After reading an article recently about optical illusion speed bumps, I had to admit something to myself that caught me by surprise. It shouldn't have really. It's something I've kind of known about myself since I was a kid but it sounds really weird to say it out loud: I hate optical illusions. I really hate them. They make me feel confused and kind of sick to my stomach and I've just never been comfortable with them. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but try to understand.When I was a kid, I sometimes had sleep overs at my friend Trina's house. She was a fun girl with a nice family but for some reason her parents found it appropriate to hang this picture up in their basement (I know I could put the picture in the blog, but I really don't want to have to look at it any more than necessary). Oh gosh, even looking at it to make the link really creeped me out. I would stare at that picture when I was trying to fall asleep, focusing and unfocusing my eyes. I kept trying to make myself see the woman looking in the mirror and not focus on the skull. Why anyone would hang up a picture like that in their house is beyond me.
And remember this one? You either see an old lady or a young lady then you have to refocus your eyes to see the other one. But who would want to? I always see the young lady first, then when I look for the old lady, it's always an unpleasant surprise when she appears. I'm not ageist or anything, she's just kind of odd looking. I think it's the bump on her nose (that we all know is the other girl's nose!).
(Shudder). I really don't like that one. When I mentioned the speed bump optical illusion story to Katherine, she told me about an artist named Julian Beever who does chalk drawing optical illusions, like this one:
Why, why!? Katherine tried to comfort me by showing me pictures of these optical illusions from a different angle. When you look at them from a different side, they look flat. That did give me some comfort.
I mean, I get it. It's kind of cool to have two pictures in one, or for a picture to be 3-D. But I just don't need the stress. If I'm driving down the road and slam on my breaks when I approach a speed bump that turns out to be an illusion, I'm going to feel kind of silly when people on the sidewalk laugh at me. And I especially don't want to be looking at what I thought was a peaceful drawing of a woman getting ready for a night out on the town, then have it turn out to be a skull! It's unsettling! I feel better now that I got that out there.
11 comments:
I think it's funny that you like to hear really disgusting stories, but can't handle optical illusions...and that it's the opposite for me! You're weird. Or I am. Or we both are.
Have you seen M.C. Escher drawings? They are much less horrifying, and just very clever in their illusions...that might be step 1 in your "optical illusophobic" treatment program. :)
Wait a sec!! You'll gladly stare at a picture of your decapitated head plastered onto the headless body of The Rock's wife, and that doesn't weird you out?! :)
Man, that skull is creepy! In a bedroom, too?! Put it someplace people don't have to see it before they go to bed, like a dining room or bathroom! How very Koontz-esque.
This made me laugh so hard! I've never heard of someone being freaked out by optical illusions. Don't worry, we all have our irrational fears. I personally am afraid when I see kids on swings. Really freaks me out!
Sarah, that's a good point. And very disgustingly put. I might look up M.C. Escher today if I'm feeling brave ;)
Christi, are you afraid of swinging yourself, or just seeing other people swing?
Both. When I was younger and I babysat a lot I would never let the kids swing. Even if they had a swingset in their own backyard. Yeah, I was mean like that, but I felt certain I was saving them from imminent death!
That reminds me of a "Friends" quote (as most things tend to do):
Rachel: (About swings) Ross, those things go like 40 miles an hour. Okay, there is that moment, when you're at the top when you just don't know if you're gonna return back to earth.
Ross: Space *IS* filled with orbiting children...
Cracks me up! :)
This line cracked me up:
"But who would want to?"
I'll be laughing about that for days. Thanks.
Reading the comments people leave you (and your responses), is almost as entertaining as reading your blog posts themselves! Funny stuff...
That is so funny. I have recently discovered that I am super creeped out by robot animal toys. You know the cheap ones where the head turns from side to side and legs move all with the loud sound of machinery. Eek!
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