Optical illusion: Can you spot 16 circles in a web of rectangles in this mind-boggling puzzle?

Mint

05-07-2025

There's no better way than optical illusions to challenge your brains! And this award-winning optical illusion, which is making a viral comeback, is bound to have you scratching your head. Known as the Coffer Illusion, it may look like a simple grid of black and white rectangles, but hidden within are 16 perfectly round circles. Can you spot them?
According to a BBC report, the optical illusion was created by Stanford vision scientist Anthony Norcia. It was crowned Best Illusion of the Year in 2006. At first glance, most people only see rectangular shapes arranged in a tiled fashion.
According to the Guardian, two recent studies offered competing explanations on why some people are likely to find the circles faster than others. Researchers from London School of Economics, led by Ivan Kroupin, found people in rural Namibia who spotted the circles early on in comparison to the participants from the US and the UK. They suggested exposure to straight lines and right angles in urban architecture shaped people's perception and thus the difference.
In contrast, another study by Dorsa Amir and Chaz Firestone challenged this theory. They showed that even animals and newly sighted individuals can experience similar illusions and suggested the brain's perception systems could be universal.
An X user, who goes by Gavin Buckingham, first shared the optical illusion in 2022 and the post is getting traction again. Here's the image:
When you first look at the picture, the rectangular panels may seem to be the only dominating thing in the picture. But if you focus hard enough, especially, on the spaces between those panels, you'll quickly realize there's more to it than what meets the eye, quite literally!
Still need one more hint? Just stare at the gaps between the panels, and your eyes will gradually begin to perceive the 'hidden' circles in the image.
Wondering why it is hard to find these 16 circles? Researchers like Professor Anil Seth of University of Sussex, explain that perception means actively interpreting the reality, it is a controlled hallucination shaped by biology and experience and the Coffer illusion is a perfect illusion of it!
So, the next time an optical illusion stops you in your tracks, remember: you're not just looking at a trick, you're looking into the workings of your own mind.
A: It's an optical illusion made of horizontal and vertical bars that form the appearance of rectangles. Hidden within the pattern are 16 circles that many people don't see immediately.
A: Your brain tends to group the visual elements into rectangles, which are more familiar from everyday environments. This dominance suppresses the circular pattern until you refocus.
A: Yes, try focusing on the vertical bars instead of the rectangles. Once one circle becomes visible, the rest may appear more easily.
A: It reveals that perception is not just about the eyes, but also about the brain's interpretation of what it sees shaped by experience, expectation, and possibly even culture.