IT’S SPINNING TO THE LEFT...
When you see the diamond spinning to the LEFT, your brain is unconsciously assuming that you’re above the diamond looking DOWN at the central surface (as shown in the spinning figure below). IF this were actually true, then the same information on your retina is consistent with your brain’s past experience of objects that rotate to the LEFT. So you see it that way.IT’S SPINNING TO THE RIGHT...
When you see the diamond spinning to the RIGHT, your brain is unconsciously assuming that you’re below the diamond looking UP at the central surface (as shown in the small spinning icon below). IF this were actually true, then the same information on your retina is consistent with your brain’s past experience of objects that rotate to the RIGHT. So you see it that way.
IF YOU CAN FLIP THE DIAMOND …
If you’re able to flip the rotation of the diamond from one direction to another (and back), then your brain is changing its assumptions about what the information ‘means’, even though the information itself is not changing. That’s powerful stuff! In fact it’s so powerful that this ability to imagine multiple possibilities of the same information is critical for a specific kind of creativity called DIVERGENT THINKING. So, if you’re able to flip the direction of the diamond, you might be less constrained in your thinking and more open to imagining what is possible.IF YOU CANNOT FLIP THE DIAMOND …
If you’re NOT able to flip the rotation of the diamond, then your brain is in a way ‘stuck’ in one interpretation: It’s only able to imagine one possible meaning of the information. When we get stuck this way, research has shown that our capacity for DIVERGENT THINKING, which is essential for creativity, is reduced. An inability to flip the diamond could indicate - at least in this moment - that your perceptions are more explicit, and less open to possibility. If you want to practice flipping the diamond, sometimes it helps to blur your eyes, blink and look around the image (or look at the examples above).
At Lab of Misfits, we aim to increase your Perceptual Intelligence
in order to improve your Perceptual Health. If you want to learn how to use our diamond
illusion to transform your life and well-being … THEN EXPLORE THE LAB OF MISFITS WEBSITE TO LEARN HOW.
UNDERSTANDING ANOTHER PERSON’S MEANING
One of our brain’s strongest beliefs is … “My assumptions are YOUR assumptions”.
This assumption is the source of most of our conflicts that arise when another
person sees the same information differently.
The reason why we get into conflict is that we too often don’t try to discover the assumptions that are driving the other person’s perception. We instead choose to explain their perception according to our own assumptions. As a result, they literally ‘don’t make sense’. How could it?
If you authentically want to deepen your relationship to this other person, then next time you are in conflict with them, seek not to explain their perceptions according to your assumptions. Choose instead to discover THEIR assumptions. It’s amazing how quickly the conflict ends and compassion, learning and understanding ensues.
The reason why we get into conflict is that we too often don’t try to discover the assumptions that are driving the other person’s perception. We instead choose to explain their perception according to our own assumptions. As a result, they literally ‘don’t make sense’. How could it?
If you authentically want to deepen your relationship to this other person, then next time you are in conflict with them, seek not to explain their perceptions according to your assumptions. Choose instead to discover THEIR assumptions. It’s amazing how quickly the conflict ends and compassion, learning and understanding ensues.
But to achieve PERSPECTIVE TAKING, you’ll need to cultivate the following
HEALTHY CHARACTERISTICS:
The first: Become Perceptual Intelligent, as this will give you the ‘want to’ to step into ‘Not Knowing’.
The second: Practice curiosity, as this will lesson the effort needed to seek to understand another person.
The third: Be humble - not in words but in action, as humility embraces possibility.
The fourth: Practice Divergent Thinking, which is the core to imagination . These four characteristics are already inside you. As such, they can be strengthened with practice.
The first: Become Perceptual Intelligent, as this will give you the ‘want to’ to step into ‘Not Knowing’.
The second: Practice curiosity, as this will lesson the effort needed to seek to understand another person.
The third: Be humble - not in words but in action, as humility embraces possibility.
The fourth: Practice Divergent Thinking, which is the core to imagination . These four characteristics are already inside you. As such, they can be strengthened with practice.
Take a look at some of our other optical illusions