Just look at this black hole! Is it expanding, are are you coming closer to it? It makes you feel as it you are moving toward the void, doesn't it? Spoiler: you aren't moving forward. Even more surprising is that that is a static image, and doesn't move at all. It's just your perception preparing to move toward the black hole. Your visual perception tricks the brain into getting ready for a change ahead.
In developing this illusion, 50 subject were exposed to the picture rendered in different colors, and to nonsensical images as a control. The image that produced the most illusory effect was the black hole. Researchers even detected that the subject's pupils dilated somewhat when confronted with the black hole. Read more about this illusion and why our brains react the way they do at ScienceAlert.
(Image credit: Laeng et al., Front. Hum. Neurosci., 2022)
#illusion #blackhole #perception #visual perception #optical illusion