Journal article
The Moon illusion explained by the projective consciousness model.
- Rudrauf D FAPSE, Section of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Computer Science University Center, Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: david.rudrauf@unige.ch.
- Bennequin D Department of Mathematics, IMJ, University of Paris 7, Paris, France.
- Williford K Department of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Texas, Arlington, USA.
- 2020-08-23
Published in:
- Journal of theoretical biology. - 2020
English
Models of consciousness should account for the phenomenology of subjective experience, including perceptual illusions. The Moon Illusion is a paradigmatic example that has yet to be accounted for. The Moon often appears larger near the perceptual horizon and smaller high in the sky, though the visual angle subtended is invariant. We show how this illusion can result from the optimization of a 3D projective geometrical frame through free energy minimization, following the principles of the Projective Consciousness Model. The model accounts for all documented modulations of the illusion without anomalies (e.g., the "size-distance paradox"), surpasses other theories in explanatory power, makes sense of inter- and intra-subjective variability vis-à-vis the illusion, and yields new quantitative and qualitative predictions. Empirical data from a virtual reality experiment support the predictions of the model. We also discuss how the model suggests explanations for other relevant illusions, concerning objects both at far and nearer distances, including the sky dome illusion, illusions of perceived size observed in the context of crowding experiments, and the Ames Room illusion.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- hybrid
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110455
- PMID 32827502
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/137948
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