Continuous flash suppression reduces negative afterimages.

Naotsugu Tsuchiya; Christof Koch

doi:10.1038/nn1500

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PubMed · 15995700

Continuous flash suppression reduces negative afterimages.

Naotsugu Tsuchiya·Christof Koch

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Abstract

Illusions that produce perceptual suppression despite constant retinal input are used to manipulate visual consciousness. Here we report on a powerful variant of existing techniques, continuous flash suppression. Distinct images flashed successively at approximately 10 Hz into one eye reliably suppress an image presented to the other eye. The duration of perceptual suppression is at least ten times greater than that produced by binocular rivalry. Using this tool we show that the strength of the negative afterimage of an adaptor was reduced by half when it was perceptually suppressed by input from the other eye. The more completely the adaptor was suppressed, the more strongly the afterimage intensity was reduced. Paradoxically, trial-to-trial visibility of the adaptor did not correlate with the degree of reduction. Our results imply that formation of afterimages involves neuronal structures that access input from both eyes but that do not correspond directly to the neuronal correlates of perceptual awareness.

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Figural Aftereffect Humans Optical Illusions Perceptual Masking Photic Stimulation Vision Disparity Vision, Binocular Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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Naotsugu Tsuchiya, Christof Koch. 2005-07-03. Continuous flash suppression reduces negative afterimages.. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1500

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