Even if you haven’t seen The Matrix, you’ve probably heard of it. The 1999 movie started a franchise and even made its way into our modern language.
In “The Matrix”, beloved Keanu Reeves learns he’s spent his entire life living in a simulation. Sorry — spoiler alert. The idea captured millions of people around the world. Since then, we’ve adopted the phrase “a glitch in the Matrix” and implemented it into real life.
Of course, we don’t live in a dystopian reality where humankind is in a simulation. At least, we probably don’t. So, in the real world, “a glitch in the Matrix” refers to a moment where something is so bizarre you doubt it’s real. You might even wonder if the strangeness is caused by an error in the “simulation” of the world.
It doesn’t have to be something dramatic. People feel like reality is glitching simply by seeing two similarly-dressed people standing next to each other or having light playing tricks on their eyes. Sure, it might not be an actual glitch in the Matrix, but it’s sometimes a glitch in our brains and how we perceive reality. And sometimes, it’s just a really funny coincidence.
1. He’s real
Shrek 2 was a fantastic sequel, featuring a new-and-improved human version of the nasty ogre. As it turns out, Human Shrek is real and sitting in on a couple of university classes.
Refraction is the phenomenon of light waves passing from one substance to another, for example, into water. We know the scientific name for it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look trippy.
There’s no mistaking this bull for anything else. Not only does he have a pretty impressive set of horns, but he also has a miniature version of himself on his head.
Lighting candles in the house creates a beautiful and relaxing environment — plus, you get to have some fun with fire. Always assuming, of course, that the fire will work the way you expect it to.
Either two identical cats are sitting in the same position or this window is a portal into the Upside Down. All I know is this isn’t how reflections work.
Sinkholes are real things, and to be honest, they’re pretty bizarre. So bizarre, they look like something out of a dream. Experiencing one has to be terrifying.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence the ice forming in this water bottle looks exactly like the ice on the label. Or perhaps it’s because the computer simulation is truly breaking down.
There’s nothing like enjoying a snack while you’re on a long hike. Of course, if you eat a Cliff bar while hiking some cliffs, you might run across a scene like this.
I don’t know what’s going on here and I’m not sure that I want to. Honestly, if I saw this guy hanging out, I’d probably walk by without asking any questions. Sometimes, it’s better not to know.
It must be a blond hair and leather jacket day on the bus and the others missed getting the notice. It could be these three are part of a club. Or maybe, it’s all part of the Matrix.
Sometimes, you pass a sight on the street that’s so bizarre, your brain doesn’t register it for a moment. For example, this cat popping halfway out of the wall of a building.
It must be strange to stroll through the grocery store and suddenly see your face on a bag of chips. Now to find out if he can make any money off the resemblance…
They say fashions have become boring these days and that everyone dresses the same. These guys might prove that stereotype, even down to the backpack and glasses.
Did these guys coordinate their outfits before they went out for the day or do they not know each other? One option is odd and the other is downright creepy.
No, this isn’t a mirror image. It’s just a subway full of people who happened to wear very similar outfits. Yes, I’m talking about the guys in the front — but those boys in the back are identical, too.
You thought this was just a simple machine, but it changed a little bit when the temperature dropped. Then it suddenly looked like a horrifying monster, and we don’t like it at all.
It’s always odd to find a likeness of yourself somewhere, much less in old museum art. This is proof that this guy is a time traveler. I wonder if he has a big blue police box.
Forget jeggings, rompers, and fishtail braids — enormous fur coats and beanies are now the “in thing.” Or at least they are according to these two ladies on the same subway.
It’s one thing to see architecture imitating nature because that’s nothing new. But in this case, it went the opposite way, with a spider that appears to be doing homage to the Eiffel Tower.
Video game graphics have come a long way, but they weren’t always great. These plastic-wrapped trees look a lot like the early graphics from a few decades ago.
I like to think this was a Sliding Doors scenario where the same woman got two different lunches in two different realities. Or perhaps it’s just a couple of ladies with very similar fashion sense.
This person couldn’t believe their eyes when they stopped in at their local 7-11 and their bill came to $7 and 11 cents. It’s worth noting the store number is 11-7-16.
