Scintillating Grid Illusion

Scintillating-Grid-New

The scintillating grid illusion is also known as the “scintillating checkerboard illusion” and it is a variation of the Hermann grid illusion.

The scintillating grid illusion is caused by the way the visual system processes the edges of the lines forming the grid, creating the appearance of movement in the illusion.

Scintillating-Grid-New
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Scintillating Grid Illusion work?

The Scintillating Grid Illusion is an optical illusion in which a grid of light gray or white lines on a dark background appears to flicker or “scintillate.” The effect is most pronounced when the observer is looking directly at the intersection of the lines, and it is caused by the way the visual system processes the edges of the lines. The illusion is often used to demonstrate the neural processes that underlie visual perception, and it is related to other optical illusions such as the Hermann grid illusion and the Mach bands illusion.

The Scintillating Grid Illusion is believed to work by the way the brain processes the edges of the lines in the grid. The visual system is sensitive to the contrast between light and dark areas, and the edges of the lines in the grid create a high contrast between the light lines and the dark background. This high contrast causes the visual system to enhance the edges, creating the illusion of flickering or scintillating.

It’s also thought that the mechanism behind this illusion is related to the way the visual system deals with the ambiguous edges of the lines. In the intersection of the lines, the brain receives information that is not clear, and it tries to fill in the missing information by creating the illusion of movement.

Additionally, the illusion is more pronounced when the observer is looking directly at the intersection of the lines, as opposed to looking at the lines themselves. This is likely due to the fact that the visual system is more sensitive to edges that are oriented perpendicular to the line of sight.

Versions of the Scintillating Grid Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Scintillating Grid Illusion:



Hermann-Grid_illusion


Hermann-Grid_illusion




Illusions like the Scintillating Grid Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Scintillating Grid Illusion

It was first described by an American psychologist, Edward H. Adelson in 1995.

Edward Adelson is a professor of vision science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a member of the MIT Media Lab.

He is known for his research in the field of computer vision, particularly his work on the perception of lightness and the “checkerboard illusion.”

He is also a recipient of the David Marr Prize, which is given by the International Association for Computer Vision to “outstanding young investigators” in the field of computer vision.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions and this related Boxes Aren’t Moving Illusion and this heart shaped version: Scintillating Heart Illusion

Ishihara Illusion

Ishihara Plate 9

The Ishihara Illusion is a type of optical illusion that uses a series of colored dots or circles to create the illusion of a hidden image or figure.

The illusion is created by using dots or circles of different colors and sizes to form a pattern that is visible to some people but not to others. For example, a person with normal color vision will see a number or a shape hidden in the dots or circles, while a person with color blindness will see only a random pattern.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Ishihara Illusion work?

The Ishihara Illusion works by using dots or circles of different colors and sizes to form a pattern that is visible to some people, but not to others.

The pattern is designed to be easily recognizable by people with normal color vision, but difficult or impossible to see for people with color blindness.

For example, in the Ishihara test for red-green color blindness, the illusion is created by using a combination of red and green dots in a pattern that forms a number or a shape.

For a person with normal color vision, the red and green dots will appear distinct and the number or shape will be easily recognizable. However, for a person with red-green color blindness, the red and green dots will appear similar and the number or shape will not be distinguishable.

The Ishihara Illusion works by taking advantage of the fact that color blindness is caused by a deficiency or dysfunction in the cones in the retina, which are responsible for detecting color. In red-green color blindness, the red and green cones do not function properly, which makes it difficult for the person to distinguish between red and green.

By using a combination of red and green dots to create the illusion, the Ishihara Illusion is able to test for this specific type of color blindness.

In summary, the Ishihara Illusion works by using dots or circles of different colors and sizes to create a pattern that is visible to people with normal color vision but not to people with color blindness, it takes advantage of the way color blindness is caused by deficiencies in the cones in the retina and it is specifically designed to test for red-green color blindness.

Versions of the Ishihara Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Ishihara Illusion:



Ishihara
The red number “6” hidden in green


Ishihara
The red number “42” hidden in dark green



Ishihara
The red number “12” hidden in bright green




Illusions like the Ishihara Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Ishihara Illusion

It is named after Dr. Shinobu Ishihara, a Japanese ophthalmologist who first published a book of these types of illusions in 1917 for use in testing for color blindness.

