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Optical illusions have been widely researched, yet scientists continue to discover new methods to deceive our eyes. This image, from a recent study, takes advantage of the imperfections in our visual system to unsettling effect. You may want to sit down before viewing the image below—gazing at it for long enough makes you feel like you're being drawn into a black hole.
Psychologists from Norway and Japan discuss the fascinating phenomenon in their paper published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Similar to other optical illusions, the image tricks the brain into filling in missing information. When confronted with a black shape surrounded by black dots, the brain reacts as if we're traveling towards a dark tunnel. The central hole appears to grow, even though it’s a static image, due to our brain anticipating the transition from light to complete darkness.
Laeng et al., Frontiers in Human Neuroscience // CC BY 4.0The researchers presented the illusion in different colors, along with control images showing no distinct patterns, to 50 participants in the study. When the hole and dots were black on a white background, 86 percent of participants reported feeling as if the darkness was expanding. Eye movement tracking revealed that the reaction to the illusion was both mental and physical. As they focused on the center of the image, their pupils dilated as though they were entering a dark space, even though the light in the room stayed constant. This suggests that the mere anticipation of a drastic light change can trigger a physical response in our eyes.
If you don't notice anything unusual when staring at the image, you're not alone—14 percent of study participants didn't perceive the black hole growing, and the researchers aren't certain why. Perhaps you'll have better luck with these award-winning optical illusions.
