visual perceptual illusion

An illusion is a misrepresentation of a real sensory stimulus, leading to a perception that contradicts objective reality. Visual perceptual illusions occur when the brain misinterprets sensory cues, creating a false impression of an object or event. These can arise from physical factors, like light bending through water, or from the brain's processing of visual information.1

Examples of visual perceptual illusions include:
* Closure: Perceiving incomplete shapes as whole.1
* Figure-ground: Difficulty distinguishing an object from its background.1
* Müller-Lyer illusion: Lines appearing to be different lengths due to added arrowheads.1
* Moon illusion: The Moon appearing larger on the horizon than when high in the sky.1

These illusions highlight how our perception is an active interpretation rather than a direct reflection of reality.2