Fractal images induce fractal pupil dilations and constrictions

•Fractal patterns occur in many natural and physiological processes.•We test whether pupillary oscillations demonstrate a fractal pattern.•Low complexity fractals underlie pupil oscillations as one views spatial fractals.•This implies the autonomic nervous system's importance in these patterns.

Fractals are self-similar structures or patterns that repeat at increasingly fine magnifications. Research has revealed fractal patterns in many natural and physiological processes. This article investigates pupillary size over time to determine if their oscillations demonstrate a fractal pattern. We predict that pupil size over time will fluctuate in a fractal manner and this may be due to either the fractal neuronal structure or fractal properties of the image viewed. We present evidence that low complexity fractal patterns underlie pupillary oscillations as subjects view spatial fractal patterns. We also present evidence implicating the autonomic nervous system's importance in these patterns. Using the variational method of the box-counting procedure we demonstrate that low complexity fractal patterns are found in changes within pupil size over time in millimeters (mm) and our data suggest that these pupillary oscillation patterns do not depend on the fractal properties of the image viewed.