A viral optical illusion circulating on Twitter has been falsely claimed to reveal a person's stress levels based on how much it appears to move. The image, which features concentric circles that seem to rotate, has been shared with posts asserting that faster movement indicates higher stress.
However, the creator of the illusion, Ukrainian designer Yurii Perepadia, has debunked these claims. Perepadia, 50, from Oleksandriya, created the image in 2016 using Adobe Illustrator, taking about two hours. He says the effect is achieved using a technique by Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka, involving black and white strokes on a coloured background that trick the eye into perceiving motion.
Perepadia told BBC Three that he first saw the false claims on Facebook and was annoyed by the copyright infringement. Despite his efforts to have the posts removed, they continued to spread on Twitter, where users joked about their mental health based on the illusion.
To set the record straight, Perepadia posted about the illusion on Instagram, explaining its true origin and that it has no connection to stress. He expressed relief that people have since realised the claims are fake, saying, 'When people found out I was the author of this picture, it helped me bring out the truth.'
The original viral post, now deleted, falsely attributed the image to a Japanese neurology professor named Yamamoto and claimed that the speed of movement indicated stress levels. Experts advise that anyone concerned about their mental health should consult a qualified professional rather than relying on social media illusions.
