Good morning. I have just come across some rare footage of Bob Dylan performing a magic trick – thought you might enjoy it. Fingers crossed you can see it here.
Also, this is a lovely illusion. See if you can identify the picture below. Once you have it you won’t believe that you didn’t see it in the first place…..
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May 27, 2010 at 5:37 am |
You’re totally right. I can’t believe it didn’t pop out immediately, took me about 30 seconds. I actually thought I saw a cat in it for a moment
May 27, 2010 at 5:38 am |
Isnt that the bottom part of Europe and the top bit of Africa? i.e. the mediterranean sea?
May 27, 2010 at 5:40 am |
Whoops! Quick! Delete my last comment! It’ll spoil it for everyone else! *slap forehead*
May 27, 2010 at 5:40 am |
I know can I say? It’s…….warm weather and olives and sundried toms and wine x
May 27, 2010 at 5:42 am |
erm..there’s an illusion?
May 27, 2010 at 5:47 am |
Mediterranean Sea, right? Not much of an illusion then. Italy is pretty darn recognizable
May 27, 2010 at 5:50 am |
hehe… dont know if i should thank Sarah.. but if it wasnt for her.. i would have never guessed that… i am not so good at geography .. you see..
May 27, 2010 at 5:54 am |
Best I can see is a bad version of a map or a sideways, evil gnome lurking about.
May 27, 2010 at 5:58 am |
Ahhh, I see now. After seeing the responses I see it now, it is the Mediterranean. So I was half right. Okay, a third right, I said “bad version” of a map or a gnome. But it’s a good map of the Mediterranean. To me I saw a warped version of North America, Africa, Europe and Asia.
May 27, 2010 at 6:10 am |
Well, I can believe I didn’t see it earlier.
May 27, 2010 at 6:15 am |
I blame it on the poor quality of the map. Greece lacks the whole of Peloponisos, Crete is further down and larger, Cyprus is nothing like it, Spain doe not extend up that way, Africa is not aligned like that, Italy is further down… etc… Maybe it is an imprint of an old old old map, before we knew from satellites what the earth really looked like.
May 27, 2010 at 6:38 am |
I quickly saw it, and then I read the article and thought there was something hidden in the black shapes!
I wouldn’t call it an illusion.
May 27, 2010 at 7:47 am
I wouldn’t call it an illusion, either. But then, for as long as I can remember, I’ve seen an “elephant” in the Mediterranean, so maybe I’m just well-practised at flipping between “elephant” and “map”?
May 27, 2010 at 7:47 am
Ditto.
May 27, 2010 at 6:47 am |
Maps have always fascinated me. As a child I used to trace them and try and draw them freehand. I saw this as the Med before I had started reading the text, but I think there must have been some change in sea-level. It was so obvious, that I can’t help thinking there must be something else in it, that I can’t see.
May 27, 2010 at 6:50 am |
I see it, but my brain keeps trying to unsee it.
May 27, 2010 at 7:05 am |
It’s the Med all right but that dot down in Egypt? Look closer.
Totally a dancing gorilla.
May 27, 2010 at 7:18 am |
Well at first I thought it was a map with the land in white and water in black….but then I saw it and wonder why I didn’t see it right off! Left to right…chin, mouth and big nosed Mrs. Gnome yell at Mr. Gnome who is laying down {see his neck …chin…nose…little bits of white hair from under his pointed hat} she is yelling cause the fluffy cat is in the middle of everything with it’s tail end stuck into the face of the lady with the mask on only showing her eyes and the weird little left hand coming up under her to pick at her mask all the while those strange hands above the lady are squeezing and holding an elephant upside down in the right hand and pulling the poor sore trunk in the left hand! For some reason Mrs. Gnome blames it all on Mr. Gnome……don’t know how I missed it!
May 27, 2010 at 7:33 am |
I guess I am too used to seeing maps centered on my country to ever see anything else in it…
May 27, 2010 at 7:37 am |
I can see only a Map with Italy there. I come from Italy.
I can’t see any other else…
Is there something hidden?
