Info about Optical Illusions
Optical illusion
Optical illusions, also called visual illusions are characterized by that are visually differently perceived from the objective reality. The information that is gathered by the eye is modified by the brain and the obtained percept neither does nor completely fits the measurements of the physiological object. Optical illusions are classified in literal optical illusions, physiological optical illusions and cognitive optimal illusions.
Literal optical illusions create an image that is different from the object that generates it. Physiological optical illusions are considered to be the effects of an excessive stimulation of a certain type on the eyes an on the brain. The stimulus can be brightness, color, tilt, movement. The physiological imbalance that is caused by this stimulus alters perception and the optical illusion is created.
Cognitive illusions are results of the interaction of our assumption about the object which lead to unconscious interferences. Cognitive illusions are also divided into four categories: Ambiguous illusions which are pictures of objects that can have two possible interpretations, paradox illusions which are generated by pictures of object that seem impossible to exist, distorting illusions which have as feature the distortion of their sizes, curvatures and length and finally, fictional illusions or hallucinations that appear just to one viewer such as a schizophrenia sufferer.
Cognitive illusions are explained by some mechanisms of perception that work in our brain: perceptual organization, depth and motion perception, color and brightness constancies, object constancies and future perception.
The cognitive processes hypothesis sustains that due to our neural circuitry’ s evolvement, illusions are produced by the reverse action of a mechanism that is designed to transform any 3D picture in a simplified model that can be helpful in cases of crisis or extreme stress. This process of learning hoe to make 3D object in pictures happens when we think of movement. In reality, when we see a distant object that is small, we know it is actually bigger, but if we see the same image in a photo, we will just perceive it as small, although consciously we know it is situated further.
We cannot see the entire world at once. What we see are separate objects that we perceive each as a individual item. It is our brain the one that arranges all the images in place and creates the actual picture of the world. Information about what we see comes from all the brain and then what we were influenced to see appears instead of the real deal.
Illusions are magical and artists of all times have tried to surprise them in compelling works of art. Pictures quite old still mesmerize the viewer when they are seen for the first time. We can say that we take photos with our eyes, but we actually see them with our brain. Although it is said it be the organ that makes us rational beings, our brains can sometimes add some extra information to a picture. As a result, an illusion is created. We actually see what we think we should see and sometimes this does not match reality.