Body swap, almost for real

[theblackalchemist]

Body swap, almost for real

 

STOCKHOLM: Shaking hands with yourself is an amusing out-of-body experience. The illusion of having your stomach slashed with a kitchen knife,

 

 

Tricking the Mind: A student of Karolinska Institute faces a mannequin in ‘body swap’ test.

not so much.

 

Both sensations, however, felt real to most participants in a Swedish science project exploring how people can be tricked into the false perception of owning another body.

 

In a study presented on 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.

 

The technique is simple. A subject stands or sits opposite the scientist, as if engaged in an interview. Both are wearing headsets, with special goggles, the scientist’s containing small film cameras. The goggles are rigged so the subject sees what the scientist sees: to the right and left are the scientist’s arms, and below is the scientist’s body.

 

Body swap, almost for real-Health/Sci-The Times of India