The Floating Finger Illusion

Activity Overview

Try this intriguing illusion with your index fingers and share it with your friends and families. There are no supplies to gather, so you can try this out right away. Follow the simple instructions below to reveal a sausage-like finger segment floating before your eyes. You and your friends will have fun creating the image in your visual fields, making it longer and shorter, and making it disappear and reappear.

Materials Needed

• Just your fingers

How to Do It

1. Place the tips of your index fingers together and hold them right in front of your eyes.
2. Stare into the distance at a focal point.
3. Next separate your fingers about a half an inch.
4. Continue looking forward at your focal point in the distance. You will see a finger segment floating in the air between your index finger tips.
5. Move your fingers closer or farther apart to adjust the length of the odd looking floating sausage finger.
6. Close one eye or the other and the illusion will disappear.
7. If you focus your attention back to your finger tips the illusion will also disappear.