Here Are 15 Optical Illusions Which Baffled Us This Year From Cats to Biden

Never judge something at face value, especially if it's something you find on the internet.

In an era of fake news and misinformation, it's often the case that not everything is as it initially may appear. That's perhaps most true on social media where any number of videos or photographs have circulated over the past 12 months appearing to reveal one thing when in fact they show something completely different.

Optical illusions of this kind may not carry the same potential for harm as other misleading information online but they have proven a source of discussion, confusion and occasional hilarity in 2022. Here are a few of the very best.

1) Joe Biden Sparks Intense Speculation About His Legs

An innocuous photo of President Joe Biden hanging out in the Oval Office had Twitter in a frenzy back in November thanks to an unfortunate placing of his jacket on the back of his chair at the Resolute Desk.

Some on Twitter were thrown, believing the jacket was actually his legs. The positioning of the garment created a bizarre optical illusion that made it appear as if the president is sitting on top of the chair spread-eagle, Basic Instinct style.

2) Mind Bending 'Grass Pants' Stump Social Media

A viral picture shared on Reddit's popular r/confusing_perspective forum, had many stumped after appearing to show a individual wearing what can only be described as "grass pants."

The image, which earned over 18,000 upvotes, was shared by Flimsy_Researcher who wrote: "Those are not grass pants." It may have only been a visual trick but those commenting on the post were in awe with one writing: "I know they aren't, but if they were grass pants I would put them on whenever I mowed my lawn."

3) Dog's 'Decapitated' Head Stuns the Internet

Baltimore dog owner Nathan Sievers sent Reddit into meltdown after sharing a picture of his husky Bleu that made it appear as if he had been decapitated. Fortunately, no pets were harmed in the making of the viral image, which was actually just a picture of the canine sitting down on the curb.

"The picture was honestly a fluke. We were hanging out at my friend's brewery and he was laying down on a concrete platform that has a ramp going downward," Sievers told Newsweek. "He rested his head on the ledge and laid down so when I took the picture all you could see what his head floating there."

4) 'Star Wars' Death Star Discovered on Kitchen Counter

The force was strong in one man's kitchen back in March thanks to an optical illusion inspired by something that happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. In a post shared to the popular Reddit forum r/mildlyinteresting, a user by the name of pizzapost showed how he was able to recreate a classic component from the Star Wars movies from the comfort of his home.

"This kitchen counter along with an empty drinking glass sort of looks like a death star in space," he wrote alongside the post. The internet agreed with the post earning over 36,000 upvotes and counting.

5) Two Dogs Sharing One Head

In the photograph, shared to Reddit by BeanzMeanzBranston, two Husky German Shepherds appeared to be joined at the mouth, as they lay on the carpet. "My dogs share a mouth sometimes," the caption accompanying the optical illusion read. The head-scratching snap is a result of the fact one of the animal's heads is on top of the other's and they both have their mouths open in a similarly wide fashion.

BeanzMeanzBranston told Newsweek: "The dogs were just play-fighting with each other like they normally do. I just happened to get a photo at the right time."

6) Mind-Bending Illusion Built Into Skyline

Ever wish you could just press pause on a day and catch up with tasks? For one eagle-eyed Twitter user living in London that appeared ever so slightly closer to becoming a reality thanks to the positioning of one building in the English capital's eye-catching skyline.

Simon Griffiths took to social media to share his view, writing: "Every time I look out my office window I think someone needs to press Play." The striking illusion that looks like the image has a play button overlaid is caused by the Scalpel development which stands in the city's Square Mile.

7) Pet Looking Out of Window Hailed as 'CatGod'

Unusual pictures of pets are nothing new online but one snap of a cat called Goose who lives in the Scottish Highlands with his owners Stewart and Lucy back in July still found a way to wow fans of all things four-legged. The picture, which appears to show Goose among the clouds, was shared to Reddit's r/confusing_perspectiveforum.

Stewart told Newsweek: "Goose is an indoor cat for the moment and Lucy was having a coffee outside and saw her looking longingly out of the window." Thanks to the unusual perspective Goose is actually part of the blue sky and among the clouds like Mufasa in The Lion King.

8) Mirror Reveals Unsettling 'Glitch in Matrix'

A mother and daughter had viewers on TikTok reaching for the red pill after showing the bafflingly different reflections produced by a mirror despite a visible item not being in front of it. In a video that has been watched 6.4 million times since being posted under the handle spiritualglamour88, the mom can be heard, via the text-to-voice generator explaining how her daughter "has noticed something" before asking viewers to "explain this."

The young girl can be seen standing right up against the mirror, with her feet pressed against the skirting board. The mom explains when you "look down" you can still see her feet despite the mirror only being hung from the waist up. You can watch the clip here.

