With the parallel viewing method, you have to focus your eyes somewhere behind the 2D pattern. The first is the parallel (also known as wall-eyed or wide-eyed) method. There are 2 methods to view autostereograms. Magic Eye books have now sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and have been released in over 20 languages.īelow are a selection of popular Magic Eye books that are available for purchase through Amazon: This craze was sparked by Magic Eye 3D pictures published in the United States. In the 90s, there was a huge surge in the popularity of 3D autostereograms. Using computers, he was able to combine the different visual theories to generate the first random dot stereogram that allowed the brain to perceive 3D from a single 2D image without any optical help. The autostereogram was first conceived by Christopher Tyler in the 1970s. The stereoscope allowed a single 3D image to be seen from two slightly different and disparate 2D images. In 1838, he combined mirrors and lenses to create the first stereoscope. Stereograms were first discovered by Charles Wheatstone. Top and Middle: Autostereogram 2D patterns with a hidden 3D picture of a sharkīottom: The underlying 3D shape of a shark for the above autostereograms At this point, your stereopsis kicks in and your brain is able to construct the 3D image at a depth different to that of the 2D pattern. When you are able to focus your eyes behind the 2D pattern, your eyes start to look at the pattern at a slightly different angle. This is because your brain automatically focuses on the image itself.

When you look at an autostereogram, your brain initially sees repeating 2D patterns from both eyes. The hidden 3D image can be seen with just the naked eye, as long as the correct focus can be achieved. Stereograms require the use of a stereoscope for the 3D image to be seen.Īutostereograms, on the other hand, do not require a stereoscope. Read our affiliate disclosure here.Īutostereograms are two-dimensional (2D) images with repeating patterns that hide an underlying three-dimensional (3D) image.

Stereogram pictures with answers