I have never been able to see the hidden image in an autostereogram. As a kid in the 90s, when these things were all the rage thanks to the "Magic Eye" book, and to avoid looking like a total loser, I'd lie and say yes, that behind all those dots I could see the damn cow. But it wasn't true. I never saw the cow, the car, the girl with the umbrella, or anything like that. Just colored dots. Even now, while writing this, I do it trusting that they aren't a lie similar to the emperor's new clothes, because I still can't find meaning in the chaos.
However, those who know say that an autostereogram is an optical illusion of a three-dimensional object created from two superimposed 2D images. To see the hidden image, you must first trick the automatic focus and automatic movement of your eyes, which want to focus on everything they see. When the depth perception of both eyes emerges from different perspectives, that's when the brain captures what appears to be a 3D object.
Autostereograms are made with a technique similar to anaglyph images (stereograms), the ones that need special glasses to be seen correctly. In the case of autostereograms, glasses are not necessary, because two images of the same object are superimposed but from slightly different angles. The repetitions or random dots of the figures, if you see them correctly, eventually create the illusion of depth and reveal the mystery behind. So simple is the technique that there are even online applications for you to make your own autostereograms. The most fun of all is Easy Stereogram Builder, if you want to take a look around.
All over the web we can find dozens of guides that want to help us decipher these visual puzzles. In my case, none have been successful. Still, since I'm writing this for you, I lean toward taking the one from the Magic Eye site as the best, and I'll transcribe it here. Use the following image.
"Hold the center of the image right up to your nose. You should see it blurry. Focus as if you were looking at the image in the distance. Very slowly move the image away from your face, until the two squares on the image become three. If you are seeing four squares, move the image even further away until you see three squares. If you only see one or two squares, start over! When you clearly see three squares, keep the image still, and the hidden image will begin to appear magically. Once you perceive the hidden image and the depth, you can look around the 3D image. The more you look, the clearer the illusion will become. The further you move the image from your face, the greater the depth. Good luck!"
And? Did you manage to see the planet Saturn in 3D? All I got was a terrible headache. If, like me, you still can't see the damn 3D image, it's better to consult an eye doctor. People with astigmatism, strabismus, and cataracts, among others, are denied the secrets of autostereograms, and maybe you want to get a checkup. There are also those of us who, somehow, have no visual problems but lack the imagination and patience needed to wait for optical illusions to materialize before our eyes.
Without further ado, below is a selection of what I consider (should be) some of the best autostereograms on the web. How do I know they're the best if I can't see them? Well, don't tell anyone, but my wife helped me... So if anything, you can complain to her. Want more? I advise you to follow the Twitter account of Magic Stereogram, check out the sites Eye Tricks and Hidden-3D, from which many of the illusions I share here come from.
The Best Autostereograms
