In a study published today in Nature Neuroscience, a new study on visual masking sheds light on how we unsee things and indicates that the brain generates conscious perception as a result of visual masking.
As a result of a phenomenon known as visual masking, people do not consciously perceive images when they are shown in rapid succession. In order for the masking to work, the first image must flash on and off fairly rapidly, while the second image must follow rapidly (on the order of 50 milliseconds) for the masking to work. But it is crucial that the timing of these images is right.

As a result of the study, we are able to narrow down the parts of the brain that are responsible for a person's awareness of their surroundings.
Several researchers at the Allen Institute have examined the science behind this optical illusion and have found that it occurs in mice as well, including Shawn Olsen, Ph.D., an investigator at the Allen Institute. In addition, the team has been able to pinpoint a particular part of the brain that is necessary for the visual masking illusion to work after training mice to report what they saw.
According to Olsen, this is an interesting observation, in which what is present in the world is not accurately reflected in your perception of that world. In the same way as other visual illusions, we think that it gives us a glimpse into how the visual system works, and ultimately our understanding of the neural circuits that underlie our ability to perceive visual information.This strange phenomenon was discovered by scientists in the 19th century, but why and how the human brain performs this feat remains a mystery, even to this day.This study reveals the parts of the brain that are responsible for our awareness of the world around us, according to Christof Koch, Ph.D..As co-author of the study with Olsen and Sam Gale, Ph.D., who is a meritorious investigator at the Allen Institute,.He is a scientist at the Allen Institute for Biomedical Research.It is a well known fact that when a rain of photons impacts upon our retinas, the information takes a prescribed path from our eyeballs through several different parts of the brain, ultimately ending up at the cortical layer of the brain, the wrinkled outermost layer of the brain.. As a result of previous studies of visual masking, scientists are aware that the neurons in the retina, as well as parts of the brain that are early in that pathway, are activated even when the individual is unaware that they are seeing an image.. Essentially, your brain is seeing things without you being aware of them.As part of their study to find out where unconscious sensations become conscious perception and actions, the scientists first trained 16 mice to turn a tiny LEGO wheel in the direction of a rapidly flashing image in exchange for a treat if they made the right choice. As a result, the scientists added a different masking image directly following the target image on both sides of the screen. In the presence of the mask, the animals were no longer able to perform the tasks correctly, suggesting that they were no longer aware of the original target image that had been given to them.Due to the fact that visual masking had never been tested on mice before, the research team had to create the task for them, meaning that the images and the way they were shown differed from what had been used in previous studies on humans. In order to confirm that the optical illusion they showed the rodents was relevant to us as well, the team tested it on 16 people (with the wheel replaced by keystrokes). The perception of this specific visual masking illusion by humans (or a lack thereof) and mice turned out to be very similar in terms of their perceptions.According to this result, conscious perception is taking place either in the visual cortex or in higher areas of the cerebral cortex that are downstream of the visual cortex. The findings are consistent with the general view in the field that the cortex is the seat of conscious perception in mammals, such as ourselves, Koch explained..The Allen Institute is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization that was founded in 2000 by philanthropist and visionary Paul G. Allen, who passed away in 1999.. This is Allen.. With the Allen Institute, we strive to answer some of the biggest questions in bioscience and accelerate research around the world.. There is no doubt that the Institute is a recognized leader in large-scale research, committed to the open science approach to research. As part of its research institutes and programs, the Allen Institute for Brain Science was launched in 2003, the Allen Institute for Cell Science was launched in 2014, the Allen Institute for Immunology was launched in 2018, and the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics was launched in 2021.. The Allen Institute has expanded its reach through the launch of The Paul G. Allen Institute in 2016. As part of the Allen Frontiers Group, the company identifies pioneers with innovative ideas in order to expand the boundaries of knowledge and make the world a better place. Visit the Allen Institute website for more information.The organization.Contact person for media inquiries: Peter Kim, Sr.. [email protected] SOURCE Allen Institute, Manager, Media Relations
[email protected] SOURCE Allen Institute, Manager, Media Relations
As Olsen pointed out, "This is an interesting observation, where what you perceive in the real world is not reflected accurately in your perception," he said. "Like other visual illusions, we think that it tells us something about how the visual system works and how the neural circuits that underpin visual perception work."
As early as the 19th century, scientists were able to discover this strange phenomenon, but how and why the human brain is capable of doing this remains a mystery to us today.
According to Christof Koch, Ph.D., a meritorious investigator with the Allen Institute, who led the study along with Olsen and Sam Gale, Ph.D., another scientist at the Allen Institute, the study narrows down the parts of the brain that are responsible for awareness of the world around us.
It is thought that when the rain of photons hits our retinas, the information that passes through them takes a prescribed path from our eyeballs to a number of different parts of the brain, eventually ending up in the cortex, the wrinkled outermost layer of the brain that processes information. As a result of previous studies that have examined visual masking, scientists have learned that neurons in the retina and areas of the brain which are involved in that pathway are activated even when a person is unaware that an image is being viewed by them. It is as if your brain is seeing things without you even being aware of it
It is as if your brain is seeing things without you even being aware of it
As a first step in their exploration of how unconscious perception and action are transformed into conscious perception and action, the scientists trained sixteen mice to turn a tiny LEGO wheel toward the direction of a rapidly flashed image, in exchange for a small treat if they chose the right direction during training. Thereafter, the scientists added a masking image on both sides of the screen, directly following the target image on both sides. The animals were no longer able to perform the task correctly with the addition of the mask, indicating that they were no longer aware of the original target image when the mask was introduced.
The animals were no longer able to perform the task correctly with the addition of the mask, indicating that they were no longer aware of the original target image when the mask was introduced.
Because visual masking had never been tested in mice before, the research team had to create the task for them since they had not seen images and how they were presented before, which meant the images they used and how they were presented differed greatly from those used previously in human studies. The team also tested the optical illusion they showed the rodents on 16 people (the wheel replaced by a keystroke) to ensure that it is relevant to us as well. It was discovered that human perception (or lack thereof) and mouse perception of this specific visual masking illusion were very similar.
This finding indicates that conscious perception takes place either in the visual cortex or in higher areas of the cortex downstream of it for mammals, Koch said. This supports the general view in the field that the cortex is the seat of conscious perception for mammals, including us.
There are several things you should know about the Allen InstituteThe Allen Institute is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded by the late philanthropist and visionary, Paul G. Allen. Allen, Jr.. It is the mission of the Allen Institute to answer some of the biggest questions in bioscience and to accelerate research worldwide in order to find answers to these questions. With a commitment to an open science model, the Institute is recognized as a world leader in large-scale research. In terms of its research institutes and programs, the Allen Institute for Brain Science was founded in 2003; the Allen Institute for Cell Science was founded in 2014; the Allen Institute for Immunology was founded in 2018; and the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics was founded in 2021.. With the launch of The Paul G. Allen Institute in 2016, the Allen Institute expanded its reach to a wider audience. Identifying pioneers with new ideas that can expand the boundaries of knowledge and make the world a better place is the mission of the Allen Frontiers Group. Visit the Allen Institute website for more information.The organization
The organization
Contact Person: Peter Kim, Sr. Manager, Media Relations [email protected] 
The Allen Institute is the source of this information
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