3 Surprising Things That Happen In Your Brain And Eyes When You Blink
Most people blink between 10 and 25 times a minute when they’re awake, which adds up to an average of 1,200 times per hour, according to the Huffington Post. But what actually happens when our eyes open and close?
Blinking is necessary to cleanse our eyeballs and keep them moist, but we’ve listed three other surprising physical and mental health benefits you reap every single time you blink.
1. OUR BRAIN WORKS HARD TO STABILIZE OUR VISION
A new study from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that a response to blinking is our brain repositioning our eyeballs so that they can stay focused on sight.
“Our eye muscles are quite sluggish and imprecise, so the brain needs to constantly adapt its motor signals to make sure our eyes are pointing where they’re supposed to,” said study lead author Gerrit Maus, according to a press release from UC Berkeley.
“Our findings suggest that the brain gauges the difference in what we see before and after a blink, and commands the eye muscles to make the needed corrections,” he explained.
2. A UNIQUE MOVEMENT HELPS RESET THE EYE
Back in August, scientists in Germany discovered a new type of eye movement that is synchronized with blinking, Medical Daily previously reported. The formerly unknown action helps to reset the eye after it twists when viewing a rotating object.
Read: What Happens When You Blink? Scientists Just Discovered A New Type Of Eye Movement
3. OUR MINDS NOTICE CHANGE
Why don’t we notice each time we blink? According to Nature, the brain ignores each blink by suppressing a specific nerve signal. This sign signals the mind that the picture in front of us has changed and to notice what caused it.
Source: Maus GW, Duyuck M, Lisi M, Collins T, Whitney D, Cavanaugh P. Target Displacements during Eye Blinks Trigger Automatic Recalibration of Gaze Direction. Current Biology. 2016.
Read Also:
The Man Who Stared for 41 Minutes and the Science of Blinking
Lying Eyes, Or Something Else? How Blink Rate, Pupil Dilation Give Insight To Honesty And Attraction
