Have you ever had the sensation of having seen something occur before it actually happens?
Athletes do this routinely. Whether it is a baseball hitter projecting the arc of a curve ball based on the eye’s perception of the spin. Or a tennis player projecting the ricochet of a sliced forehand smash coming his way. Or a basketball player anticipating the defender’s spot as he drives the lane and tries to beat his man there. This kind of visualized anticipation is the result of a convergence between your direct vision, your peripheral vision and the natural process your brain engages in to fill in gaps in its sensory perception.