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Reference.org
Phantom contour
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<p>A phantom contour is a type of <a href="/facts/Illusory_contours/pYPl8JJw">illusory contour</a>. Most <a href="/facts/Illusory_contours/pYPl8JJw">illusory contours</a> are seen in still images, such as the Kanizsa triangle and the Ehrenstein illusion. A phantom contour, however, is perceived in the presence of moving or flickering images with contrast reversal. The rapid, continuous alternation between opposing, but correlated, adjacent images creates the perception of a contour that is not physically present in the still images. Quaid et al. have also authored a PhD thesis on the phantom contour illusion and its spatiotemporal limits (University of Waterloo) which maps out limits and proposes mechanisms for its perception centering around magnocellularly driven visual area MT (see also Quaid et al., 2005 on www.pubmed.com). </p>