How does refraction affect what we see?

Light travels in different directions depending on the velocity of the medium it is in, so when it bends as it passes through one medium and enters another, the human eye cannot recognize the bending of the light ray and a virtual image is created in which an object behind or in another medium appears to have moved from its original position.

Refraction affects what we see by bending light as it passes from one medium to another, causing objects to appear shifted or distorted. This bending of light occurs due to the change in speed of light when it transitions between mediums with different optical densities. As a result, the apparent position and shape of objects can be altered, leading to phenomena such as the apparent bending of objects in water, the formation of mirages, and the dispersion of light into its constituent colors.