Right Brained or Left Brained
November 2nd, 2007 @ 1:24 pm by Mrs. Bee
Here’s something a little fun for your Friday. Is the dancer turning clockwise or counterclockwise?
It’s turning counterclockwise for me which means I’m left-brained, and clockwise for Mr. Bee which means he’s right-brained (but we can both make her switch). The descriptions of what that means (read more here) are spot on for us and really show up in our marriage.
What about you and your significant other?
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66 Responses to “Right Brained or Left Brained”
what if you see it both ways?? b/c when i first looked at it, she was turning counter-clockwise. then after a split-second, i see her switch. so then i wait a little longer because I don’t know which way i see her going anymore…then i see her switch again. what does that mean??? I’m dizzy now.
AH! It turns both ways for me. First it was turning clockwise, then I looked away and back and it was turning counterclockwise. Do I use both sides of my brain or are my eyes going crazy? HAha. Very interesting! Thanks Mrs. Bee!
I saw this before it is so crazy. I tried really hard to get it to go the other way. Oh well 
I’m with the above comments — first, it was definitely going counter-clockwise. I looked away for a second when my phone rang, looked back, and it was definitely clockwise.
Clock-wise for me, so right brain I guess. I cannot get her to turn the other way!
I was almost going to write to say, “Isn’t the finding the other way around??” because when Miss Kiwi posted this, I remembered my conclusion: I NEVER saw it the right-brained way. And when I read this post today, I was totally seeing it go clockwise and assumed that was the left-brained way. I opened up the article again to see if I had read something wrong, and then saw it going counterclockwise. This thing is certainly trippy. I loved exercises like this in my psych classes!
[Checked one more time: counterclockwise.]
Oh that’s weird. I’ve seen this make the rounds of several blogs I read over the last 2 or 3 weeks and every time I’ve seen it, it’s been very clearly going counter-clockwise only. This morning, for the first time, I saw it switch to clockwise, then switch back, and then switch back again. Now I can only see clockwise!
I’m relieved. I was hoping I had a little right-brain activity hiding in there somewhere
When I first looked at it, it was turning counter-clockwise. I’ve since “seen it switch” three times.
I think it switches back and forth. I’ve seen this on other blogs/boards as well, and everyone eventually sees it switch back and forth.
I only saw it go clockwise at first, but I watched for a bit, and she switches a lot.
how are people seeing it change ways? i can only see it going clockwise. even when i try to focus on it or look away it’s still clockwise. so i guess i’m right-side dominant. which, going from the description, sounds like me to a tee. though i am a bit of a detail-nutcase at times. lol. i’ll have to show this to the bf and see what he sees.
this is REALLY bugging me out. i cant get her to change i only see it clockwise and i think everyone else who sees clockwise must be nuts hahhaha
when people are saying that they see it switch are they refering to the fact that the screen goes blitzy and the dancer’s spin kinda gets choppy and then all the sudden spins the other way? beacuse at first when i looked at it it was going clockwise and then it just went weird and she was spinning the other way. I’ve seen it happen several times now. but haven’t figure out how to make her spin the other way just by looking at it.
It definately switches back and forth. If you watch it long enough you’ll see it switch directions depending on which leg the dancer is putting her weight on. She turns longer going clockwise and then switches counter-clockwise.
I only see counter-clock and can’t change it. But I think I’m more right-brained. Funky!
It went counter clockwise for me until I scrolled down to see what was written underneath it. Then it switched to clockwise and I can’t get it to go back.
Urgh, I can only see her turn clockwise. I can’t see her turn the other way … You can see her left leg bouncing up and down of the floor.
It’s switching back and forth for me too. I thought I was going crazy. I’m glad I”m not the only one 
Its alternating both ways for me too
Yes.. it keeps switching! And then I try to make it just go one way… and I get very dizzy. Oy…
This is completely beside the point, but are the pronounced nipples on the dancer really necessary? I mean, honestly.
