Have you ever stared at a painting, convinced you saw something… that your neighbor couldn’t see at all? A viral optical illusion is attracting attention on social media. At its center is a mysterious spiral and a fascinating visual challenge. A simple numbers game… or a captivating window into the secrets of our perception? The choice is yours.

A spiral hiding a number: do you see it?

It all started with a seemingly innocent image: a black, white, and gray spiral. At first glance, some people see three numbers. Others count five, or even seven. How many numbers do you see? This little visual puzzle quickly spread, captivating   curious internet users seeking an explanation  . Among the most common answers were:   528, 45283… and even 3452839.  Surprising   , right?

Why do our eyes perceive different things?

Don’t panic if you don’t see the same number as your colleague or best friend: it’s completely normal. This optical illusion relies on a very simple… yet   exceptionally effective  mechanism. It plays on contrast, or the ability of our eyes to distinguish shapes based on the difference between an object and its background. 

Several factors influence what you perceive: