Visual illusions - Essay Example

Visual Illusions PART ONE Ideally, a visual illusion is created at the cortical level, as the visual cortex influences the way we see the world. Visual illusions are widely characterized by visually perceived images that differ considerably from objective reality. They are images or pictures that people perceive differently from what they actually are. Research suggests that visual illusions are widely caused by either an error in either ones intellect or visual sense. They occur as a result of features of the visual areas of the brain, as they receive and process information (Seckel 45).

Additionally, the retina is largely responsible for sensation, as it picks up actions, while visual illusions are the products of perception, which occurs inside the brain. Primarily, the retina and the eye sense visual illusions just like objects, and the collected information is relayed to the visual cortex. This means that our perceptions are strongly affected by the cortex, and this explains the reasons why visual illusions occur during the cortical level of visual processing (Changeux 23).

PART TWO Essentially, a back spot is an area in the retina without receptors that respond to light, or spots where the eye cannot see. Blind spots and visual illusions related in the sense that they are both occasioned by an error in one’s visual sense (Matthew 34). Works Cited Changeux, Jean Pierre, “Chemical Signaling in the Brain”, Scientific American, November 2010, pgs. 58-61Matthew Luckiesh. Visual Illusions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print. Seckel, Michael.

The Ultimate Book of Optical Illusions. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 2006. Print.