Hermann Grid Illusion: What it Reveals About Your Brain? Find Out Now.

Hermann Grid Illusion: Hermann Grid Illusion is one of the few mind-bending optical illusions in the optical illusions category. It was first discovered by German Physiologist Ludimar Hermann in 1870 while reading physics text in which figures were printed in a matrix-like arrangement.

What is Herman Grid Illusion, and what it reveals about our brain function? We will discuss all this and more in the following lines.

Let’s get started.

What is Herman Grid Illusion?

Optical Illusion tricks our eyes and makes us think that we see something when it is not present there or we see it differently than what it really is.

Herman Grid Illusion is a mind-bending optical illusion that appears in the form of a grid with black squares and bold white lines crossing each other.

It is one of the classical optical illusions where you might notice ghostly grey dots appearing at the points where lines cross each other.

Look at the image below to experience the Hermann Grid Illusion in action.

Hermann Grid Illusion - What is its Impact on Our Brain?

As we have mentioned earlier that optical illusions trick our brains to perceive that something is there when in reality it isn’t there. Hermann Grid Illusion is a classic example of the same.

In this illusion, we see grey dots on the points where each white lines cross each other. These grey dots aren’t there in the picture but as we look carefully we will see grey dots appearing all over the image. It is an illusion that tricks our eyes and brain into thinking there are white and gray dots in the picture.

Hermann Grid Illusion - What Causes those Grey/White Dots?

Due to the contrast between the black and white colour of the image, our retina is trying to adjust to its intensity. In doing this, the intersection points go beyond the scope of the retina, and our brain fills that blank space with grey dots.

Suppose you look carefully at one point in the picture. In that case, you will see that the dot will not change colour because the retina has adjusted to the colours in the image.

Hermann Grid Illusion: Is it an Illusion or Hallucination?

The Hermann Grid Illusion is a classic example of simultaneous light contrast illusion by vision scientists. At the same time, certain sections of researchers are still in doubt about whether to classify it as an illusion or hallucination.

The question being asked is whether the white dots are inaccurately perceived as grey by the people (due to illusion) or if people are hallucinating about the presence of grey dots.

Let us know what Illusion and Hallucination are in the following lines.

What is an Illusion?

Illusion is something that misleads or deceives us intellectually. Illusion is an idea or belief that is inaccurately perceived by our mind.

What is Hallucination?

Hallucination is the perception of seeing, hearing, smelling, and touching goods that aren’t present there.

The Hermann Grid illusion works by tricking our eyes into believing the existence of grey spots at the intersection points of white lines while there is none in reality.