This horrifying optical illusion is sweeping the internet - but it’s not as bad as it looks

This bizarre optical illusion has taken the Internet by storm - and not for the reason you might think.

At first glance, it prompted confusion for many viewers, who mistook the father's hairy shoulders, bald head and left ear for his bottom, but a closer look reveals that all is not as it seems.

The seemingly sinister photo is simply a snap of a doting dad giving his young baby a kiss on the cheek as the mum looks on.

The photo has attracted almost four million views on social media site Imgur and thousands of comments after it was uploaded by user theyanus with the caption “Sweet Jesus!!! what is happening here?”

One user wrote: “Totally thought it was some misshapen ass gaping over the baby.”

Another user commented: "Such prolonged horror. My brain desperately reworked its perspective looking for something less heinous. It took way too long."

If, like 'The Dress' epidemic, you simply can't see this picture as anything other than a heart-warming family photo, don't try to look too hard for the alternative - you won't be able to unsee it once you do.

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