The flame is so realistic, that I subconsciously react to it as if it were real. I grew up in the country and we had an open fire all the time, so there was always an awareness of the flame, and an open fire , so you were always careful.This fire is so realistic, that although I have had the fireplace installed for about 3 months now, I still find myself "" fooled "" by the flame, as it appears so real. My wife and I both love the new fireplace, and recommend it to anyone. Just to add one thing, we didn't buy it for an alternate heat source, so we are not disappointed in the fact that it doesn't heat our large living room, but it may be fine for smaller rooms.