How the brain represents a visually ambiguous image - visual illusion

Using a bistable apparent-motion display (in which the image is fixed but its perceived direction spontaneously switches) together with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and MRI, we show that the perceived direction of illusory motion can be read out from activity in visual processing areas in the brain.

Decoding of real motion was near-perfect and dominated by primary visual cortex (V1), whereas for illusory motion decoding was only slightly above chance and the human motion complex hMT+ contributed equally with V1.

These findings reveal a relative shift away from early visual areas when perception is constructed rather than stimulus-driven.