May 27, 2010 at 7:40 am |
How is that a magic trick? It looks like a bad patch up of new signs on an old video clip…
May 27, 2010 at 7:54 am |
I can’t see anything but a bad draw of the mediterranean sea. Whoever drew this have clearly never seen Spain…
May 27, 2010 at 7:54 am |
I’m waiting for Richard to tell us it wasn’t the gnome it was the witch praying (tilt your head to your left she is in white)… or something similar.
Here’s a variation on the “images in maps” This is a link to a map of North and South America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BlankMap-Americas.svg) tilt your head to the right so that South America is on the right of your vision. Do you see the duck?
May 27, 2010 at 8:27 am
Well Mark …I see the gnomes {Mr. and Mrs.} and the whole story….hehe….but the link you posted all I see is a hog with big ear rings and a small turtle in the mouth/snout about to be eaten by the hog…..and why yes by golly that hog is wearing lip stick! Sorry no duck….lol……
May 27, 2010 at 8:29 am
Oh forgot the hog has on a checked collar around it’s neck! A very snappy dresser this hog is!…….. hehe
May 27, 2010 at 8:34 am |
Wow! It popped out! After 2 seconds…
May 27, 2010 at 9:03 am |
It came to me in a split second. Not instantly, but almost instantly.
May 27, 2010 at 9:29 am |
Less than 10 secs. but I had been warned there was something specific to identify. I probably wouldn’t have if I had come accross the image by chance.
May 27, 2010 at 11:09 am |
WOW! I just looked at the picture for like a second and immediately I thought about Europe! And I suck at geography!!!
May 27, 2010 at 11:29 am |
I saw it immediatly – less than a second.
May 27, 2010 at 11:31 am |
the particular shape of italy gave it away within a few seconds
May 27, 2010 at 11:32 am |
Less than second, I recognized Italy immediately, then figured rest.
May 27, 2010 at 11:34 am |
One second processing time. Another 20 seconds to check it wasn’t a double-bluff. Mind you, that’s without coffee this morning.
May 27, 2010 at 11:41 am |
i see Italy!! so im taking it its europe
May 27, 2010 at 11:42 am |
oh shit i just said what i saw….bugger me.
May 27, 2010 at 11:45 am |
A version of the Mediterranean sea with a huge Gibraltar Strait, no Bay of Biscay, lack of a lot of islands and an ill-formed Black Sea
May 27, 2010 at 12:02 pm |
It was the boot shape that made me finally realise what it was. Took a while because I’m not used to looking at that particular outline!
May 27, 2010 at 12:05 pm |
What’s illusory about that image? It’s obviously the Mediterranean Sea.
May 27, 2010 at 12:10 pm |
Interestingly when I stare at the centre of the image for 15 seconds, turn to a wall and blink continuously for 5 seconds and then stare at the wall, a bird or plane becomes visible on the wall. This is similar to the “Jesus illusion.” I think the only reason a bird or plane shows on the wall is because the Mediterranean Sea and seas joining the Mediterranean are shaped like a bird or plane (minus where Italy is.) In other words, everything coloured black has the basic shape of a bird or plane.
Regarding the actual Illusion that Richard refers to, I don’t think it would work if the colours were reversed.
May 27, 2010 at 12:25 pm |
I saw it immediately, although the monochromatic map messed with my eyes a little bit.
May 27, 2010 at 12:30 pm |
I see it. It’s most definitely some wacked out side image of a goblin. For sure.
May 27, 2010 at 12:33 pm |
Black and white map with black and white reversed.
And Dylan isn’t performing a magic trick. It’s been digitally inserted into old footage of Dylan.
Lame.
May 27, 2010 at 12:36 pm |
Took me less than a sec to figure out…
May 27, 2010 at 12:51 pm |
Beautiful!!!!
May 27, 2010 at 1:00 pm |
Sorry, i saw Italy immediately.
