What Was The Purpose Of The Magic Eye Books?

The 'Magic Eye' books were a series of books that involved the reader seeking out 3D images from a page of 2D repeated patterns. This involved using two methods. One method was to hold the book right near you nose and slowly moving the book away from you whilst relaxing your eyes and staring into space. This causes the 3D image to show through the 2D pattern. The reader needs to make sure that they are fully relaxed and that they are not crossing their eyes.

Another method of spotting the 3D image was to hold the book under a light (an overhead lamp, for example) so that the 3D image begins to develop very much like a photo. Some images in the book didn't contain a 3D image, but instead had repeated patterns that appeared to move of viewed correctly. The books state that these are easier to view than the 3D images, possibly because they do not require as much concentration.