Embodiment and disembodiment in the rubber hand illusion

In collaboration with the University of Würzburg in Germany, this project seeks to investigate the mechanisms of disembodiment by conducting behavioral experiments in virtual reality.

The experience of one’s body can be influenced and altered through perceptual illusions, such as the well-known "rubber hand illusion." In this illusion, individuals may begin to feel as though a fake hand is part of their own body, temporarily replacing their actual hand.

However, little is known about how this sense of embodiment develops over time or how it diminishes once the perceptual cues that create the illusion are removed or interrupted. The process of "disembodiment"—the gradual loss of this illusion of ownership over the fake hand—remains poorly understood.

In collaboration with the University of Würzburg and Roland Pfister, this project seeks to investigate the mechanisms of disembodiment by conducting behavioral experiments in virtual reality.

By studying how and when the illusion of embodiment fades, we aim to gain deeper insights into the temporal dynamics of body ownership and self-perception.