red headed woman who appears to be looking at a computer monitor
Jade Small
Jade Small
May 17, 2021 ·  4 min read

Optical Illusion Divides The Internet With Some Seeing Beach And Others Seeing Car Door

Have you ever come across an illusion that was just so baffling you spent ages trying to work it out? Maybe after a while, you gave up completely and went back to seemingly more important things? Well, an optical illusion that appeared previously both on Twitter and Reddit has now resurfaced on TikTok. Online users still cannot manage to get their heads around if there is a beach or a car door in the picture. Once again, the internet was completely divided in their opinion. The TikTok user called @HecticNick, who is known for his illusions and brain-teasers, received an astounding number of responses. What was even more interesting was how much the feedback differed from user to user. It certainly inspired some creativity. Let’s take a look at the image together, and you can see what all the fuss is about. [1]

Is this a picture of a beach or a car door?
Image: @nxyxm/Twitter

What is it really though?

At first glance, it does look like some kind of surreal beach scene with the horizon in the background. The more you examine the details, the more your eyes will convince you of what the shapes and lines are suggesting. The sky seems to be dark and filled with clouds, with the waves washing over the shoreline. However, the truth of the picture is that it’s a close-up view of the lowest end of a car door and the ground below. What gives it away is the shadows along the sand and the part of the skirting that is damaged. When you flip the image it becomes so much easier to make out. The clip received over 284,000 likes and over 9000 comments, so it certainly caused a stir. However, don’t let your imagination fool you as it did for some TikTok users who commented on the clip. [3]

@hecticnick

Can anyone see what it REALLY is? 🤯#sugercrash #trick #fyp

♬ SugarCrash! – ElyOtto

The clip left some TikTok users bewildered. “I can see both and my mind is confused,” stated one. While another wondered, “Who else thought it was the moon?” To which many replied with a resounding, “Huh?” The guesses kept on coming though. “Am I the only one that saw two snakes?” asked a commenter. [2]

@hecticnick/TikToK
Hectic Nick broke down the baffling brain teaser to his 1.7 million followers
@HecticNick/TikTok

Why do these illusions work?

According to The National Institute of Health (NIH) Eye Institute, optical illusions appear to play tricks on you. This occurs from the way our brain and eyes work together to process visual information. It is achieved with a 2D image because we don’t have all the visual information we need, so we can be misled. In the past, optical illusions have even helped us to get a better scientific understanding of how our brains interact with visual stimulation. The mysterious picture of a beach or a car door first appeared on Twitter and Reddit in 2019. Even back then, the responses seemed mystified to say the least. [5]

The trick to seeing its true identity is apparently to flip the image. Picture: Twitter//Nayem
Image: @nxyxm/Twitter

The original Twitter post, read, “if you can see a beach, ocean sky, rocks and stars then you are an artist, But it’s not a painting it’s the lower part of the car gate which needs to be repaired.” In response, one commenter admitted, “I’ve looked at this picture every which way possible, the only thing I see is someone might be looking through a window at a beach. Maybe if we saw the whole picture of the car, then it’s possible we might get it.” Later a thoughtful user said that “The photographer/editor is good at “rule of thirds” and it really helps push the optical illusion. I love the surreal surf scene. I can even see the “ship” in the distance—as long as I don’t look too close.” It’s clear the picture captured the imagination of many. [4]

@nxyxm/Twitter

Wow, that was confusing! Can you handle more mind-boggling illusions?

In this old photo, there’s a third person hidden somewhere. Can you spot them? These illusions can reveal what’s really on your mind. Check them out! Most people miss it, but see if you can find the dog hiding in this picture? Let us know if you can, and share these fun puzzles for your friends to try out too!

Sources

  1. “Optical Illusion Divides The Internet With Some Seeing Beach And Others Seeing Car Door.” Lad Bible. May 13, 2021
  2. “Optical illusion divides the internet – but do you see a beach or a car?” indy100. May 14, 2021
  3. “A new optical illusion on Twitter has people mistaking a car door for the beach.” Insider. July 8, 2019
  4. “Mind-Bending Optical Illusion Has People Mistaking a Car Door for the Beach.” Time. July 10, 2019
  5. “Beach or Car Door? Optical Illusion Confuses the Internet.” Newsweek. July 9, 2019