Optical illusion: Stare at this cross for a few seconds, and what happens next will surprise you! – The Times of India

Optical illusions have gained a lot of popularity recently, as they get our brain to exercise, and can be the perfect test of our observational skills and keen eye. People who want to use their free time effectively can solve puzzles, which provide both entertainment and problem-solving solutions. The brain creates visual illusions through its incorrect processing of what the eyes detect during visual perception. It occurs when the information sent by the eyes conflicts with how the brain processes, and understands what it sees. Our brains create false perceptions through these illusions, which make us see things that do not exist while they distort the actual appearance of objects. The human eye perceives motion through visual processing which makes stationary pictures seem to move, and two identical objects appear to have different dimensions.Brain teaserLook closely at this picture. The optical illusion begins with a hazy mixture of yellow and orange and purple and blue colors which appears typical when first observed. But stare at the cross for just a few seconds, and the colors begin to dissolve right before your eyes, fading away to reveal a stark white background. (source: Reddit)This type of illusion is called the The Troxler Effect, and was developed by physician Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler in 1804. It reveals that everything exists in reality, although our perception makes things seem to disappear. Your brain detects that neurons in your visual system have stopped firing steadily in response to the steady, unfocused light from the blurred edges. The system fails to process this ongoing data stream, because it deems this information insignificant while it decides to display only objects which are either new or in motion within the scene.Types of optical illusionsThe human brain experiences three main categories of optical illusions.Literal Illusions: The brain creates non-existent images through its process of uniting different elements from an image. The way we view an image, can make it appear as either two faces or a vase.Physiological Illusions: The visual system becomes overactive because of excessive light exposure, excessive movement and color stimulation. The visual effects they produce include both afterimage appearances and moving objects, that seem to move.Cognitive Illusions: These rely on how the brain subconsciously interprets information. The Müller-Lyer illusion represents one example of an illusion which makes lines appear longer or shorter based on surrounding shapes.