Yes, it's definitely causing me discomfort to look at them. I see the blurred area, and try and fail to focus on it. 3D effects really don't translate well to a 2D display. I get what they're going for, but I'm personally not a fan of the effect. I'd rather have the nuanced little details in the background, in case one day I want to see that too. The effect is lovely for extreme close-up pictures (of insects, flowers, water drops, ...), though.

I like the idea of storing the depth information (and preferred focal point) inside the image, and allowing the viewer to decide whether they want depth of focus effects, and if so, how strongly they want them enabled.