Vision: an active or a pive process?

You're eyes are in constantly in motion giving the illusion that one can see more than what is directly in front of them, it's the illusion of peripheral vision. Then the images that are being taken in by the eyes must constantly be transported to the brain making it seem as if things are happening in a steady flow even though if my memory serves there is a short lapse between when something actually happens and when the brain/eyes register it happening and you see it, but I don't recall that many of the details it has been too long since I've thought about it or looked into it for all I know scientists may have new findings on the subject that I'm unaware of. From what I currently know I hypothesize that the act of Seeing is an active process, not pive. However I would also say that it is an unconscious process and not a conscious process because the majority of the work goes on without the need for us to actively think about it.