Breathing Spiral Illusion
A hypnotic spiral that gains a rhythmic 'breath' through combined rotation and scaling.
🧐 What do you see?▼
As the spiral rotates, it appears to physically expand and contract, much like a pair of lungs breathing. Even though the lines are simply rotating and scaling, your brain interprets the overlapping signals as a dynamic, organic movement.
🧠 Why this works▼
The Breathing Spiral works by stimulating two different sets of motion detectors in your visual cortex:rotational motion and radial expansion/contraction.
When these signals are combined at specific frequencies, the brain fails to separate them cleanly. The result is a sensation of "looming" (moving closer) and "receding" (moving further away). This is an example of motion integration, where the brain synthesizes multiple movement vectors into a single complex perception.
🧪 Try variations▼
- High intensity: Increase intensity to maximize the "breath" depth. It can become quite disorienting!
- Switch Direction: Notice how the "in-breath" becomes an "out-breath" when the rotation reverses.
- Slow it down: At low speeds, the individual spiral arms become easier to track, making the illusion more subtle.
❓ FAQ▼
Why do I feel slightly dizzy?
It's called Vection. Your brain thinks you are moving because the visual field is expanding, but your inner ear (vestibular system) says you are sitting still. This conflict causes mild motion sickness.