Optical illusions occur when information gathered by the human eye is translated in the brain to produce a visual illusion. They can be used in games, therapy, and art. The brain processes visual data based on an individual’s life experience, which can lead to recognizable objects in inkblots or images appearing after staring at a jumble of colors. Mirages are an example of an optical illusion that disappears when physically engaged.
While many people equate optical illusions with mirages, the fact is that the phenomenon has a much wider scope. Essentially, an optical illusion is any instance where information gathered by the human eye is translated in the brain in such a way that it produces a visual illusion of some sort. An optical illusion can be used in a number of different applications, such as games, psychological assessment and therapy, and the creation of artwork.
One of the generally accepted interpretations of the visual phenomena of optical illusion is that the brain will attempt to process visual data by relating it to an individual’s world view. That is, the individual’s collected life experience will influence how the brain interprets the visual input that is received. An example of this understanding has to do with inkblots that are sometimes used in counseling and therapy. When the patient is asked to identify the shapes he sees in the inkblots, the brain appeals to experience and knowledge of the past to define the received visual information as a familiar and therefore recognizable object.
Visual illusions are also often included in widely distributed games. Many people have been asked to stare at what appears to be a jumble of colors or a random arrangement of dots against a contrasting color background, then look away or blink. Often, an image will appear before your eyes. As with inkblots, the result of this activity is an optical illusion created by drawing on the individual’s life experience.
Even art can be the subject of a limited type of optical illusion. Depending on the viewer’s background, a painting or piece of sculpture may appear to take on elements that are not easily identified by other people. However, it is not uncommon for the item to be recognized by others once the detail has been highlighted and then assimilated into the life experience stored in the brain.
An optical illusion may have no real existence in the form of an object that can be touched. The mirage is an excellent example of this type of illusion. Combining the individual’s desires with any formations that the brain can interpret as a physical manifestation of that desire will lead to the visual illusion. However, the mirage generally disappears from the visual field when the individual attempts to physically engage the perceived image.
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