A light display system may display an image to a user and/or an audience using a persistence of vision effect. In an embodiment, a light display system includes a light source configured to emit a plurality of light patterns that correspond to multiple frames of an image. The light source is configured to sequentially emit the plurality of light patterns based on instructions from a control system such that the multiple frames are presented in a sequence at a first rate. The light display system also includes an image expander configured to reflect the plurality of light patterns toward a user of the head-mounted device, wherein at least a portion of the image expander is configured to rotate relative to the light source at a second rate that is coordinated with the first rate by the control system to thereby display the image for visualization by the user.