It’s usually easier to view the stereogram in printed form rather than on a monitor, so if you’re having trouble seeing it on your computer, print out a copy to work with instead. If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses to help with your vision, wear them when you look at the stereogram.
Don’t get discouraged if your eyes keep managing to focus on the image as you back up. It’s normal for it to take several tries before you get it right. It can help to pretend that the stereogram is a window and you’re trying to look at something through it to avoid focusing on the image itself.
Remember to have patience. It can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes for your eyes to naturally bring the hidden stereogram image into focus. If you lose focus on the image at any point, repeat the process from the beginning to refocus your eyes.
The object that you focus on doesn’t necessarily have to be right at eye level, but it’s best not to choose an item that’s too high or low. You should be able to look at it comfortably while standing. Make sure that the item isn’t too small either because it may be more difficult to focus on a smaller object. The easier it is to maintain your focus on the item, the better chance you’ll have of seeing the stereogram image.
When the stereogram is blocking the object that you’re focusing on, you should be trying to look “through” it. That will keep you from focusing on the stereogram, so your eyes are ready to see the 3D image.
The hidden image will likely be blurry at first. Continue looking at it at the same distance until the image eventually becomes sharp and clear.
If you’re having trouble relaxing your eyes, try “daydreaming” as you look at the stereogram. That can often help you naturally unfocus your gaze. If you relax your eyes, they naturally look apart, which is why the images you see are blurry. To see the stereogram’s hidden image, you need to allow your eyes to diverge at different angles until you find the right one for the image to appear.
It may help to “blink” at the stereogram. Close one of your eyes and look at it with just the other one. When the image starts to come into focus, open the eye that you’d previously closed to help make it sharper and clearer.
