According to the National Eye Institute: ‘An optical illusion is something that plays tricks on your vision. Optical illusions teach us how our eyes and brain work together to see.
‘You live in a three-dimensional world, so your brain gets clues about depth, shading, lighting, and position to help you interpret what you see. But when you look at a two-dimensional image, your brain can be fooled because it doesn’t get the same clues.’
More recently, new class of illusion, developed by a visual artist and a psychology researcher, underscores the highly constructive nature of visual perception.
The illusion, which the creators label ‘Scintillating Starburst’, evokes illusory rays that seem to shimmer or scintillate like a starburst. Composed of several concentric star polygons, the images prompt viewers to see bright fleeting rays emanating from the centre that are not actually there.
Here’s are some optical illusions:
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
