Click following link to check out a collection of classic articles that all psychology students should read.



Psychology Classics On Amazon



Psychology Classics


Sex On The Brain:

5 Pictures Sigmund Freud Would Have Loved



"The Message of Dolphins"


The Message of Dolphins


So how long did it take you to see the dolphins in the picture above? What do you mean you still can't see them!



This brilliant colored pencil drawing by Swiss artist Sandro Del-Prete was featured in the book Masters of Deception: Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion, along with this great description.


This image incorporates a figure/ground perceptual reversal, and is an excellent example of one's viewpoint being primed by experience. If you are young and innocent, and have not been "ruined" yet, you will likely perceive a group of - yes - dolphins. Adults on the other hand, will probably see a couple in a suggestive embrace. If you are having trouble perceiving the dolphins, just reverse figure and ground: What normally constitutes the ground (dark areas), becomes a group of small dolphins (the figures).


At a public exhibition that the author held at the University of Cambridge, it was tremendous fun to watch the adults and the very young children argue about the meaning of this image. Adults would exclaim to their children "What dolphins" This image was also displayed in an illusion exhibit gallery at the Museum of Science in Boston. When asked if there was any controversy about displaying this image, the curators replied that once a group of nuns had objected, but were quickly silenced when told that one's perception is based upon past experience.



Want more examples of your brain violating your expectation of what an image represents? Of course you do! Check out the 5 pictures below that Sigmund Freud would have loved. Remember all the pictures below are perfectly innocent - so with that in mind, or should that be filthy mind! What Do You See?





The Joys of Camping!



The Joys of Camping!




That's A Flash Car!



That's A Flash Car!




Piggy in The Middle!



Piggy in The Middle!




Victoria or Albert?



Victoria or Albert?




Falling Asleep on The Job!



Falling Asleep on The Job!



I came across most of these images over at Professor Richard Wiseman's excellent blog, so a big thanks to him and to whoever originally posted the pictures online.





Related Reading



Masters of Deception


Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page. Butterflies that transform right before your eyes into two warriors with their horses. A mosaic portrait of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau made from seashells. These dazzling and often playful artistic creations manipulate perspective so cleverly that they simply outwit our brains: we can’t just take a quick glance and turn away. They compel us to look once, twice, and over and over again, as we try to figure out exactly how the delightful trickery manages to fool our perceptions so completely. Of course, first and foremost, every piece is beautiful on the surface, but each one offers us so much more. 


From Escher’s famous and elaborate “Waterfall” to Shigeo Fukuda’s “Mary Poppins,” where a heap of bottles, glasses, shakers, and openers somehow turn into the image of a Belle Epoque woman when the spotlight hits them, these works of genius will provide endless enjoyment. You can buy this thoroughly engaging book on Amazon via the following link.


Masters of Deception: Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion



If you like psychology, you'll love this great collection of Psychology T-Shirts available from the official All About Psychology Amazon Store. To see the full T-shirt collection, click on the following link or on the T-Shirt images below.


Psychology T-Shirt Collection



Psychology T-Shirts

Recent Articles

  1. All About Psychology Newsletter: Your Essential Psychology Newsletter

    Nov 06, 24 09:39 AM

    Modern image symbolizing the exploration of the human mind for a psychology newsletter. Shows a person deep in thought, with abstract elements such as glowing neural networks, swirling colors and interconnected brainwave patterns around them.
    Subscribe to the All About Psychology Newsletter—a psychology newsletter offering captivating insights into human behavior, expert interviews, and the latest research. Dive into the mind today!

    Read More

  2. Psychology Articles 2.0: Contribute, Share, Collaborate and Learn.

    Nov 04, 24 01:06 PM

    Guest Psychology Articles
    Guest Psychology Articles: A primary aim of this Website is to make psychology accessible and open to all and psychology 2.0 has been designed to help facilitate this aim.

    Read More

  3. Empathetic AI: Bridging the Gap Between Emotion and Technology

    Nov 04, 24 09:35 AM

    Digital illustration of a compassionate interaction between a human and a friendly empathetic AI humanoid robot. They are seated across from each other in a modern setting, engaged in a warm conversation.
    Discover how empathetic AI is transforming technology by enabling machines to understand and respond to human emotions. Explore its applications, benefits, challenges, and the future of emotional arti…

    Read More

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.


Know Someone Who Would Like To See These Pictures?


Share This Page With Them



Back To The Top Of The Page


Go From 5 Pictures Sigmund Freud Would Have Loved To The Home Page