The shadow from the clothes hanging in our doorway made the goblet/two faces optical illusion."

Speaking of stuff that may freak you out. If I walked into my closet and saw this, I would definitely think two ghosts were having a conversation. And I would be out!

This Counter

sandwich that blends into the counter
reddit | Reddit | Flimsy_Researcher

This is what happens when your kitchen counter looks exactly like the sandwich you made. Good luck finding it, lol. Perhaps it's time to upgrade it, eh? This type of marble is so yesterday anyway, hehe. So what are you waiting for? Get to it.

This Cat Grinch

cat reflectiion in a window that makes him look like the Grinch
reddit | Reddit | u/marmusha

Oh my gosh! Haha. Would you look at that? The reflection of this cat in the window and the trees make him look just like the Grinch. This is so cool. I can't get over it. It's pretty priceless, no?

This Floater

cat lying on a couch who appears to be floating
reddit | Reddit | Flamind666

Quick, call an exorcist! This cat is definitely possessed because he's clearly floating in the air. Oh, wait! It's only an optical illusion, hehe. And here I thought we had some kind of strange cat possession on our hands. Never mind!

This Little Old Man

man holding a child optical illusion
reddit | Reddit | u/najam9849

"For people who don't get it, it's a baby's face in front of an adult. The baby has a hat and sunglasses on. If you zoom in you can see where the baby's face ends and the father's face begins. The nose and mouth are obviously the father's."

Get it?

This Flying Cat Mobile

cat sitting on an inverted pot with a shadow that makes it look like he's floating
reddit | Reddit | lofoforos

What is it with floating cats, huh? Well, they are creatures of the night, so I guess that is to be expected. But how funny that this shadow here makes it look like the cat sitting on this inverted bowl is floating in the air. It's straight out of a movie scene, no?

This Dog

dog sitting on a bus who appears to be reading a book
reddit | Reddit | u/phantomvibrations

Oh my goodness! For a moment there, I totally thought this cute doggo was reading a magazine on the bus, haha. His face is pretty priceless here, though. It's like he's turning around to say, "What are you looking at?"

This Bird Selfie

bird looking at a cellphone through a window that makes it appear like a selfie
reddit | Reddit | mezar7513

Oh, no! Don't tell me that even the birds have learned how to take a selfie. What's that? It's only an optical illusion? Thank God! I thought this birdie here was checking it out and saying to himself, "I like that one. I'll keep it," haha!

This Giant

man who appears to be a giant in an optical illusion photo
reddit | Reddit | u/pixelpoetry

"Already tall (7ft or more) friend accidentally takes an optical illusion photo."

OMG! How? Apparently, this man wizard is standing on a ledge, and the other people are below him. That's why he looks like a giant here. I still don't completely see it, but I believe it.

Oh man, how fun were these optical illusions here?

person riding a bike running into a wall that looks like a cobblestone street
Giphy | Luis Ricardo

Don't you love it when things happen this way? I sure do. I could keep going with these pictures, but for now, I'll leave you to ponder these few. And if I stumble upon any more interesting ones, I'll let you know, okay? Have an awesome day!