May 27, 2010 at 1:02 pm |
I’m Italian and I instantly see it the right way. No illusion here for me
May 27, 2010 at 2:28 pm |
Hey! It’s not a magic trick!! He is just doing some basic algebra… it’s very easy to find…
well…maybe the fact that I am a maths teacher helped me ^^;
As for the “illusion”, since I’m french it’s a part of the globe that I know well so… I immediatly saw it.
Sorry for the bad english.
Mihawk
May 27, 2010 at 3:00 pm |
Is there a word for the reverse of pareidolia?
May 27, 2010 at 3:18 pm |
oh yeah!!!!!! i think its harder to see cause the black is the sea… i usually think black is the main bit of the picture…. dunno why! :S
May 27, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Because black usually *is* the content of printed material. With that in mind, I’d wager that the confusion/illusion would be much less effective if the background for this site were black instead of white.
May 27, 2010 at 7:09 pm
yeah!!!!!!
May 27, 2010 at 4:03 pm |
If I hadn’t read some of the posts I would have never gotten it. I was looking for a person or something else… my brain can’t see something that simple unless it is pointed out to me. Thank you Sarah you helped a lot.
May 27, 2010 at 4:04 pm |
I saw it immediately, only because the “boot” appears roughly in the focal point of the image.
May 27, 2010 at 4:09 pm |
I see a boot shape….
May 27, 2010 at 4:25 pm |
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…” Psalm 14:1
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolish?”
1 Corinthians 1:20 (Written by the apostle Paul who has the following pedigree: Circumcised the eight day; of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee; … as to the righteousness which is in the law, become blameless– I guess I have to ask, Who is Richard Wiseman, besides being a sorcerer and practitioner of darkness? )
Also written by the apostle Paul: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame those who are wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the things that are strong, and the lowborn things of the world and the dispised things God has chosen, things which are not, that He might bring to nought the things which are, so that no flesh may boast before God.” 1Corinthians 1:27-29
Paul once again: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is manifest within them, for God manifested it to them. For the invisible things of Him, both His eternal power and divine characteristics, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse; because though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or thank Him, but rather became vain in their reasonings, and their heart, lacking understanding, was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:18-22
God spread forth the glory of the heavens with it’s infinite beauty, and out of His being created all things on this earth; a majestic masterpiece beyond comprehension. Stand before Mt Everest and consider the majesty of God’s inner being. Who is Richard Wiseman? When he calls a single blade of grass into being out of nothing I guess I would consider what he stands for.
And Mr Wiseman’s arrogant, vain, and meaningless, poll in which he concludes “God loses” Oooowww, how deep oh wise man… LOL.
You will stand, Mr Wiseman, before God’s great Throne of Judgement with your eternal destiny to be decided by One that none can challenge HIs word, One who is far above all rule and authority and power and lordship, and every named not only in this age but also that which is to come. He is the Almighty God, the eternal King of kings and the eternal Lord of lords, the God of eternal glory.
You are how old Mr Wiseman ? Use that as a point of reference and consider a hundred years, then a thousand, then ten-thousand, then a million, then a billion, then a trillion …. eternity is a long time wouldn’t you say. I guess I can assume you really like high-stakes gambling.
“… the lake of fire and brimstone… they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
“But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all the false, their part will be in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
“Outside [in the lake of fire which burns forever] are the dogs and the sorcerers and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolators and everyone who loves and makes a lie.” Revelation 22:15
You don’t like such a God and wouldn’t follow God if God were such a God…LOL … like your utterance of these words from your lips changes anything. You don’t believe ?? … for sure this stance will change anything… Yeah Right!! ..LOL. You who can’t call a blade of grass into being out of nothing, who mocks the Living God, test your all important reasonings and confident utterances and your power. Go to the Amtrak train tracks in your local area. When the train is approaching at a 120mph stand on the tracks and say “I don’t believe in Amtrak” … see what your great words change.
Who are you, Mr Wiseman ??
May 27, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Re your last question, did you used to watch Basil Brush?
May 27, 2010 at 5:20 pm |
I saw Italy immediately then spent 5 minutes tilting my head around and trying to see the illusion, then I game up and came here to see what I was supposed to see and found out it’s just a map with Italy in the middle?
