Over 60 amazing optical illusions

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66 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena

(Visual Illusion · Optische Tنuschung)​

These pages demonstrate visual phenomena and »optical illusions« or »visual illusions«. The latter is more appropriate, because most effects have their basis in the visual pathway, not in the optics of the eye. I selected these based on relative novelty and interactivity. When I find the time I will expand the explanations , to the degree that these phenomena are really understood; any nice and thoughtful comment welcome.

Most visitors of this site are not vision scientists, so you might find the explanatory attempts too highbrow. That is not on purpose, but vision research just is not trivial, like any science. So, if the explanation seems gibberish, simply enjoy the phenomenon ;–).

»Optical illusion« sounds pejorative, as if exposing a malfunction of the visual system. Rather, I view these phenomena as bringing out particular good adaptations of our visual system to standard viewing situations. These adaptations are »hard-wired« into our brains, and thus under some artificial manipulations can cause inappropriate interpretations of the visual scene. Or, as Purkinje put it: »Illusions of the senses tell us the truth about perception« (cited by Teuber, 1960).

Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena