An optical illusion is a fun way to exercise your brain. However, some believe they’re also an indication of one’s level of intelligence. For example, a new brain teaser featuring a horse can only be solved by “highly intelligent people.”
Solving an Optical Illusion
The optical illusion is an image of a full-grown brown and white horse. Viewers are challenged to find the second horse in the image. There’s a twist, though, as most people are searching for “a second horse” when trying to solve the optical illusion. However, this optical illusion is thought to indicate intelligence because the viewer has to think out of the ordinary to locate the second horse.
Although a second horse isn’t pictured, the word “horse” is seemingly hidden in the brown and white horse’s glossy coat.
Read More: There Are Two Women Hidden In This Optical Illusion! Do You See Them?
A Different Perspective
This brain teaser has stumped most people because they’re so focused on finding another horse, that it doesn’t occur to them they could be looking for a word instead. Optical illusions range in how they trick your brain. Some optical illusions test mathematical skills or logic. On the other hand, this horse optical illusion tests observational skills.
Animal Hidden in an Optical Illusion
Whether or not solving this optical illusion was easy for you, many people enjoy puzzles like this and know they’re good for maintaining healthy brain function. Here are a few other fun optical illusions shared on the internet, stumping people and causing them to question their intelligence.
In 2019, a nanotech engineer named Dr. Michelle Dickinson posted this optical illusion, asking users if they could spot the hidden animal. Although it does appear faint, and some people may have no trouble pointing it out, there’s a helpful hint for others. Shaking your head back and forth a few times should help make the animal clearer and in focus.
Colorful Optical Illusion
Meanwhile, Dr. David Novick, a professor at the University of Texas, shared a colorful optical illusion in 2018. He challenged viewers to decipher how many colors can be found in the circles. Although the illusion is colorful, closer inspection shows that all the circles are the same color. They only appear to be different colors because of the colorful lines going through them. “The differences are subtle, though, and depend on the size of the image when it’s viewed,” Dr. Novick wrote.
Read More: Optical Illusion Divides The Internet With Some Seeing Beach And Others Seeing Car Door
Hidden Dots
Lastly, this cool optical illusion features 12 dots. However, “when the white disks in a scintillating grid are reduced in size, and outlined in black, they tend to disappear.” According to the NLM. As such, it’s seemingly impossible to see all 12 dots altogether.
Advantageous for Healthy Brain Function
Several studies have been conducted regarding optical illusions and how our brains function while trying to solve them. A puzzle like this strengthens the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for things like problem-solving, decision-making, and concentration. Furthermore, when you’ve solved an optical illusion, your brain produces more dopamine. While most people know that dopamine plays a crucial role in maintaining one’s mood, some may be surprised to learn the release of dopamine has also been shown to improve memory and concentration.
Varying Types of Intelligence
Moreover, it’s worth noting that an inability to solve the horse optical illusion may not indicate a low IQ. Rather, it could reflect the type of intelligence you possess. According to a Harvard psychologist, intelligence falls into eight categories. Some examples include spatial intelligence, linguistic, logical-mathematical, or intrapersonal intelligence. Either way, a 2021 study published in the NLM found that “logic stress and limit stress generated during playing brain teaser games are positive stress, with a desirable effect on the players’ attention.”