The Body Swap Illusion

Posted by Miss Cellania in Science & Tech on December 3, 2008 at 10:01 am


Out-of-body experiences and even the sense of switching bodies with another person can be induced by tricking the mind with sensory illusions!

In a study presented Tuesday, neuroscientists at Stockholm’s renowned Karolinska Institute show how they got volunteers wearing virtual reality goggles to experience the illusion of swapping bodies with a mannequin and a real person.

“We were interested in a classical question that philosophers and psychologists have discussed for centuries: why we feel that the self is in our bodies,” project leader Henrik Ehrsson said. “To study this scientifically we’ve used tricks, perceptual illusions.”

70-80% of the test subjects experienced the illusion “very strongly”. How weird that feeling must be! Link -Thanks, Geekazoid!

(image credit: AP/Niklas Larsson)


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5 comments to "The Body Swap Illusion"

  1. gtron
    December 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 am

    i remember they had some research some years back - it takes about 8 minutes (i think that was it) for most people to make the psychological leap and believe they are IN that other reality - maybe it's less now that the quality has improved?

  2. Mo
    December 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 am

    This article on MSNBC is by somebody who took part in the study and has experienced the illusion first hand.

  3. liphttam1
    December 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm

    that looks so cool. I wish that the arms would move and stuff.

  4. samlive
    December 4th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Thats my friend Andrew in the picture! He's studying abroad in Stockholm, and told me about the experiment yesterday. Now he keeps popping up all over the internet!

  5. Rocky Rook
    December 4th, 2008 at 10:01 pm

    Maybe we really are in the Matrix.


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