Dear Illusion Enthusiasts, Voters around the globe chose the Best Illusions of 2025 from the TOP TEN Finalists competing in the 20th edition of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest <https://illusionoftheyear.com/> (hosted by the Neural Correlate Society and supported by the Museum of Illusions <https://www.museumofillusions.com/> ). The TOP THREE winning illusions were revealed on Tuesday, October 27th, 2026. First Prize and a $3,000 award went to "Cogs in a Machine," by Jacky Z. J. Yueh and Joan Danielle K. Ongchoco, Canada. Second Prize and a $2,000 award went to "9 Purple Dots," by Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt, United States. Third Prize and a $1,000 award went to "The Hole Truth," by Matt Pritchard, United Kingdom. This year's illusions are making headlines! Read The Washington Post's article featuring several of the illusions that just competed in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/10/27/how-this-years-best-optica l-illusions-trick-your-brain/> How this year's best optical illusions trick your brain. If you enjoyed the spectacular winning and finalist illusions, please consider making a tax-deductible donation <https://www.paypal.com/webapps/shoppingcart?flowlogging_id=d2461f180023b&mf id=1607894519576_d2461f180023b#/checkout/openButton> to the Best Illusion of the Year Contest. We rely on your generous help to continue to share the wonders of illusion with people of all ages and backgrounds, all over the world. We are now accepting submissions for the 21st edition of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest! If you have created a novel, mind-bending illusion, we invite you to share it with the world. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of next year's TOP TEN illusions and compete for international recognition and cash prizes. Contestants are invited to submit 1-minute YouTube videos featuring novel illusions (unpublished or published no earlier than 2025) of all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, etc.) and/or cognitive nature. Novel variants of known illusions are welcome. The content of the 1-minute video presenting your illusion is solely up to you, and the only requirement is that it wows all viewers! Some examples include, but are not limited to: * A slide presentation, or succession of images, with a voice over (and/or written text, if you prefer) * A video of yourself describing your illusion * A video animation/theatrical performance of your illusion An international panel of impartial judges will rate all the videos and narrow them down to the TOP TEN. Then, online voters around the world will choose their favorite illusions from the TOP TEN finalists. The TOP THREE winners will receive cash prizes: $3,000 USD for first place; $2,000 USD for second place, and $1,000 USD for third place. The Judge Panel will rate illusions according to: * Significance to our understanding of the human mind and brain * Simplicity of the description * Sheer beauty * Counterintuitive quality * Spectacularity Submissions will be held in strict confidence by the Judge Panel. Only the TOP TEN illusions will be posted online, to allow worldwide voting. Participation in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest does not preclude you from also presenting or submitting your work for publication elsewhere. By participating in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest you agree to have your illusion posted on the Contest website, if selected among the TOP TEN, and included in press releases and other promotional materials/fundraising initiatives for the Contest. You (and your co-authors, if appropriate) will retain the full copyright of your illusion and receive full credit as illusion creator(s). Illusions submitted to previous editions can be re-submitted to the 2026 Contest, as long as they meet the above requirements and were not among the TOP TEN finalists in previous years. You can send your 1-minute video to Susana Martinez-Conde via email ( <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart@neuralcorrelate.com) until December 14th, 2026. On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse ---------------------------------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Author, <x-msg://2/championsofillusionbook.com> Champions of Illusion and Sleights of Mind Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart@neuralcorrelate.com Phone: <tel:%2B1%20718-270-4520> +1 718-270-4520 http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com