25. How’s the jewelry and doorknob business going?
When a lady stayed at a hotel, she couldn’t help but notice there were some strong similarities between her ring and the doorknobs on the cabinets. Are those designed by the same person — perhaps a game maker?
Sometimes life imitates art in the strangest way possible. This guy happened across a picture that looked exactly like him. They even have matching bald spots.
This lady looks confused about the sight she stumbled upon. One bearded blond guy in a button-down shirt is nothing special. But three feels like a glitch in reality.
A woman thought she was seeing triple when she received three of the same cards on the same day. Maybe there’s a limited selection at the local drugstore.
Soccer pro, Cristiano Ronaldo, was amused when a fan approached, asking him for a selfie. Well, that wasn’t the odd part. The most bizarre thing is they were doppelgangers.
Here’s a shout out to the streaming service that played this subtle prank. Putting two options for the movie Deja Vu in the queue is enough to make most people pause and then chuckle.
33. Married so long and he still gives her that look
It looks as though this picture was taken at the perfect time. At that exact moment, Homer just happened to be making an intrigued face — while a truck with Marge’s image on it drove by outside.
Hey look, it’s a long-haired Siamese cat. Hey look, it’s another long-haired Siamese cat. Hey, look — okay, just how many Siamese cats are in this house?
Don’t you hate it when the person who last used the bathroom is this inconsiderate? In their defense, it’s pretty hard to put the seat down when there’s already a seat there.
Remember when you were a kid and you had strong preferences about which color of grape you liked better? This kind is apparently for the indecisive child.
When Google Maps came out, everyone rushed to look up their home address. But the resident at this address was surprised to find a picture taken by a Google car — with another Google car in it.
The top of these tree branches lines up so perfectly it seems unreal. Is it possible for reality to be badly Photoshopped from two different pictures? Is this a simulation?
Isn’t it nice to sit on a bench in the park and watch people go by? And if you’re sitting on the bench in the back, you can watch everyone’s head. These benches look like an accidental digital duplicate.
Driving by this Redbox, people probably had trouble keeping their eyes on the road. These women are identical from their clothes to their hairstyles to the way they’re standing.
It’s always annoying when your car has a coolant or oil leak. It’s a little more interesting (and well, trippy) when the leak is in the shape of Sherlock Holmes, pipe and all.
This newspaper depicted Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who leaked classified information in 2013. The headline reads: “Would you hide this man?” That question could be answered real soon.
At first glance, this might not seem like anything impressive. It’s just a car parked next to a garbage can. But the lines are exactly the same, making the objects look like two pieces from the same puzzle.
Not only is this couple dressed almost exactly alike in the same shades of pink and green, but they also match this ice cream cone. There’s a lot of love for watermelon going around, I guess.
It’s always fun to find your doppelganger on a billboard…unless they’re depicted as a criminal, of course. Something tells me this guy got a lot of odd looks on the street after this.
This truck doesn’t just depict a landscape that matches the view around it. It even lines up perfectly with the skyline. It’s enough to confuse all the other drivers on the road.
There are millions of license plates produced around the world. The odds of two cars with such similar plates parking next to each other are astronomical. And yet it happened.
Everybody likes ice cream — including giant anthropomorphic soft-serve cones apparently. It must be one of the few true universals. I wonder what kind of ice cream he got.
50 coincidences that show reality might be glitching terribly
Cedric Jackson
12.03.19
Even if you haven’t seen The Matrix, you’ve probably heard of it. The 1999 movie started a franchise and even made its way into our modern language.
In “The Matrix”, beloved Keanu Reeves learns he’s spent his entire life living in a simulation. Sorry — spoiler alert. The idea captured millions of people around the world. Since then, we’ve adopted the phrase “a glitch in the Matrix” and implemented it into real life.
Of course, we don’t live in a dystopian reality where humankind is in a simulation. At least, we probably don’t. So, in the real world, “a glitch in the Matrix” refers to a moment where something is so bizarre you doubt it’s real. You might even wonder if the strangeness is caused by an error in the “simulation” of the world.
It doesn’t have to be something dramatic. People feel like reality is glitching simply by seeing two similarly-dressed people standing next to each other or having light playing tricks on their eyes. Sure, it might not be an actual glitch in the Matrix, but it’s sometimes a glitch in our brains and how we perceive reality. And sometimes, it’s just a really funny coincidence.
