Why your brain flips mountains into valleys
In short: Have you ever looked at a satellite photo that felt strangely 'wrong'? This video explains the multistable perceptual illusion where our brains struggle to interpret depth, often turning convex peaks into concave pits.
The phenomenon occurs because human vision relies heavily on shadow placement to gauge depth. Since the sun typically casts shadows on the undersides of objects, our brains may misinterpret these cues in 2D images like maps or aerial photography.
This creates a multistable illusion similar to the hollow face effect: parts of the landscape appear upside out or inside out. The video demonstrates that simply flipping the image can resolve the confusion, revealing how easily our perception can be tricked by light and shadow.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The "Mountain Or Valley?" Illusion
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