What do you see during Trataka?

Mostly ordinary vision science. When you hold your gaze on a candle flame, the still surroundings may fade or turn gray, and the flame can blur, glow or briefly split in two. When you close your eyes, you will often see a bright afterimage that changes color, drifts and fades. These effects come from the way your eyes and brain adapt to an unchanging image, and from the tear film drying between blinks. They are not signs of eye damage, and they are not proof that you have reached a special state.

A few changes do need attention. Flashes of light, a sudden shower of floaters or a shadow across your vision need an eye doctor or emergency room right away. Halos that do not clear when you blink, especially with eye pain or headache, need prompt care. An image that lingers or keeps coming back long after practice, or double vision you notice in daily life, should be checked too.

This guide explains each effect, what causes it and when to get it checked. For the technique itself, start with the beginner's guide to Trataka.

Visual effects during Trataka at a glance

What you notice Why it happens Normal? Get it checked if
The room fades, darkens or turns foggy gray Unchanging things away from the center of your gaze fade when your eyes stay very still (Troxler fading) Yes A shadow or curtain stays after you blink and look around (emergency)
The flame blurs, glows or grows a halo The tear film breaks up when you hold off blinking, and the uneven surface scatters light Yes, if a blink clears it Halos do not clear with a blink, or come with eye pain, headache, nausea or a red eye
The flame splits into two Your eyes stop aiming at exactly the same point, or a drying tear film ghosts the image Often, if it clears when you refocus or blink You notice double vision outside practice, even if it comes and goes; urgently if it is sudden or painful
A bright copy of the flame when you close your eyes A positive afterimage: in the dark, a strong afterimage looks bright, like the light that caused it Yes It lasts far longer than usual, appears later or replays in daily life
The afterimage changes color Strong afterimages cycle through several hues as they fade Yes Only alongside the warning signs above
The afterimage drifts or jumps It is fixed to one patch of your retina, so it moves with your eyes Yes Not a concern on its own
No afterimage at all A dim, small or distant target, a short gaze or a lot of eye movement Common Not a concern on its own
Faces or shapes in the flame or a mirror Your brain's face detection fires on random patterns (pareidolia) Usually Images feel distressing or appear outside practice
The room swirls after a moving target Motion-sensitive cells adapt, so still things seem to move the other way Yes Not a concern on its own

Why does the room fade or turn gray while you gaze?

Your eyes are never perfectly still. Even when you fix your gaze, they make tiny involuntary jumps called microsaccades. When those movements are cancelled out in the lab, the visual system adapts to the unchanging image and stationary objects fade from view completely (Martinez-Conde et al., 2006).

Trataka asks you to hold your gaze unusually still, so you see a milder version of this. The wall, the edge of the table and the candle holder dim, melt into an even gray or seem to disappear for a moment. Vision scientists call it Troxler fading. In the 2006 study, researchers recorded people's eye movements with high precision while they reported when a target in their peripheral vision faded. Just before it faded, microsaccades became rarer and smaller. Just before it came back, they became more frequent and larger.

Attention plays a part too. In a 1999 experiment, 16 people fixed their gaze on the center of a ring of six colored discs and paid attention to three of them. Discs began to fade after about 11 seconds on average, and about 81% of the discs that faded were the ones being attended to. Fading was also stronger the farther a disc sat from the center of gaze (Lou, 1999).

That is why the flame itself rarely vanishes. It sits at the center of your gaze, it is bright and it flickers, while fading mostly affects still objects off to the side. If the flame itself dims or smears, a drying tear film is the more likely reason, which the next section explains.

Is a fading room a sign that you are doing it right? Partly. It suggests your eyes have been very still, but fading also depends on contrast, distance from the center of gaze and attention, so it is not a score. If you want a consistent measure across sessions, an app that scores gaze steadiness and blinks tracks what a phone camera can see. It cannot see microsaccades, which researchers record with high-precision eye trackers.

Why does the flame blur, glow or grow a halo?

Each blink spreads a fresh layer of tears over the front of the eye, and that smooth film is part of the eye's optics. When you hold off blinking, the film starts to break up. In an Indiana University study, image quality fell soon after a blink, and after 60 seconds without blinking, contrast in the coarser details of the image could drop to between 20% and 40% of its starting level. The authors suggested this tear break-up may explain the blurry vision people with dry eye describe (Tutt et al., 2000). The study measured only three eyes, but the effect is easy to notice for yourself.

