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Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

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Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
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Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

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The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...
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Color Vision01:24

Color Vision

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Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
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Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

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At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...
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Visual System01:26

Visual System

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Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
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The Retina01:32

The Retina

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The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
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Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary nonretinal vision.

Joel Pearson1, Fred Westbrook1

  • 1School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|April 13, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Phantom perception, like hallucinations, reveals conscious visual experiences without direct sensory input. This review proposes a new framework distinguishing voluntary (endogenous) from involuntary (exogenous) phantom vision.

Keywords:
associative learninghallucinationsillusionsinvoluntary imagerymental imageryphantom motion

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Conscious visual experiences can occur without retinal stimuli, termed 'phantom perception'.
  • These percepts demonstrate that reality perception is not solely based on sensory data.
  • Phantom perceptions can be voluntary or involuntary.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare and contrast voluntary and involuntary phantom perceptions.
  • To explore the neural representations of different phantom perception types.
  • To propose a unifying dichotomous framework for phantom vision.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on hallucinations, mental imagery, synesthesia, perceptual filling-in, and illusions.
  • Comparative analysis of voluntary (endogenous) and involuntary (exogenous) phantom percepts.
  • Examination of neural correlates underlying different forms of phantom vision.

Main Results:

  • Phantom perceptions are classified into voluntary (endogenous) and involuntary (exogenous) types.
  • A framework analogous to attention subtypes is proposed for phantom vision.
  • This framework integrates findings across diverse fields and species.

Conclusions:

  • Phantom perception highlights the constructive nature of conscious sensory experience.
  • The proposed endogenous-exogenous framework offers a unified approach to studying phantom vision.
  • This framework can guide future research into the mechanisms of conscious perception.