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We investigated Haidinger's (1844) entoptic polarization brushes of the macula psychophysically and electrophysiologically during rotation of plane-polarized blue (< 520 nm) light projected to a polarization screen. Psychophysically the sensitivity of the brushes was highest between 470 and 490 nm, with a steep decrease at longer wavelengths. Increase of adaptive illumination (I) above 0.1 cd/m2 increased the increment threshold (delta I) of the brushes between 407 and 515 nm about equally (delta I/I = 0.9). Comparison of the action spectrum of different photoreceptors with the spectral sensitivity of Haidinger's brushes suggested synergistic contributions of blue, green and red photoreceptors. A decrease in visual acuity to 0.01 by plus lenses did not affect the light threshold of the brushes significantly, while blurring by Bangerter foils increased the threshold markedly (about eightfold at visual acuity of 0.01). Thus, the determination of threshold of Haidinger's brushes provides the means of investigating certain macular functions behind, and widely independent of, opacities of the ocular media. While no retinal potentials (ERG) were seen during rotation of the polarizer, we obtained cortical potentials (VEP) closely related to the appearance of Haidinger's brushes in response to rotation onset of blue polarized light. The potential derived from Oz+Ol+Or consisted of a phasic negative response after a peak latency of 295 +/- 34 ms (N 295). Similar responses were also obtained to medium and long wavelengths (extrinsic windmill rotation during foveal fixation at stimulus conditions closely related to Haidinger's brushes: 3 degrees field, 2 cy/rev, 2 cd/m2, contrast 0.15). Thus VEP recording permits the comparison of entoptic and extrinsic excitation of the macula.