A WILD optical illusion has a trippy effect on the brain’s relationship with the eyes.
This trick is a head-scratcher, but once explained it’s easy to see how it works.
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Stare at the center of the image for just a couple seconds to see the illusion take action.
The colors briefly swirl and blend, only to completely disappear.
Blink once or refocus your vision and the colors are restored.
No, the image is not a gif in motion, it’s the Troxler Effect in action.
The Troxler Effect is a psychological principle that states the brain will ignore unimportant, static stimuli.
Neurons become desensitized to backgrounds and they begin to fade from view – the effect works best with images that have low contrast.
The Troxler Effect takes advantage of small movements in the eye called “saccades” or “microsaccades” – tiny movements give more receptors in the eye the chance to get a look at the target.
By rigidly focusing attention on the center of the image and not the colors, saccades are repressed and the colors fade.
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The illusion is sometimes presented with a dot at the center to help hold the viewer’s attention.
The effect is named after a Swedish physician who discovered the phenomenon in 1804.
Optical illusions are an effective vessel for studying brain behavior.
The Troxler Effect is one of many that gives researchers the opportunity to study an error in perception.
