Color Spreading Illusion
The phantom glow: see how small colored segments 'bleed' into the surrounding white space.
🧐 What do you see?▼
Observe the grid of black and blue/pink lines. Although the color is only present on short segments of the lines, you likely seesoft, glowing circles of color that seem to fill the white squares between the lines.
🧠 Why this works▼
This is Neon Color Spreading. It happens because the brain prefers "complete" objects over fragmented ones.
When colored segments align perfectly with black lines, your visual system interprets this as a transparent colored filter sitting on top of a continuous set of black lines. To make this "filter" coherent, the brain "spreads" the color across the entire perceived area of the circle.
🧪 Try variations▼
- Vary Intensity: This changes the size of the "colored" zone. At small scales, the spreading looks more like a solid object. At large scales, it looks like a faint mist.
- Switch Direction: Switch between Cyan/Blue and Magenta/Pink tones to see which color spreads more convincingly for your eyes.
❓ FAQ▼
Does this require the black lines?
Yes. The black lines provide the "structural evidence" that allows the brain to justify creating a phantom colored surface.