The Rubber Hand Illusion

The Rubber Hand Illusion demonstrates how the brain creates a sense of body ownership. When a person’s real hand is hidden and a fake rubber hand is placed in front of them, synchronized brushing on both the hidden real hand and the visible rubber hand can lead the brain to feel that the rubber hand is part of their own body. This occurs because visual and tactile inputs are integrated by the brain, which updates its sense of where the body parts are. The illusion shows the brain’s flexibility in constructing our sense of bodily self based on sensory information.