[3] Flash suppression is an example of illusions that render a highly visible image invisible and that are used to study the mechanisms of conscious and non-conscious visual processing.
[4] Related perceptual illusions include backward masking, binocular rivalry, motion induced blindness and motion-induced interocular suppression.
Flash suppression has certain methodological advantages over binocular rivalry as a tool for probing conscious vision.
This suppression can last for minutes, a remarkable testament to the fact that humans often do not see what is directly in front of their eyes.
Continuous flash suppression is a useful method for psychologists and neuroscientists interested in studying the mechanisms of conscious and nonconscious visual processing.
[11] This effect is strongest when the two stimuli are presented to (different regions in) opposite eyes, which suggests that it is somewhat related to binocular rivalry.
[12] Authors report that the disappearance of the stimulus triggered changes in the local field potentials of all these areas, suggesting that the perception during flash suppression is reflected in large parts of the brain.