Troxler's Fading

Troxler's Fading

What is it?

Troxler's Fading is an illusion that makes you see a color that is not actually there.

Troxler's Fading is a visual illusion that occurs when a stationary object in our peripheral vision seems to fade or disappear when we focus on a fixed point for an extended period. This phenomenon was discovered by Swiss physician Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler in 1804. Lilac ChaserWikipedia To explain Troxler's Fading in layman's terms, let's consider a simple example:

Imagine you're staring at a dot in the center of a piece of paper with a faint circle drawn around it. If you keep your eyes focused on the central dot without moving them, after a while, the circle may seem to fade or disappear entirely. This is Troxler's Fading in action.

This phenomenon happens because our brain tends to adapt or become less sensitive to unchanging, peripheral visual stimuli. When we focus on a fixed point, the neurons in our visual system that respond to the peripheral object start to ignore the constant, unchanging stimulus. As a result, the object appears to fade away. Once we shift our focus or move our eyes, the object becomes visible again.

In summary, Troxler's Fading is a visual illusion that demonstrates how o ...