Glow Effect Illusion
Experience the visceral sensation of light radiating from a flat screen.
🧐 What do you see?▼
Observe the central white circle. Even though your screen is a 2D surface, the circle appears to actually glow or emit light that spills over onto the surrounding shapes.
🧠 Why this works▼
The sensation of "glow" is a high-level perceptual property. It is triggered by specific luminance gradients.
By placing a sharp white object on top of a soft, radial gradient background, the brain is tricked into following the logic of real-world physics: intense light sources usually scatter light into the surrounding air (Tyndall effect). Your brain "hallucinates" the radiance because it's the most likely physical explanation for what you're seeing.
🧪 Try variations▼
- Vary Intensity: This controls the size of the illusory "radiance" field. See how far you can make the glow extend before the illusion breaks.
- Ambient Light: Turn down your room lights. The "glow" often becomes much more physically convincing in a dark environment.
❓ FAQ▼
Is this why HDR screens look so good?
Partially! HDR screens can physically produce more "peak brightness," but they also use these perceptual tricks of contrast and gradients to make that brightness feel like it's truly glowing.