'Remapping allows locations to be continuously represented across the eye movement by maintaining both current and expected locations simultaneously, facilitating the transition between the two,' Hunt added.

'The finding implies that we experience the predicted consequence of an eye movement as though it is actually occurring, albeit just for a moment.'

Hunt said the research might lead to more investigation of the brain's ability to predict and its role in perception, as well as the link between brain activity and actual experience, said an Aberdeen release.

The next step may be to examine under what circumstances predictive processes occur, what function they serve and to what degree they influence our perception of events, she said.

These findings were published in the Journal of Vision.