how can the eye focus on things it’s not directly looking at

Question

So I can look at an object directly but i can also focus on the corner of my vision.How does it work?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Because your brain can process all the visual information given to it. Peripheral vision is just harder to consciously process as its mostly processed emotionally. So sudden movement, or recognizable shapes are recognized faster than they would if you were actively focusing on them. However that doesn’t mean you cant try really hard and focus your perception onto your peripheral vision without actually moving your eyes.