The Illusory Line Theory

The Illusory Line Theory suggests that our visual perception of lines and edges in images is often a mental construction rather than simply what the eyes directly see. The brain interprets certain visual cues—like contrast, shading, or surrounding shapes—to fill in or enhance lines that may not be explicitly present. This process helps us quickly recognize objects and understand scenes, but it can also lead to illusions where the perceived lines differ from the actual physical lines in the image. Essentially, our mind actively constructs the perception of lines to make sense of visual information.