A visual impression that remains after looking at something bright or intense, even when you close your eyes or look away.
Compound of 'after' (Old English æfter) and 'image' (Old French, from Latin imago meaning representation or likeness). The term was formalized in 19th-century psychology and ophthalmology to describe the phenomenon.
Afterimages are caused by your retinal cells staying 'excited' even after light stops hitting them—stare at a bright light then close your eyes and you'll see the opposite color, called a negative afterimage, which is genuinely cool neuroscience in action!
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