Dr. Shinobu Ishihara was a Japanese ophthalmologist who is best known for creating the Ishihara test, a widely used test for color blindness. He was born in 1879 and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1905. He later became a professor of ophthalmology at the same university and went on to become the director of the university’s eye hospital. Dr. Ishihara published his first book of color vision tests in 1917, which included the Ishihara test for red-green color blindness.

Dr. Ishihara’s test quickly became the most widely used test for color blindness and is still in use today. The Ishihara test consists of a series of plates, each containing a number or a shape hidden in dots of different colors. It is used to diagnose red-green color blindness, which is the most common type of color blindness. The test is simple, easy to administer, and has been found to be highly accurate in detecting red-green color blindness.

Dr. Ishihara made many contributions to the field of ophthalmology and color vision, and his test is still considered a standard diagnostic tool for color blindness. He passed away in 1963.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Chevreul Illusion

chevreul

The Chevreul illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are.

The illusion also can create the appearance of movement or “flicker” in the pattern, even though the pattern itself is static.

chevreul
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Chevreul Illusion work?

The illusion is caused by the way the human visual system processes patterns of light and dark. When the eyes are fixated on a point, the visual system tends to average the luminance of the surrounding area, this causes the visual system to perceive the alternating bands as if they were moving. The effect is more pronounced when the bands are thin and the contrast between light and dark is high.

Chevreul illusion are similar, but different from Mach Bands. They are both visual illusions that involve the perception of brightness and contrast, but they are not the same phenomenon.

Chevreul’s illusion is an optical illusion that was first described by Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1839. It is also known as the “simultaneous contrast illusion” and it occurs when two colors are placed next to each other, and their perceived hues appear to change. This happens due to the way that the brain processes color and light, and the way that it adjusts the perception of color based on the surrounding colors.

Mach bands, on the other hand, is an optical illusion that was first described by Ernst Mach in 1865. It is also known as the “Mach effect” and it causes the perception of a band of increased or decreased brightness at the edge of a sharply defined color boundary. This is caused by the way that the visual system processes light and color, and the way that it interprets the edges of objects.

In summary, Chevreul’s illusion and Mach bands are two different visual illusions that involve the perception of brightness and contrast, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.

Versions of the Chevreul Illusion

The following is an alternate version of the Chevreul Illusion:



chevreul


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg



Illusions like the Chevreul Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Chevreul Illusion

The illusion is named after Michel Eugène Chevreul, a French chemist and physicist, who first described it in 1839.

Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889) was a French chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of color theory. He is best known for his work on the nature of color, and the relationship between colors, which he described in his book “The Laws of Contrast of Colors” (1839). He was one of the first to study the perception of color, and the effect of surrounding colors on the perception of a given color. He is particularly known for the discovery of the Chevreul Illusion, a visual effect that creates the appearance of movement or “flicker” in a pattern of alternating light and dark bands.

Chevreul’s work on color perception had a significant influence on the development of color theory, and continues to be studied in fields such as art, design, and psychology. He was also a researcher in other scientific fields such as soap-making and oils, and he developed a method for the analysis of fats and oils, which was widely used in the food industry. He was a professor of chemistry in Paris and a member of the French Academy of Sciences

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Watercolor Illusion

Watercolor Illusion

The watercolor illusion is a type of optical illusion that is created by the perception of color spreading beyond the boundaries of the object that is generating it.

It is characterized by the appearance of “bleeding” or “diffusing” colors, as if the colors in the image were watercolors on wet paper.

The effect is most pronounced when the object generating the color is surrounded by a contrasting color, and it is caused by the way the visual system processes color information.

Watercolor Illusion
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Watercolor Illusion work?

The watercolor illusion works by the way the brain processes the edges of an object.

The edges of an object are not always defined and sharp, and the brain tries to fill in the missing information by spreading the color of the object to the surrounding area, creating the illusion of color bleeding.

It’s also thought that the watercolor illusion is related to the aperture problem, where the brain is trying to interpret the color of a surface based on the small information it receives from the retinal receptors.

Because of this, the brain tends to create an overall color instead of a small patch of color.

Additionally, the effect is more pronounced when the object generating the color is surrounded by a contrasting color, this is because the contrast between colors generates a more defined edge, and the visual system tries to fill in this edge with the color of the object.

It is also believed that the watercolor illusion is related to the adaptation of the eyes, as the eyes adapt to the colors they are exposed to, they tend to change their sensitivity to these colors, and this adaptation can create the illusion of spreading colors.

