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Nope. Doesn't work. Everyone's advice fails to work for me. I tend to think this is just a mass conspiracy or giant elaborate joke. I'm going to use this JS scr

Nope. Doesn't work. Everyone's advice fails to work for me. I tend to think this is just a mass conspiracy or giant elaborate joke. I'm going to use this JS script to generate tests to see if I can get people who can do this to tell what the number is behind this "magic eye". Call everyone on their bullshit.

saurik 12y ago
If you cross your eyes, can you get a reverse (inset, concave) image? I don't understand why magic eyes are always implemented in the way that requires people to do something almost impossible (ignore an object in front of them and try to focus on something further away) when almost everyone can cross their eyes and those that can't can probably force their eyes to do it with a piece of string or a pencil or something. I still have never managed to see a magic eye correctly (outset, convex), but can at least decode what other people are seeing in reverse by crossing my eyes :(.
robert_tweed 12y ago
A small number of people will never be able to see them, but AFAIK if you have normal stereo vision (no lazy eyes etc.) then you should be able, with practise. Since these particular stereograms use coloured random dots, the colourblind might have some extra trouble with them. I messed around with SIRDS quite a lot in the 90s. I found it hard to see them at first, but the reflection technique initially worked for me and after a while, I had no problem seeing them and even started seeing them by accident in wallpaper patterns and the like. Another thing that makes a difference is the width of the strips used in the stereogram compared to your IPD. Depending on the width of these, it might be easier to sit closer to, or further away from the screen. Once you get the basic technique you can tolerate a wider range of widths, but at first it can be tricky. It might help to start really close to the screen and slowly move your head backwards as you try to focus.
lukifer 12y ago
Here's how I (accidentally) learned to do it: hold up a forefinger from each hand, pointed at each other, with a very small gap in between. Now look at something in the distance through the gap: you should see a magic "hot dog finger" floating in the air between them. Once you can see this, alternate between looking at your fingers and looking at the distance. Once you've got the mechanic down, you can start intentionally unfocusing without anything in the distance to look at, which is what it takes to see a magic eye.
- zbowling 12y ago
  Nope. Doesn't work.
  - lukifer 12y ago
    Out of curiosity: did the finger hot dog trick not work, or did it not translate to the magic eye?

saurik 12y ago

If you cross your eyes, can you get a reverse (inset, concave) image? I don't understand why magic eyes are always implemented in the way that requires people to do something almost impossible (ignore an object in front of them and try to focus on something further away) when almost everyone can cross their eyes and those that can't can probably force their eyes to do it with a piece of string or a pencil or something. I still have never managed to see a magic eye correctly (outset, convex), but can at least decode what other people are seeing in reverse by crossing my eyes :(.

robert_tweed 12y ago

A small number of people will never be able to see them, but AFAIK if you have normal stereo vision (no lazy eyes etc.) then you should be able, with practise. Since these particular stereograms use coloured random dots, the colourblind might have some extra trouble with them. I messed around with SIRDS quite a lot in the 90s. I found it hard to see them at first, but the reflection technique initially worked for me and after a while, I had no problem seeing them and even started seeing them by accident in wallpaper patterns and the like. Another thing that makes a difference is the width of the strips used in the stereogram compared to your IPD. Depending on the width of these, it might be easier to sit closer to, or further away from the screen. Once you get the basic technique you can tolerate a wider range of widths, but at first it can be tricky. It might help to start really close to the screen and slowly move your head backwards as you try to focus.

lukifer 12y ago

Here's how I (accidentally) learned to do it: hold up a forefinger from each hand, pointed at each other, with a very small gap in between. Now look at something in the distance through the gap: you should see a magic "hot dog finger" floating in the air between them. Once you can see this, alternate between looking at your fingers and looking at the distance. Once you've got the mechanic down, you can start intentionally unfocusing without anything in the distance to look at, which is what it takes to see a magic eye.

zbowling 12y ago
Nope. Doesn't work.
- lukifer 12y ago
  Out of curiosity: did the finger hot dog trick not work, or did it not translate to the magic eye?