An uneven eye surface also scatters light, which shows up as halos around bright lights (American Academy of Ophthalmology). So a candle that starts to glow, soften or sprout rays after a long stretch without blinking is usually your tear film, not your eyesight changing. A blink normally clears it. This is one reason to blink when you need to rather than force your eyes open; our guide to whether Trataka is dangerous covers dry eye in detail.

Halos or blur that do not clear when you blink are different, especially with eye pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or a red eye. Together, those can be signs of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack, which needs prompt medical care (AAO).

Why does the flame split into two?

There are two common reasons, and a simple test tells them apart.

Both eyes. When you look at one point, objects in front of or behind it are seen double. This is called physiological diplopia, it is normal, and in adults the brain usually suppresses it, so you rarely notice it (Iliescu et al., 2017). During a long gaze your focus can drift, so that your two eyes are no longer aimed at exactly the same point on the flame. The flame is then the object that doubles, until you refocus.

One eye. A drying or uneven tear film can create a ghost image in a single eye. The NHS lists dry eyes among the causes of double vision in one eye (NHS).

To tell them apart, cover one eye at a time. If the doubling disappears with one eye covered, both eyes are involved. If it stays in the uncovered eye, that eye is the source.

Brief doubling when your focus drifts is common and usually clears when you refocus or blink. Despite what some forum answers claim, it is not a symptom of a detached retina. The warning signs of retinal detachment are a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light, or a dark shadow or curtain over part of your vision, and they need emergency care (National Eye Institute). Even so, the NHS advises getting any double vision checked by an optician, even if it comes and goes, and urgently if it starts suddenly or comes with eye pain (NHS). If the flame keeps doubling during practice, mention it at your next eye test.

What is the bright image you see when you close your eyes?

It is an afterimage. Gazing at a bright flame adapts the cells in the patch of retina where its image falls. When you close your eyes, that patch keeps signaling for a while, so you see a flame-shaped glow that is not there. An afterimage appears when a bright enough target is looked at for long enough, and both its strength and how long it lasts depend on how bright the target was and how long you looked (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1963).

Whether it looks bright or dark depends on the background. In the dark, a strong afterimage usually looks positive: brighter than its surroundings, like the light that caused it. Against a lit background it tends to look negative: darker, and in roughly opposite colors (Powell, Sumner and Bompas, 2015). That is why closing your eyes in a dim room usually gives you a glowing, flame-colored shape, while looking at a pale wall gives you a dark patch. After you stare at something yellow, its afterimage on a gray background looks bluish purple (Witzel, 2025).

Exactly where afterimages are made is still debated. Recordings from primate retinas found that the retina's output cells, called ganglion cells, adapt slowly to a steady image and rebound when it disappears, which is enough to generate afterimage signals (Zaidi et al., 2012). A 2025 study that measured the exact colors of afterimages across several experiments found they closely match adaptation in the eye's cone cells, not the opposite-color rule taught in many textbooks (Witzel, 2025). Both place the origin of the afterimage in the eye itself, although the brain can still shape how you perceive it.

Why does the afterimage change color, drift and fade?

Color. A strong afterimage does not stay one color. Vision scientists call this the flight of colors: an intense positive afterimage cycles through several hues while it is visible, and the sequence is partly individual. All eight observers in the first experiment of a 2015 study reported it (Powell, Sumner and Bompas, 2015). So a flame afterimage that shifts from yellow to green, blue, pink or purple is normal, and yours may not match a friend's.

Movement. The afterimage is fixed to the patch of retina that adapted, so it follows the direction of your gaze (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1963). When it seems to drift off to one side, your eyes are drifting under your eyelids. Chasing it only moves it further, so let your closed eyes rest still.

Fading. An afterimage fades partly because the adapted cells recover, but the brain often drops it from awareness sooner. That is why it can flicker in and out, and why one that has vanished often returns when the light around it changes, such as when a room light is switched off and on again (Powell, Sumner and Bompas, 2015). Older accounts say a blink can revive it too (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1963), but when the 2015 researchers tested this, the effect varied from person to person. In the same study, blinking made strong afterimages last longer when viewed in the light, while rapid eye movements shortened weak ones.

