What is the term for a visual image that remains after the stimulus has been removed?

The term for a visual image that remains after the stimulus has been removed is known as afterimages. This phenomenon occurs due to the way the visual system processes information. When you stare at a bright light or a particular color for an extended period and then look away, the receptors in your eyes that were exposed to that stimulus become temporarily overstimulated. When the stimulus is removed, these receptors can continue to send signals, creating a transient image of the original stimulus in your visual field. This effect is often most recognizable with contrasting colors, leading to the perception of an afterimage that is typically a complementary color to the original one.

Other terms, such as echo images, residual images, or persistent images, do not accurately describe this specific visual phenomenon. Each of these alternatives may refer to different contexts or sensory modalities, but they are not standardized terms within the study of visual perception to describe the effects related to afterimages.