Versions of the Watercolor Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Watercolor Illusion:





Watercolor illusion




Illusions like the Watercolor Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Watercolor Illusion

No one person is credited with the discovery of the watercolor illusion, but rather it is an effect that has been observed and studied by multiple researchers in the field of vision science and perception.

The watercolor illusion is a well-known phenomenon in the field of optical illusions and has been studied by many researchers, including those working in the areas of color perception, visual perception, and cognitive psychology.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Mach Band Illusion

Mach Bands Animation

The Mach band illusion is a perceptual phenomenon that occurs when the human visual system processes gradients of luminance.

The illusion creates the appearance of increased brightness at the edges of a transition between a light and dark area, even though the actual brightness remains constant. This can create the illusion of a “band” or “halo” of light around the edge of the transition.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Mach Band Illusion work?

The effect is caused by the way the human visual system processes light and dark areas. The visual system is more sensitive to changes in luminance at the edges of an object or image, which can cause it to perceive the edges as being brighter or darker than they actually are. This effect is more pronounced when the transition is gradual, such as in a gradient.

The Mach band effect can be observed in many everyday situations, such as when viewing a photograph or a computer screen. It can also be observed in natural scenes, for example, when looking at a bright sky and a dark land.

The Mach band illusion is not considered as a visual illusion in the traditional sense, but rather a visual artifact of the way the visual system processes light and dark.

Mach Bands are similar, but different from Chevreul’s illusion. They are both visual illusions that involve the perception of brightness and contrast, but they are not the same phenomenon.

Chevreul’s illusion is an optical illusion that was first described by Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1839. It is also known as the “simultaneous contrast illusion” and it occurs when two colors are placed next to each other, and their perceived hues appear to change. This happens due to the way that the brain processes color and light, and the way that it adjusts the perception of color based on the surrounding colors.

Mach bands, on the other hand, is an optical illusion that was first described by Ernst Mach in 1865. It is also known as the “Mach effect” and it causes the perception of a band of increased or decreased brightness at the edge of a sharply defined color boundary. This is caused by the way that the visual system processes light and color, and the way that it interprets the edges of objects.

In summary, Chevreul’s illusion and Mach bands are two different visual illusions that involve the perception of brightness and contrast, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.

Versions of the Mach Band Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Neon Color Spreading Illusion:



Mach Bands





Illusions like the Mach Band Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons


The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Mach Band Illusion

It was first described by Ernst Mach in the late 19th century.

Ernst Mach (1838-1916) was an Austrian physicist and philosopher who made important contributions to the fields of physics, physiology and psychology.

He is best known for his work in the field of sensory perception, in particular for his study of the perception of visual images and the nature of visual illusion.

He was one of the first to study the perception of movement and the illusion of movement.

He is most famous for the Mach band illusion, which he described in the late 19th century and it is a visual effect that creates the appearance of increased brightness at the edges of a transition between a light and dark area, even though the actual brightness remains constant.

He also made contributions to the understanding of sound and hearing, and studied the perception of space, time, and motion.

He was also a philosopher and a historian of science.

His ideas had a significant influence on the development of logical positivism and the Vienna Circle. He was a professor of physics in Prague and Vienna Universities.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Hermann Grid Illusion

Hermann-Grid Illusion

The Hermann Grid Illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.


Hermann Grid
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Hermann Grid Illusion work?

The Hermann Grid Illusion is a visual illusion that occurs when viewing a pattern of light and dark lines crossing each other to form a grid. The illusion creates the appearance of gray spots at the intersections of the lines, even though the intersections are actually the same color as the background. The illusion is named after Ludimar Hermann, a German physiologist, who first described it in 1870.

The illusion is caused by the way the human visual system processes light and dark areas. The visual system tends to perceive the edges of objects or images as being brighter or darker than they actually are. When viewing the pattern of lines, the visual system perceives the edges of the lines as being brighter than the background. This can cause the visual system to perceive the intersections of the lines as being darker than the background, creating the illusion of gray spots.

The Hermann Grid Illusion is often used in vision science to study the way the visual system processes light and dark areas and to understand the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception.

In summary, the Hermann Grid Illusion is a visual effect that occurs when viewing a pattern of light and dark lines crossing each other to form a grid, creating the appearance of gray spots at the intersections of the lines, even though the intersections are actually the same color as the background.

