A Perceptual Illusion of Empty Space Can Create a Perceptual Illusion of Levitation.

Heidi Øhrn,Vebjørn Ekroll,Mats Svalebjørg,Steffen Andersen,Anna Edit Ring

doi:10.1177/2041669519897681

Abstract

A recent analysis of magic tricks suggests the existence of a perceptual illusion where the space hidden behind an occluding object is experienced as empty in a strangely compelling way. Here, we show that this illusion of absence is not just a trivial consequence of the lack of retinal stimulation but rather the result of an active process of perceptual construction. The results of a simple experiment show that this perceptual illusion of absence can in turn trigger perceptual processes which generate an immediate perceptual impression of levitation via a percept–percept coupling. This suggests that magical illusions of levitation are partially driven by an immediate perceptual impression of floating in thin air. The perceptual mechanisms underlying the illusion of absence are hitherto unknown, but our results provide support for a potential explanation based on the generic view principle.

Highlights

A recent analysis of magic tricks suggests the existence of a perceptual illusion where the space hidden behind an occluding object is experienced as empty in a strangely compelling way
The phenomenon of amodal completion challenges naive intuitions about what it means to see: our impressions of occluded scene regions obviously refer to parts of objects that do not produce any visual stimulation, they often have properties which are more reminiscent of visual perception than of conscious reasoning and imagery
Our results show that an object resting on a support can be perceived as “magically” floating in thin air if an object in the foreground occludes the view of the support

Summary

Introduction

A recent analysis of magic tricks suggests the existence of a perceptual illusion where the space hidden behind an occluding object is experienced as empty in a strangely compelling way. The phenomenon of amodal completion challenges naive intuitions about what it means to see: our impressions of occluded scene regions obviously refer to parts of objects that do not produce any visual stimulation, they often have properties which are more reminiscent of visual perception than of conscious reasoning and imagery They often tend to be automatic, immediate, and impervious to conflicting conscious knowledge and beliefs (Ekroll, Mertens, & Wagemans, 2018; Ekroll, Sayim, & Wagemans, 2013; Firestone & Scholl, 2016; Gerbino & Zabai, 2003; Kanizsa, 1985; Michotte et al, 1991; Pylyshyn, 1999). Research on amodal completion has demonstrated that it encompasses a very rich set of phenomena

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion