Optical illusion has people in hysterics as they spot hilariously cheeky detail

It can be any little thing which goes viral nowadays. Whether it's an innocent-looking photo of a woman sitting in a chair or a grandma 'freaking out' after looking at snaps of her daughter's little boy in the mirror.

Now we know how optical illusions work by tricking the brain into misinterpreting the information it receives from the eyes, this latest image is no different. Brainteasers happen as the mind takes 'shortcuts' and makes assumptions to quickly process the vast amount of visual data it receives, which is what happened here. The image, which was shared on Reddit, shows a group of friends posing for a snap on a boat trip.

In the snap, it read: "That awkward moment when the pattern on your clothes makes it look like a tiny man is riding you like a horse."

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While the caption, shared on the optical illusions forum which has 197,000 members, said: "If Cap'n Crunch was steering a ship..."

So can you see what's going on? At first glance, it looks like the what it says on the tin... a man sitting on the woman's back – but it's not what you think.

The pattern on the female's outfit leaves the impression that something very cheeky is happening on this boat trip.

And of course people on Reddit had a lot to say as it racked up nearly 600 upvotes and some comments.

One said: "This one's hilarious," while another chimed in: "Giddy up!"

Optical illusions aren't always used for comedy purposes, some are actually good to help boost your cognitive skills and focus.

Previously, people were 'freaking' out after turning a viral image upside down.

It shows a photo of a woman with long luscious black hair as she poses candidly in the shot, but another face is shown once the picture is flipped upside down.

How do optical illusions work?

They 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.

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.