Versions of the Hermann Grid Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Neon Color Spreading Illusion:



Hermann-Grid_illusion


Hermann-Grid_illusion




Illusions like the Hermann Grid Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Hermann Grid Illusion

The illusion is named after Ludimar Hermann, a German physiologist, who first described it in 1870

Ludimar Hermann (1838-1914) was a German physiologist and psychologist who was best known for his work on the perception of visual images and the nature of visual illusion. He is most famous for his discovery of the Hermann grid illusion, which he described in 1870. It is a visual effect that occurs when viewing a pattern of light and dark lines crossing each other to form a grid, creating the appearance of gray spots at the intersections of the lines, even though the intersections are actually the same color as the background.

He studied medicine in Berlin, later he was a professor of physiology and neurology in Würzburg and Tübingen. He also worked on other aspects of visual perception, such as the perception of movement and the illusion of movement, as well as on the perception of sound and hearing. His ideas had a significant influence on the development of psychology and neuroscience. He was also an important figure in the history of neurology and psychiatry.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Bezold Effect

Bezold_Effect

The Bezold Effect is a phenomenon in color theory where a change in one color can cause the perception of the surrounding colors to change as well.

This effect is caused by the way the human visual system processes color, and it is often used in art and design to create the illusion of depth or movement.

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Bezold Effect Illusion work?

The Bezold Effect works by the way the human visual system processes color.

When colors are placed next to each other, the brain tends to adjust the perception of the colors to account for their relationship to one another.

Specifically, when a color is placed next to another color that is similar in hue but of a different saturation or brightness, the brain will perceive the colors as being more dissimilar than they actually are.

This can create the illusion of movement or depth in a design.

On the other hand, if colors that are different in hue but similar in saturation and brightness are placed next to each other, the brain will perceive them as being more similar than they actually are.

This can make a design appear flat or static.

The Bezold effect can be used in art, design, and advertising to create the illusion of movement, depth, or to make certain elements stand out.

Versions of the Bezold Effect Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Bezold Effect Illusion:













Illusions like the Bezold Effect Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Bezold Effect Illusion

The effect is named after Wilhelm von Bezold, a German scientist and meteorologist who first described it in 1874.

Wilhelm von Bezold (1837-1907) was a German scientist and meteorologist.

He is best known for his work in the field of color theory, where he was one of the first to study the perception of color and its psychological effects.

He described the phenomenon now known as the Bezold Effect in 1874, in which he observed that changes in color can cause the perception of the surrounding colors to change as well.

He also worked on meteorology, physics, and applied mathematics, being professor of meteorology in Munich University.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions and this cool All the Same Color illusion that uses the Bezold Effect.

Flash Lag Illusion

Flash Lag

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light.

The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Flash Lag Illusion work?

The flash lag illusion occurs because the visual system processes the moving object and the flash of light separately, and there is a delay in the processing of the flash. This causes the brain to perceive the flash as if it had occurred at a point in the past, behind the position of the moving object.

The flash lag illusion is considered as a temporal illusion, where the perceived timing of events is affected by the spatial relationship between the events. It has been used to study the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception, attention, and the temporal properties of visual processing.

The shift is greater for faster-moving stimuli and for stimuli that are closer to the point of flash onset.

In summary, the flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that occurs when a moving object is followed by a flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object. This illusion is caused by the delay in the processing of the flash, and it has been used to study the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception, attention, and temporal properties of visual processing.

Versions of the Flash Lag Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Flash Lag Illusion:



Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons




Illusions like the Flash Lag Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Flash Lag Illusion

The phenomenon was first described by Nijhawan (1994) who found that when a moving stimulus is followed by a flash, the perceived position of the flash is shifted behind the position of the moving object.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Neon Color Spreading

Neon Color Spreading

The neon-like color spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

This can be caused by a variety of factors, such as the use of certain color combinations or patterns, the viewing angle, or the lighting conditions.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons


Table of Contents

How does the Neon Color Spreading Illusion work?

The neon-like color spreading illusion works by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light.

One of the ways this can happen is through the use of contrasting colors and patterns.

When a high-contrast border is placed around an area of color, the brain may interpret this as the color spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Another way the illusion works is by taking advantage of the way that the human eye perceives color in different lighting conditions.

For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

This can cause an area of color to appear to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Finally, it can also be caused by the use of optical illusions or certain graphic design techniques, like the use of gradients, which can manipulate the perception of color and shape.

