The Todorovic illusion is a visual illusion where a central object or space appears to be surrounded by a halo of light, even though no such halo is present in the image.
The illusion is created by the presence of bright and dark areas around the object, which can create the perception of a halo or aura.
Table of Contents
- How does the Todorovic illusion work?
- Versions of the Todorovic illusion
- Illusions like the Todorovic illusion
- Discovery of the Todorovic illusion
- References and Resources
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How does the Todorovic Illusion work?
The Todorovic illusion works by creating the perception of a halo or aura around a central object, even though no such halo is present in the image.
This illusion is created by the presence of bright and dark areas around the object, which can create the perception of a halo or aura.
The illusion is thought to be caused by the way our visual system processes and interprets the brightness and darkness of the surrounding areas.
The brain uses the brightness and darkness of the surrounding areas to infer the 3D shape and surface properties of the central object, and this can create the perception of a halo or aura.
Additionally, it is also thought that the Todorovic illusion is related to the visual system’s ability to automatically adjust the brightness of an image according to the surrounding brightness, this process is called “luminance adaptation” and it affects the perceived brightness of the central object.
The adaptation process to the surrounding brightness can create the illusion of a halo or aura around the central object.
Versions of the Todorovic Illusion
The following are some alternate versions of the Todorovic Illusion:
Illusions like the Todorovic 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 simultaneous contrast illusion is a visual effect that occurs when the perception of a color is affected by the colors of the surrounding area.
The illusion creates the appearance of a change in the color of an object, even though the actual color of the object remains constant.
The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Discovery of the Todorovic Illusion
This version was created by Vladan Todorovic, a psychologist and researcher who is known for his work in the field of visual perception and cognitive psychology. He is particularly known for his research on visual illusions and the neural mechanisms that underlie them.
He is a professor of psychology at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. He has published several papers and articles on visual perception and the neural mechanisms of visual illusions, including the Todorovic illusion which is named after him.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.