Someone emailed me this the other week. I see her going clockwise. I’d look at it periodically that day and try to make her ’switch’ - but couldn’t. Finally after staring at her feet forever - I was distracted for a split second, then she was going counter-clockwise! But then she was stuck that way, until I closed the page. Since then I’ve only seen her going clockwise - and can’t seem to get her to switch.
It be fun to have a bunch of people look at the site at the same time and see if they see something different - that would answer the question ‘does the image change’?
It keeps doing this crazy scratchy thing but still keeps going counter-clockwise.
Clockwise. Every time. Even if all I look at is the partial reflection at the bottom.
Weeird it half of her body just went clockwise for 1 round and then it was back to counter-clockwise. This is crazy
I can make her switch if I blink a la “I dream of Jeannie” LOL but I saw her counterclockwise first glance…
Definitely clockwise for me, and I cannot get her to switch AT ALL! I just e-mailed it to my FH and am interested to see what he says.
clockwise. I don’t see any change at all. I keep looking back, hoping to catch a change in direction. Nope, always clockwise.
Counter clockwise. I can get her to go the opposite way, but its REALLY REALLY HARD and i have to look away and look back like 15-20 times before it happens!
PS my FI will not see her spinning EITHER way because If i forward this to him, he will probably just look at it and delete it. I wonder if there is a “category” for him…
This is fun. I can make her switch if I focus on the leg that is up. If she’s turning counter-clockwise, when the leg swings fully to the rights side I move my head to the left and then she starts going clockwise. Then at some point when that leg is fully to the left I move my head a little to the right (while still focussed on that leg) and then it switches. If you concentrate really hard it can go back and forth. Freaky.
I can ONLY do clockwise and it’s driving me crazy!!!! Mr. Bluebell can only see counterclockwise and can’t switch it either. Haha.
This doesn’t make sense, I have both the WB dancer and the one from the link open on my screen and when I do that, they get all garbled and switch and then get garbled and switch back. And I know my brain isn’t garbling them…
at first clockwise. then now it’s both, especially after i scroll up the screen and just focus on the bottom half of the dander.
clockwise! were starting a debate in the office about this! but im right brained so it makes sense.. i had the hardest time trying to get it go the other way… so hard! it only happened for like half a turn for me… so fun… our entire team is running around trying to say which way its supposed to be turning!
Thanks Mrs. Bee!
i can only see clockwise - supposedly right brain. but the left brain description is much more like me! i guess i’m confused, lol??
FI and I both see her counter-clockwise. I swear when Miss Kiwi first posted it on the boards, I saw her going clockwise, but she quickly switched and I haven’t seen her go back.
To the person who asked about multiple people watching at the same time. We did it at my office!
3 of us were watching the screen at the same time and we all saw something different. I always saw counter, a co-worker always saw clockwise, and another kept seeing it switch! It was pretty funny actually to hear her insist that it’s switching.
I saw her clockwise at first, looked away and saw her counter-clockwise when I looked back. It kind of trippy. Does that mean that I use both sides of my brain? Or am I just tired?
So weird! I first saw it counter clockwise and then it switched to clockwise and now no matter what she stays clockwise? Has that happened to anyone yet?
I am decidedly left brained. Except for this dancing girl; I only see clockwise and can’t see how anyone could see counter-clockwise. . . . Still trying . . . Really? THat many of you see her moving counterclockwise? How?
Switches back and forth for me too… are you sure this is a test of brain function, and that she’s not actually just programmed to switch and confuse us? Although then it would be strange that some people don’t see her change… I dunno *scratching head*
You guys *know* that this has nothing to do with right brain/left brain, right? And the dancer does no “switching,” that it’s your brain that switches it for you?
For the record, I see clockwise, but if I concentrate, I can see counterclockwise. If you’re trying to make it switch, try looking at something outside of the screen and use your peripheral vision.
