A knock on the back forced away from the body

About his experience outside his own body sometimes tells addicts or victims of an accident. They seem to be back on top contemplate doctor who bent over their lifeless body. According to statistics, about 10% of all people living within the lived experience of existence beyond your own body. Most often explained by the fact that the soul is leaving the mortal body, the road to the underworld makes a short stop to say recently, "I'm sorry." To study this phenomenon, some researchers experimented with psychedelics, arguing that transpersonal experiences can not be regarded as psychopathological.

Experiments conducted by a group of scientists of the Institute in Lausanne, under the direction of the philosopher Thomas Metzinger and neuroscientist Olaf Blanke show that a simple video camera and special video glasses enough to cause such an experience, or rather, something that is very reminiscent of his. The first experiment, according to Metzinger, showed that "all-encompassing sense of self is able to completely transform."

Cooperation between the philosopher and neurologist, what are a couple of Metzinger Blanca, is a rare exception, writes FOCUS ONLINE. His reasoning to explain the mysteries of the human mind, the researchers have published in the last issue of the specialized journal Science. Title of publication is a slightly modified expression of Descartes: «Video Ergo Sum» - «I look, therefore I exist."

The experiment involved 28 people. They rhythmically tapped his wand on the back, shooting the episode behind the video. Video recording at the same time each subject scrolled through special glasses. Thus, the experimental not only felt the touch, but watched it before him. Thus a person the feeling that he is in this second body, which show him - in other words, the experimental thought he was looking at himself from the outside.

However, this sensation was not stable even under optimal conditions. It disappears if the contact did not occur simultaneously. Conversely amplified when subjects saw themselves instead of a doll or a mannequin. "Even though they felt the touch of the front, but do not feel that they are there," - says Blanca.

Just how much the subjects identified themselves with the phantom of the film, said the second publication in Science. Dr. Ehrsson Henrik (Henrik Ehrsson) from the Royal Institute in Stockholm has achieved very similar results, regardless of the scientists from the Lausanne. The degree of identification, checked Dr. Ehrsson when he threatened avatar hammer while registering sweating and measuring the electrical conductivity of the skin in subjects indicate that they felt fear as if threatened by him.

These experiments allow us to understand the illusion of so-called "rubber hand." When the man sitting at the table in front of which is an artificial hand, while his hands on his knees, with synchronized touch to this hand (knee) and plastic hand (on the table) believes that the deal with the hand-moulage.

Why is the information transmitted through the organs of vision, it is enough to enter the brain into thinking remains a mystery. Probably the optical effects are so strong that it negates all the information received from the other senses. "Visual information is enough for you to destroy the sensitivity of our body" - says Blanca.

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