Virtual Body Swap Experiment Maps Out-Of-Body Illusion In The Brain

With the help of modern brain scanning technology, scientists have begun methodically mapping the brain by asking people to perform tasks or inducing experiences in a scanning machine and recording brain activity to see which regions are active. Now, such research is rising above the mundane.

A new study induced out-of-body illusions in 15 healthy people to see which part of the brain lit up.

Most of the time, our sense of self is tightly tied to the body. But it isn’t so tightly tied that our brain can’t be fooled. One recent virtual reality experiment, for example, removed the body completely, effectively creating the illusion of invisibility. Others have transported users into another person's body entirely.

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