Every time Chunyujun rubs his eyes with his hands, he can always see faint ripples or patterns "flashing" in front of his eyes.
Even if you close your eyes before going to bed at night, it will not be pitch black, but you will see some strange ripples, flashes of light or swirl patterns.
Out of curiosity, Chunyujun immediately opened the search engine, and it turned out that this phenomenon also has a name - "light illusion".
The principle of light illusions
Light illusions are visual phenomena that are perceived without the action of light. This phenomenon can be caused by non-optical effects such as mechanical stimuli and electromagnetic stimuli in the eye or other parts of the visual system [1].
Science explains that when the eyes are closed, our retinas are not completely at rest, and they may be activated by factors such as pressure, residual electrical signals, etc., producing various patterns and points of light.
These patterns are more or less related to neural activity, blood flow dynamics, so that our brains can "see" something even in complete darkness.
Is light illusion harmful to the human body?
In general, photovisual illusions are a harmless physiological phenomenon. Most people may experience visual hallucinations under certain circumstances, such as after rubbing their eyeballs vigorously, or when they suddenly wake up. They are usually temporary and do not cause long-term effects on vision.
However, if you often experience intense light hallucinations without any external stimuli, or if you have symptoms such as headaches or sudden deterioration of vision, this may be a precursor to certain eye or neurological diseases, and it is advisable to seek medical attention as soon as possible for a professional examination.
What do different shapes of light represent?
Light illusions come in a variety of forms, from simple spots and lines to complex geometric shapes.
The different shapes do not represent a specific disease or problem, they are more a reflection of the stimulation of photoreceptor cells in different parts of the retina. For example, an area that is more sensitive to light pressure may produce a brighter or more dynamic illusion of light.
All in all, those weird ripples that appear after closing our eyes, although they are very mysterious, are mainly part of our body's physiological response~
Editor: Dr. Chunyu
Source: Yitu.com
Bibliography:
[1] Margolis, T. P., & Detwiler, P. B. (2007). Mechanisms of Visual Perception: Understanding Phosphenes. Journal of Neurophysiology, 98(2), 633-640.