Does a longer afterimage mean better focus?

Not necessarily, which matters because many guides treat a long, vivid afterimage as a sign of deep concentration. In a Caltech experiment, paying close attention to a pattern made its afterimage shorter, while consciously seeing the pattern made its afterimage last longer (van Boxtel, Tsuchiya and Koch, 2010).

Afterimage strength depends heavily on how bright the target was and how long you looked at it, so it says more about your setup than about your concentration. Treat the afterimage as something to rest your attention on during the eyes-closed phase, not a score to beat.

Why do some people see no afterimage?

Seeing little or nothing is common, especially at first. The usual reasons are practical:

  • The target is dim, small or far away, or the gaze was short. Afterimage strength depends on brightness and viewing time (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1963).
  • Your eyes moved a lot. Rapid eye movements shortened weak afterimages in the 2015 study (Powell, Sumner and Bompas, 2015).
  • You are looking for a sharp flame. In a dark room, expect a soft, glowing blob. If light comes through your eyelids, it may appear as a darker, colored patch instead.

If you have aphantasia, the inability to picture things in your mind's eye, you can usually still work with an afterimage, because it starts in the eye rather than in your imagination. It may look fainter, though. A 2024 study found that afterimages tend to be less intense in people with aphantasia than in others, and its authors argue that aphantasia affects more than deliberate imagery (Krempel and Monzel, 2024). An NIH study similarly found that people with more vivid imagery reported sharper, higher-contrast afterimages, though the authors note that reporting bias could play a part (Kronemer et al., 2024). Not every study agrees: in a 2026 study of 98 people, afterimage strength was independent of imagery strength (Price et al., 2026).

If nothing appears, try a slightly darker room, a candle at a comfortable distance and 30 to 60 seconds of steady gaze, then close your eyes and keep them still. If you still see nothing, rest your attention where the flame was, or on your breathing, as in our five-minute Trataka warm-up. The eyes-closed phase still works without an afterimage.

Is it normal to see faces or shapes?

Usually, yes. A flickering flame in a dim room gives your brain an ambiguous, changing image, and the visual system is quick to find faces and figures in random patterns. This is called pareidolia. Brain imaging shows that the brain's face-selective areas at first represent illusory faces as more face-like than similar objects without faces, before treating them as ordinary objects within about a quarter of a second. The researchers describe a face-detection system that favors sensitivity over selectivity: it would rather fire by mistake than miss a face (Wardle et al., 2020).

Mirror gazing in dim light often produces strange-face illusions, where your reflection seems to distort or change; our comparison of the types of Trataka covers that research. Stop if images feel intrusive or frightening, or if they continue outside practice, and talk to a doctor, especially if you have a history of psychosis, dissociation or panic attacks.

Why does the room seem to move after a moving target?

If you use an animated target, such as a rotating spiral or a drifting pattern, a still wall may seem to swirl or drift the other way for a moment afterward. This is the motion aftereffect, also called the waterfall illusion. After you watch motion in one direction, motion-sensitive cells in the visual cortex adapt, and a still scene appears to move in the opposite direction (Anstis, Verstraten and Mather, 1998). It is harmless and fades on its own, but give your eyes a few seconds before you stand up.

Can Trataka change how you see over time?

There is early evidence for a small change in visual perception, and none for better eyesight. In a 2026 randomized trial, 120 students at a yoga university either practiced gazing at a lamp flame 2 meters away for 20 minutes a day, six days a week, for eight weeks, or continued their usual routine. Afterward, the Trataka group was less susceptible than the control group to the Müller-Lyer illusion, in which arrowheads make two equal lines look unequal. On one version of the test, the illusion the Trataka group saw shrank by about 10%. On the other, it shrank by about 3% while the control group's grew (Yadav et al., 2026).

Read the results closely. The abstract also credits Trataka with faster reaction times, but the full results show both groups got faster, with no significant difference between them. It is a single study, the control group did nothing, and only the person scoring the tests was blinded, not the participants, so expectations and the extra structured time could explain part of the effect. It also measured perception, not eyesight. There is still no good evidence that Trataka improves vision or treats eye disease; our guide to Trataka benefits grades those claims.

