Editing Afterimage (section)

{{short description|Image that continues to appear in the eyes after a period of exposure to the original image}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2012}}

[[File:Florence Devouard, afterimage.jpg|thumb|If a viewer stares at the white dot in the center of this image for 5–60 seconds and then looks at a plain white surface, a negative afterimage will appear, showing a person's face in a more natural color scheme. This can also be achieved by the viewer closing their eyes.]]

An '''afterimage''', or '''after-image''', is an image that continues to appear in the eyes after a period of exposure to the original image. An afterimage may be a normal phenomenon (physiological afterimage) or may be pathological ([[palinopsia]]). [[Illusory palinopsia]] may be a pathological exaggeration of physiological afterimages. Afterimages occur because [[Photochemistry|photochemical]] activity in the retina continues even when the eyes are no longer experiencing the original stimulus.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bender|first1=MB|last2=Feldman|first2=M|last3=Sobin|first3=AJ|title=Palinopsia.|journal=Brain: A Journal of Neurology|date=Jun 1968|volume=91|issue=2|pages=321–38|pmid=5721933|doi=10.1093/brain/91.2.321}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gersztenkorn|first1=D|last2=Lee|first2=AG|title=Palinopsia revamped: A systematic review of the literature.|journal=Survey of Ophthalmology|date=Jul 2, 2014|pmid=25113609|doi=10.1016/j.survophthal.2014.06.003|volume=60|issue=1|pages=1–35}}</ref>

The remainder of this article refers to '''physiological afterimages'''. A common physiological afterimage is the dim area that seems to float before one's [[human eye|eye]]s after briefly looking into a light source, such as a camera flash. Palinopsia is a common symptom of [[visual snow]].