I can only see her going counter-clockwise. I keep trying to make her switch, and I can’t!
i really CANNOT see how it’s going counter-clockwise!
oh wait, no, now i see it. it’s definitely easier to see clockwise for me.
This is making me batty! I can only see her going clockwise and it doesn’t even make sense to me how someone could see her going another way!
What really kills this for me is that I’m so NOT right brained. I’m a scientist and very rational by nature.
I must be really right-brained as well, she is going clockwise and that is it. I am completely unable to turn her the other way! This is going to bother me all day! *lol*
FI and i saw it both ways…especially after my computer froze mid spin - it’s actually just an optical illusion, like those pictures where the young lady is and old witch, vases are faces, etc. When she’s turning, there is a pose that could be either way (ie, her torso facing the viewer or away) and her arms/legs could be reversed. I guess what your eyes/brain identifies as her right arm, right leg, etc in that instant, determines what direction you perceive her to be turning. She doesn’t literally switch, there’s just one spot in her rotation that leaves it up to your brain to “fill in the gap” about her body part locations/spin.
ps. when my computer first froze and she was still, I yelled ‘omg! she stopped!’ and seriously thought “woah, did my brain stop too?” (apparently it did! lol)
clockwise, totally. i can’t get her to go counter-clockwise no matter how hard i try.
Here, I got the image of where it looks like she “switches” the direction! I highlighted how her body is “two directions at once”. I posted it on my blog
http://gluegunning.blogspot.com/
because I don’t know how to use flikr or how to post on to here yet! Hopefully this will help you girls see her change directions now ^_^
It is just an optical illusion — has nothing to do w/ being “right-brained” or “left-brained”
Yeah, I’ve actually not seen any documentation that this is a left-brain v. right-brain exercise - most optical illusions aren’t. Still, very cool.
oh my gosh - now she’s going the opposite direction. finally!! but now i can’t get her to switch back!
it is really interesting cuz when i read words and think while looking at the image, i see it it counterclockwise. while i am trying to look at it the pic as a whole, i see it as clockwise. which totally reinforce the results of the test! since i am using different sides of the brain when i am reading, thinking verus when i am treating the pic merely as some sort of image. thanks for sharing!
if I focus on her feet I can see her swing back and forth like a pendulum. Now that’s odd.
BOTH WAYS
its a TRICK! its goes one way then it changes course.
its not our brains changing it.
its still fun though.
It’s hard to get it to switch! I have to focus on her foot.
I have only been able to see her go clockwise. Which I suppose fits, seeing as I am an illustrator/graphic designer. For a split second my fiance saw her going counter-clockwise, but has only been able to see clockwise since then. He’s also an illustrator/graphic designer.
This is stupid. It switches back and forth as part of the website, like Lety said. It’s not your brain changing it.
Eh.
Well, I guess I am weird. I can see it turn in clockwise first then counter clockwise in second. Then I can see it switch too. Does that mean I have a brain damage?
It’s totally a trick. It actually DOES switch directions after a certain point. I thought I was losing my mind but if you stay with it long enough, you’ll notice it switches directions. Fun though!
Think of it this way…if you are standing on your right leg and you twirl to the left than your going counter-clock wise BUT your RIGHT arm is still going clock-wise. It’s just view-point. Pretty nifty though!
[...] Right Brained or Left Brained by Mrs. Bee [...]
Mrs. Bee, New York
Age and Occupation: 29, Weddingbee Publisher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Internet
Engagement Date: May 7, 2004
Wedding Date: March 5, 2005
Venue: Westside Loft, New York
About Me: Yes, my name really is Bee! I love my blogging, wikis, and tabasco sauce!
the guys at the freakonomics blog just did a little study on this: http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/right-versus-left-brain-what-does-the-spinning-dancer-teach-us/
i’d find it interesting which direction weddingbee readers saw the dancer spinning in, because the majority of us are so detail-oriented. please post and tell us which way you see the dancer spinning!
for me, i see it counter-clockwise…