Visual Switching: The Illusion of Instantaneity and Visual Search

This paper questions two prima facie plausible claims concerning switching in the presence of ambiguous figures. The first is the claim that reversing is an instantaneous
process. The second is the claim that the ability to reverse demonstrates the interpretive, inferential and constructive nature
of visual processing. Empirical studies show that optical and cerebral events related to switching protract in time in a way
that clashes with its perceived instantaneity. The studies further suggest an alternative theory of reversing: according to
such alternative, seeing the same thing in multiple ways is a matter of uncovering what is already present to the senses through
visual search.