May 27, 2010 at 5:29 pm |
I figured it out in seconds. At first glance it looked like random blobs, but something seemed geographical about the edges. I tried “reversing” it in my head (that is “what if the dark part was the water instead of the land) and recognized it.
May 27, 2010 at 6:40 pm |
it looked immediately like the Med area. Husband saw it too. Can’t see anything else. I’m wondering what I’m meant to see…………
May 27, 2010 at 6:53 pm |
Bob Dylan:
Pick a number: X
Double it: 2X
Add 10: 2X + 10
Divide by 2: X+5
Subtract your original number: X+5-X=5
You are left with the number 5.
Picture:
It looks like a map of Europe.
May 27, 2010 at 8:41 pm |
For about 5 seconds it looked like an abstraction of “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo (which I find somehow fitting), but then I noticed the boot kicking the ball and it all became clear.
May 27, 2010 at 9:51 pm |
saw it instantly
May 27, 2010 at 10:48 pm |
So Richypitchy what is the quirk? You see the Mediteranian Sea but when you look longer you see……………????
May 28, 2010 at 12:14 am |
[...] Dylan and a great illusion…. Good morning. I have just come across some rare footage of Bob Dylan performing a magic trick – thought you might [...] [...]
May 28, 2010 at 12:51 am |
I kept trying to see people or a battle in the black space but then stepped back and saw the white (or the light haha).
May 28, 2010 at 6:25 am |
Interesting. I immediately picked out that this was a map of the mediterranian but could for the life of me not say why. Then I started to think that maybe it was something else, and read the comments a bit. After finding that most people seemed to agree with me, I scrolled back up, and this time I could see why.
A case of “trust your gut”?
May 28, 2010 at 7:45 am |
Look from 30 cm at the nose of the boot.
Do this for 30 seconds.
Than look at a point at your cealing.
After a few second you see the picture reversed.
May 28, 2010 at 9:18 am |
I thought it was people skydiving, they were in the freefall stage!
May 28, 2010 at 12:24 pm |
I’m Italian so I saw the Mediterranean at once. But I must complain too – the island of Sardinia, where I live, is horribly misshapen!
May 28, 2010 at 4:54 pm |
Based on Ron’s long, rambling post above, it appears a simple way to get Richard Wiseman to leave a comment is to be batshit insane. (It’s okay, that’s a medical term. I know, because I’m a doctor.)
May 28, 2010 at 10:10 pm |
Yes, a few seconds for me. I was looking for something else to pop up like those old Magic Eye posters, then I saw Italy and it all fell into place.
BTW, what’d up with Ron?
May 29, 2010 at 3:44 am |
Not sure if this has already been pointed out (I don’t exactly want to read all 71 comments thus far), but that Bob Dylan “magic trick” is simple algebra. Say the number you thought of equals X.
Double it: 2X
Subtract 10: 2X – 10
Divide by 2: (2X – 10)1/2
Subtract X: (2X – 10)1/2 – X
End up with 5: (2X – 10)1/2 – X = 5
If you reduce the fraction (2X – 10)1/2 you are left with X – 5
The Xs then cancel out and you are left with 5=5, which will ALWAYS be true.
Math pwns.
May 29, 2010 at 3:46 am
And by Subtract 10 I most certainly meant Add 10. Every time. *facepalm*
May 29, 2010 at 4:18 am |
I saw Italy immediately. Pretty weak illusion, IMHO. Unless there was something else I was supposed to see?
Gene
May 31, 2010 at 3:58 pm |
I saw the Mediterranean sea immediately, so I kept squinting and turning my head sideways to see something else. I would still be doing so if I hadn’t read the comments.
May 31, 2010 at 4:11 pm |
Its a map of the world. I quickly realized in 2 seconds?? Pretty fast huh…?
December 13, 2010 at 11:32 pm |
yeah, I saw it immediately. most maps have light land and dark water, so it’s rather obvious.