Spatial Frequency Training
Three Gabor patches appear below — all with the same orientation and contrast. Find the one with a different number of "waves" (spatial frequency). The differences get subtler as you improve.
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Fine detail perception starts here
Spatial frequency discrimination is the foundation of reading ability. The Visionary app provides a complete 21-day protocol.
Understanding Spatial Frequency
What Is Spatial Frequency?
Spatial frequency describes how many light-dark cycles occur across a given distance. High spatial frequencies represent fine details (like text), while low frequencies represent broad shapes and contours. Your visual cortex has neurons tuned to each frequency band.
Why It Matters for Reading
Reading text requires your brain to process high spatial frequencies. With presbyopia, your brain struggles to resolve these fine patterns. Training spatial frequency discrimination helps your visual cortex become more sensitive to the detail band that text occupies.
Channel Theory of Vision
Neuroscience shows that your visual system processes images through multiple "channels," each tuned to a narrow band of spatial frequencies. This training specifically strengthens the channels responsible for fine detail — the same ones that weaken with age.
Transfer to Real Life
Studies show that training at specific spatial frequencies produces "transfer effects" — improvements generalize to untrained frequencies and real-world tasks. This is one of the strongest findings in the perceptual learning literature.