In summary, the neon-like color spreading illusion is a visual trick that is created by manipulating the way that the human brain processes color and light.

Versions of the Neon Color Spreading Illusion

The following is an alternate versions of the Neon Color Spreading Illusion:



Neon Color Spreading


Neon Color Spreading



Neon Color Spreading


Neon-Color-Spreading-Ehrenstein-Figures



Illusions like the Neon Color Spreading Illusion

Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.

There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:

Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.

Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.

Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.

Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.

Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.

Some related illusions include the following:

The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.

Neon Color Spreading
From Wikimedia Commons

The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.  

Bezold_Effect
from Wikimedia Commons

The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.

Mach Bands Animation
From Wikimedia Commons

The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.



Hermann Grid

The Watercolor Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object is surrounded by a colored halo, the object appears to have a different color than it actually does.

Watercolor Illusion


The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.


Chevreul-Mach-bands-wiki.jpg


The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.

Ishihara Plate 9
From Wikimedia Commons

The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.

Flash Lag
From Wikimedia Commons

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


Discovery of the Neon Color Spreading Illusion

The neon-like color spreading illusion is not a specific illusion discovered by a single person, but it’s an effect that has been observed and studied by many artists, designers, and scientists throughout history.

The phenomenon of this illusion is not recent, and it has been used in different fields like art, graphic design, and advertising for a long time.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

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Troxler’s Fading

Lilac-Chaser_Troxlers Fading

Troxler’s fading, also known as Troxler’s effect, is a phenomenon in which a stationary visual stimulus eventually disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.

This occurs because the human visual system adapts to constant stimuli and eventually stops responding to them.

Lilac-Chaser_Troxlers Fading
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the cross for several seconds, the dots fade away

Table of Contents

How does Troxler’s Fading work?

Troxler’s fading occurs because of the way the human visual system processes information. The visual system is constantly receiving a flood of information from the eyes, and it must filter out the most important information in order to make sense of the world. One way it does this is by adapting to constant stimuli, so that they no longer capture our attention.

When a visual stimulus is presented in the same location for a prolonged period of time, the neurons in the brain that respond to that stimulus become less responsive, and eventually stop responding altogether. This is known as neural adaptation. As a result, the stimulus disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.

In addition to neural adaptation, other mechanisms such as lateral inhibition and surround suppression also play a role in Troxler’s fading. Lateral inhibition refers to the process by which the activation of one neuron in the visual system can inhibit the activity of neighboring neurons, which could lead to reduced perception of a stimulus. Surround suppression refers to the phenomenon where the presence of a stimulus in the surround of the fixation point can suppress perception of the stimulus at the fixation point.

Troxler’s fading effect is not limited to visual perception, but can be observed in other senses as well, such as touch and hearing.

Versions of the Troxler’s Fading

The following are some other examples of the Troxler’s Fading

Troxler-Fading
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the cross for several seconds, colors fade away



Toxler-Fading-Blue-Circle-Red-Dot
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the dot for several seconds, the colored ring fades away



Illusions like Troxler’s Fading

The following are some illusions that are related to Troxler’s Fading

The Phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by the rapid succession of static images or light sources.

It is the perceptual phenomenon that explains how the human brain perceives motion when presented with a sequence of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession.

Magni-phi-phenomonon.
From Wikimedia Commons


The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect


The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.

Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons

The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion



The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.

Hermann-Grid Illusion


The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.

Fraser-spiral-illusion.



The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.

Hering Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion



These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.

Discovery of Troxler’s Fading

The effect is named after the Swiss physician and philosopher Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler, who first described it in 1804.

Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler was a Swiss physician and philosopher, born in 1780 and died in 1866. He was a physician in a Swiss hospital, and is most well-known for describing the phenomenon of Troxler’s fading, also known as Troxler’s effect, in 1804.

He first described this phenomenon in his doctoral thesis, in which he observed that a stationary visual stimulus, such as a fixed point, eventually disappears from perception even though it is still present in the visual field. He explained this phenomenon as being due to the adaptation of the retina to constant stimulus.

Troxler also made contributions to other fields, such as philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy. He published a number of papers on these subjects, and his ideas were well-received by his contemporaries.

He was also a professor at the University of Basel, where he taught anatomy and physiology.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions and check out this Cool version of Troxler’s fading