9) 'Half Man, Half Dog' Sparks Evolution Debate

In a post that prompted any number of gags about "evolution," an hilarious optical illusion emerged on Facebook back in May appearing to show a dog with human legs.

The picture—shared on Facebook's popular Dogspotting group by Joey Michael on May 20—features a dog sitting in a vehicle while the reflection on the side of its door shows a man's legs—lined up to look like they belong to the pup.

In the post, Michael wrote: "My dad sent me this, not sure he realized the dog grew human legs." The post made its way over to Reddit's r/Rarepuppers page where it has received over 23,000 upvotes. Alas, we will have to wait a little longer before the dogs walk among us.

10) The Headless Security Guard Baffles Online

While security guards could probably benefit from having eyes in the back of their heads, having no head at all sounds like a pretty major setback. Yet in May, it looked like one unfortunate worker was having to make do with exactly that after a picture emerged on Reddit of a "headless security guard officer."

The post, which was shared by u/NixothePaladin, has now amassed over 12,000 votes. In the photo, he appears to be sitting on a chair, with his head tilted backwards in a way that it actually fools the eye into believing that the man is headless. Some felt it was probably doing the trick. "He's scaring off everyone. Doing his job perfectly if you ask me," one Redditor quipped.

11) Floating Cat Appears 'Puss-essed'

A picture appearing to show a cat "floating" over its sofa sparked wild scenes on social media with fans flocking to suggest the image was a result of some kind of witchcraft while others couldn't resist a pun. "It's black (cat) magic!!!" one claimed, while another suggested the feline was "possessed or puss-essed."

In actual fact username Flamind666, the Redditor who shared the image to the sub-Reddit r/confusing_perspective, offered up a much more mundane reason for how the image came about. They said that the shadow in the picture doesn't belong to the cat and instead is "from a phone of someone taking the picture." You be the judge.

12) Man's Ridiculously Long Arm Breaks Internet

Conrad Mighell from northeast Georgia was shocked to see how his DoorDash delivery was captured in a picture that made his arm look incredibly long.

The illusion that gave Mighell an extra long limb baffled the internet and left many in stitches. "Dude drives his car from the back seat," one commenter quipped with another writing "Mr. Fantastic uses DoorDash? I'd have thought he'd be able to reach."

Mighell told Newsweek: "I posted the photo on Reddit because I thought it was funny. My initial reaction was 'what's wrong with my arm?!' but it was the photo that did my arm dirty."

13) 'Kittensnake' Cat That Looks Like Serpent

Feline fans found themselves doing a double-take on Twitter after a picture surfaced appearing to show something that was half-cat, half-snake.The image, posted to social media by weirdlilguys, first made headlines back in 2021 when it was shared on the Chinese ETtoday.

Of course there was and still is an entirely plausible explanation behind the cat's serpent-like appearance (their body is hidden behind the couch) but that didn't stop the feline from being dubbed "snake cat" or "Kittensnake" on social media.

14) A 'Nightmare' Parking Lot Near LAX

Given the current state of the world, it's perhaps not surprising that so-called "glitches in the matrix" have proven popular on social media. While most can be easily dismissed, the one posted to TikTok by Alexia Petruzziello remains a head-scratcher of the highest order.

In a video viewed more than 43 million times, Petruzziello can be seen struggling to locate her car in a parking lot located near LAX. Despite being able to see her vehicle from another level of the facility, the TikToker finds she is unable to reach that level.
"I'm gonna freak the f**k out in two second," she says. "I parked on floor f***ing five okay."

"I could have swore I parked in like one of these," she added, gesturing towards spaces. Several minutes of chaos and confusion follow as she attempts to navigate the structure in a turn of events that led one viewer to comment: ""I would've just left and bought a new car." Watch it here.

15) Cat Grows Antlers Thanks to Printed Pillow

A cat enjoying a well-earned rest on the couch thanks to a comfy cushion found itself thrust into the spotlight after its owner spotted a bizarre optical illusion.

Dr. Claire Hardaker, a forensic linguist, shared a snap to Twitter of her fluffy pet in front of a depiction of a deer. "The old gods are rising again," she captioned the now-viral photo, which has since amassed more than 50,000 likes. The ears and antlers of the deer were perfectly aligned with the cat's head. Check it out here.

Numerous people commented on the snap, pledging their allegiance to the new cat god, while also sharing similar snaps of their own pets channeling deities. Jennifer Dawson wrote: "My daughter wants this as a profile picture. I'm going to need to find a pillow like this so she can recreate this with her own cat."

LittleMo, meanwhile, joked: "'Cats were once worshiped as gods, they have never forgotten this' Terry Pratchett."