Why does my brain trick?

When we are more susceptible to stress, depression, or anxiety, our brains may be playing tricks on us. A cycle of continuing to look for what is wrong makes it easier to find what is wrong out there. It’s called a confirmation bias.

Can the mind be tricked?

The human brain is complex, but it can be tricked. We’ve blogged before about optical illusions, tactile illusions and also The Rubber Hand Illusion – all examples that give an interesting insight into the disconnect that can exist between perception and reality.

Do you ever see your own picture in a mirror?

No that’s totally incorrect, the way our eyes perceives different objects including our own picture in a mirror is subject to so many modifications that are done by the brain before we actually see those objects. In Other words, you might look in a mirror and never see how the real you looks like!

How do you trigger the mirror illusion?

The author, Italian psychologist Giovanni Caputo, describes his set up which seems to reliably trigger the illusion: you need a room lit only by a dim lamp (he suggests a 25W bulb) that is placed behind the sitter, while the participant stares into a large mirror placed about 40 cm in front.

Why do I see myself as fat in the mirror?

Your brain alters the visual signals you receive then send you the modified images. In other words if you think that you are fat you can actually see yourself fat in the mirror even if you were actually slim.

What happens when you stare at your own reflection?

An intriguing article has just been published in the journal Perception about a never-before-described visual illusion where your own reflection in the mirror seems to become distorted and shifts identity. To trigger the illusion you need to stare at your own reflection in a dimly lit room.