Body illusions

Try these astounding experiments to trick your body and brain. Vilaynur Ramachandran, the world-renowned neurologist, has used these experiments to investigate phantom limb pain. The Pinocchio experiment with body image Find 2 willing (and good) friends Sit on a chair blind-folded, and ask your friend (let’s call her Sam) to sit on a chair in front of you, with her back to you. Ask your other friend to take your right hand and put it on Sam’s nose Tap and stroke her nose in a gentle random manner, making exactly identical movements with your other hand, on your own nose. Continue this for 60 seconds. About 50% of people will have the extremely odd sensation that their nose is 3 feet long, or somehow their nose is elsewhere! Body image and a rubber arm You will need 1 friend 1 fairly realistic rubber hand or arm Put one of your arms behind a screen or box on the table, so you can’t see it. Put the rubber arm on the table in a position that looks like it’s your arm. Look at this hand Now get your friend to stroke both your real hand, and the fake hand. They must stroke both identically, with the same timing and at the same part of your hand. You’ll have the strange sensation the rubber hand actually belongs to you. Before you begin, ask your friend after a minute or so of starting the experiment to (without warning) hit the rubber hand very hard – what do you do?