How many numbers can you see? TikTok optical illusion claims viewers who can find all 10 are in top 0.1%

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The confusing TikTok illusion has racked up thousands of likes on social media

A confusing optical illusion challenges viewers to find all the numbers hidden within an image.

The illusion, shared by TikTok by user @purpzsaur, comprises several numbers stacked on top of each other and says there are 10 to pick out in total.

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On first glance, only a few numbers are immediately obvious but viewers are challenged to find all 10 within just six seconds.

The video claims that only 0.1% of viewers will be able to successfully identify all of the numbers within the short time limit.

How many numbers do you see?

The numerical image comprises 10 different numbers in total, but only four are immediately obvious.

How many numbers can you see? (Photo: TikTok / @purpzsaur)How many numbers can you see? (Photo: TikTok / @purpzsaur)
How many numbers can you see? (Photo: TikTok / @purpzsaur) | TikTok / @purpzsaur

The numbers six, eight, four and one can clearly be spotted straight away, but the remaining six are a little more taxing to find.

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Many TikTok users struggled to spot all 10, with the number five proving the most elusive.

One user wrote: “I can only see 12346789."

"I see 12346780 and 00 (infinity)," a second person said.

“I see 12346789 but I can’t still find 5”, a third wrote.

A fourth added: "I can c all 123467890 but no 5 but I guess number five is inside 8”.

“I see all but 5. I see 0,1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9”, said another.

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While the challenge proved difficult for most, there were some TikTokers who claimed they managed to find all 10, and some shared tips on how to find certain numbers, including five and nine.

A user said: “I’m a goddess because I see 12345678910.”

“I can see all you just have to flip your phone upside down for the 9”, another said.

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A third added: “5 is made by the gorilla when he starts swinging his right arm and seven is upside down Sharee with the number four arm. All 10 are there.”

How does the illusion work?

This particular illusion is what is known as a ‘literal’ illusion, which works by combining several smaller images to create one large one.

In this case, all of the numbers are merged to create a single larger image.

The New York Museum of Illusions explains: “Literal illusions are pretty self-explanatory. They are illusions created with the specific purpose of being optical illusions without using any of the cognitive or physiological illusion traits.

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“Often, they are created by combining many smaller images to create a large image. The most well-known literal illusions are found in art.

“Because they are created intentionally, some don’t consider literal illusions to be illusions at all.

Other types of optical illusions fall under the categories of ‘cognitive’ or physiological’.

Cognitive illusions depend on an individual’s perception of the world, meaning everyone interprets them differently.

Physiological illusions, by comparison, occur when your eyes are exposed to factors such as brightness, tilt or movement, causing your brain to fill in the gaps of what it thinks should be there.

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