People can't stop 'freaking out' after turning viral image upside down

Certain images can really make you look twice. Just like this one woman who 'freaked out' after looking back on snaps she took of her grandson in the mirror which caused quite the meltdown and now this latest picture is certainly no different.

In a post on Reddit, in the optical illusions forum which boasts 194,000 members, people simply can't understand what is going on. It shows a photo of a woman with long luscious black hair as she poses candidly in the shot, but there's something rather odd which happens when the picture is flipped upside down, can you see what?

The caption read: "Reflection optical illusion?" While underneath it added: "Takes a second!"

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And the picture speaks for itself, but it basically shows an image of a man with a moustache when it's flipped around.

People were equally confused as the post garnered nearly 800 upvotes and multiple comments.

One said: "If you want freak out, flip the image and the images flip!" Another added: "That's wild, first I couldn't see the guy in the reflection now I can't go back."

A third commented: "I flipped it and couldn't see the guy again." While a fourth chimed in: "Yeah, I got jump scared."

So how does this optical illusion work?

This kind of optical illusion works by the brain interpreting ambiguous images or relying on perspective. The brain often processes the two-dimensional image by either focusing on the overall figure or the separate details, creating two different perceptions.

It is often these "reflections" are actually paintings where the artist intentionally drew elements to create a second, hidden image.

Optical illusions work in such mysterious ways but their job is to trick the brain's visual processing system through misleading information from light, colour and patterns.

Meanwhile the brain tries to make sense of it all by using shortcuts and assumptions which leads to misinterpretations and the perception of something that isn't physically there.

And these illusions can cause the brain to see movement where there is none, misjudge size and depth, or perceive shapes and objects that are not actually present. Pretty clever right?

So how did you react to the image of the woman in the mirror? Let us know in the comments section below!