Switching binding states

Recently, we introduced two illusions: Feature inheritance and shine-throug h (Herzog & Koch, 2001). In both cases, a vernier precedes a grating for a short time. In feature inheritance the grating comprises a small number of elements to which properties of the foregoing vernier are bound. The vernie r itself remains invisible. In shine-through, a grating comprising a larger number of elements follows the foregoing vernier. Surprisingly, the vernie r becomes visible as an entity in its own right and does not bequeath its f eatures to the grating. Two "objects" are perceived each preserving its pro perties. Therefore, each of the two illusions represents a different state of feature binding. Our results suggest that feature binding is based on an antecedent segmentation process that might be viewed as a binding process itself.