OPTICAL Illusions work by playing with your mind.
But it turns out that there’s more to images than just finding and playing: some images can improve our health.
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Studies have shown that moving the spiral clockwise improves people’s ability to read fine print (Credit: Magic-Tricks)
Psychologists at the University of Glasgow have found that looking at an optical illusion can improve vision by allowing you to see small print.
“We found that visual acuity, the ability to see small details, can be enhanced by an illusion known as the ‘motion propagation after effect,'” said study author Dr. Martin Lages.
“While under its spell, viewers can read letters that are too small to read normally,” he added.
To test the impact of the optical illusion, the researchers tested the visual acuity of 74 people.
They did this using the classic eye chart you see in your optician’s room where the letters in each row are smaller.
The team then showed the participants an optical illusion of a spiral rotating clockwise or counterclockwise for 30 seconds.
They were then asked to read a set of letters on a chart.
The experts found that those who viewed a clockwise spiral (which gives the illusion that images are moving toward you) experienced a brief period of better visual acuity.
This means they could see the smaller letters on the chart better.
Meanwhile, those looking at the spiral counterclockwise experienced the opposite.
“We were quite impressed with the consistency of performance. No matter how you break it down, by font size, by font position, the performance improvement is there,” added Dr. Rob Jenkins of York University.
“There was also a correlation with initial skills: the more difficult people found the task, the more the illusion helped them.”
Don’t throw away your glasses just yet, though: The positive effects were short-lived, experts say.
other optical illusions
This stunning video of a horse walking on the moon is the latest in a series of mind-blowing optical illusions that have gone viral on the internet.
German experts say the way you look at the ‘hollow mask’ video illusion can help diagnose schizophrenia.
The Sun previously reported on another optical illusion that can help doctors diagnose autism.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education