How does the Herrman grid illusion work?
In: Biology
Nobody knows for sure.
One theory is [lateral inhibition](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_inhibition) where some receptors in the eye may suppress other receptors, creating a perceived area of darkness. This has been roundly challenged however.
Another theory is the presence of S1 simple cells, that are part of how we in perceive 3D images out of what are essentially 2D patterns. In this case, the flat grid may ‘trick’ them into perceiving an illusory image. But there are problems there as well.
Anyway, I dug this all out of the Wikipedia page for [Grid Illusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_illusion).
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