When should a visual effect worry you?

Stop practicing and get your eyes checked if you notice any of these:

  • Flashes of light, a sudden shower of new floaters, or a shadow or curtain over part of your vision. These are warning signs of retinal detachment, a medical emergency: go to an eye doctor or the emergency room right away (National Eye Institute).
  • Halos or blur that do not clear when you blink, especially with eye pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or a red eye. These can signal an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack (AAO).
  • Double vision. Get any double vision checked, even if it comes and goes, and urgently if it starts suddenly or comes with eye pain. A severe headache or an enlarged pupil together with blurred or double vision needs emergency care (NHS).
  • An image that lingers, repeats or shows up later. Ordinary afterimages appear as soon as you look away and fade. Palinopsia is different: its images last longer and look more intense, can appear after a delay and can recur in everyday life. Color will not tell them apart, because a normal afterimage in the dark starts out flame-colored. Its causes include migraine, some medicines, head injury, seizures and brain lesions, so it needs a doctor's assessment (EyeWiki, American Academy of Ophthalmology).
  • A dark or blind spot in the center of your vision after looking at the sun. Never use the sun as a target; see why sun gazing is never safe.

If you have epilepsy or have had seizures triggered by flicker, read the precautions in our Trataka safety guide before using a flame or an animated target.

How should you treat these effects during practice?

  • Notice them, then return to the flame. Fading, glow and color changes are normal features of vision, not milestones to chase or failures to fix.
  • Blink when you need to. A blink clears most blur and halos caused by a drying tear film.
  • Keep your closed eyes soft and still. Chasing a drifting afterimage only moves it further.
  • Keep sessions short while you learn. Our Trataka session length guide has a gradual progression.
  • Keep a simple record. A notebook or an app that keeps a history of your sessions makes it easier to spot anything new, especially an effect that starts appearing outside practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for everything to go dark or gray during Trataka?

Yes. Holding your gaze very still makes unchanging things away from the center of your vision fade, an effect called Troxler fading. It usually reverses when you blink or move your eyes. If a dark patch or curtain stays after you look around, see an eye doctor or go to the emergency room right away.

Why is my Trataka afterimage blue, green or purple?

Strong afterimages change color as they fade, a sequence called the flight of colors, and the exact order varies from person to person. Against a light background, a yellow flame tends to leave a bluish-purple afterimage.

Why does the afterimage move when I move my eyes?

Because it is fixed to the patch of retina that adapted to the flame. Wherever your eyes point, the afterimage goes with them, so if it drifts away, your eyes are drifting.

Why do I see two flames during Trataka?

Usually because your focus has drifted so that your two eyes are no longer aimed at the same point, or because a drying tear film is ghosting the image. Refocus or blink. If it keeps happening, or you notice double vision outside practice even if it comes and goes, have an eye test. See a doctor urgently if it starts suddenly or comes with eye pain.

Can Trataka damage my retina?

The normal effects described here, such as fading, afterimages and blur that clears with a blink, are not signs of damage. Burns to the retina from staring at a light source are well documented for the sun, which is why it should never be a target. For the eye conditions that call for caution, read can Trataka damage your eyes?

Is seeing lights or colors a sign of spiritual progress?

Many traditions give inner lights a spiritual meaning, and this guide does not judge that. Physiologically, fading, glow, colored afterimages and faces in the flame are explained by normal vision and can appear in anyone who holds a steady gaze. They are not evidence of progress on their own, and their absence is not evidence of failure.

Do people with aphantasia see afterimages?

Usually, though often less vividly. An afterimage starts in the eye rather than in the imagination, but a 2024 study found that afterimages tend to be less intense in people with aphantasia than in others. If the visualization phase of Trataka feels blank, work with whatever afterimage you see while it lasts, then rest your attention where the flame was.

Sources

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  • EyeWiki, American Academy of Ophthalmology. Palinopsia. Read the article
  • National Eye Institute. Retinal Detachment. Read the overview
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology. What Are Common Glaucoma Symptoms? Read the guidance
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology. Can you explain why I have halos and blurry vision in the morning? Read the answer
  • NHS. Double vision. Read the guidance

This article is for general information and is not medical advice.

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Last updated: October 4, 2026