Sunday, November 9, 2014

Ghost Illusion Created in the Lab

EPFL researchers in Switzerland have finally revealed how they recreated the illusion of a ghost in the laboratory. Olaf Blanke's research team demonstrated that an unusual "feeling of presence" actually occurs because of alterations in sensorimotor brain signals. Many of these "feelings of presence" occur in people with neurological or psychiatric conditions. 


The researchers did an experiment where they analyzed the brains of 12 patients with neurological disorders, most of them having epilepsy, that have experienced these "feelings of presence." They found that these patients had alterations in three areas of the brain: the insular cortex, parietal-frontal cortex, and temporo-parietal cortex. These three areas are involved in self awareness, movement and sense of position in space. They then took these patients and blindfolded them and had them perform movements with their hand in front of their body. 

The first half of this experiment consisted of them doing a movement while a robot behind them reproduced the same movement and touching them on the back. Since the first part of the experiment consisted of both of these happening at the same time the patients did not think anything of it, the brain was able to balance it out. The second half consisted of the patient doing a movement and the robot reproducing it but at a delayed time. This distorted the temporal and spatial perception in the brains of the patients. After a few minutes of the touch being delayed many patients said that they felt the "feeling of presence" and some of them actually felt it so strongly that they asked to stop the experiment. 

They used this experiment to prove that ghost illusions are actually caused by an alteration of perception due to an alteration of the sensorimotor brain signals. They also used this information to explain why people with schizophrenia often suffer from hallucinations and delusions. 

I found this article very interesting because I never thought that a "feeling of presence" could simply be from an alteration in sensorimotor cortex. Although I am a full believer of spirits and I do think that experiments and information like that can cause people to become more skeptical. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141106131849.htm

5 comments:

  1. Very interesting. I believe in ghosts and the supernatural world, but now I am a little skeptical. Its amazing how the alteration in our sensorimotor cortext makes us feel like someone is with us at a given time. I wonder if ghosts really exist or if everything we see and hear that appear to be ghosts are just self-created illusions.

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  2. I don't particularly have a belief in ghosts or a supernatural world but I thought this study was interesting. I do think things like that are illusions and anything that provokes skepticism is cool to read.

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  3. I found this to be very interesting. I also believe in ghosts and the supernatural world, after reading this it's crazy to think that we have a certain part of our brain that makes us think that we feel something. It makes ghosts and the supernatural world to be less believable.

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  4. I am a strong believer in the supernatural and ghosts. This article was very interesting because it does show how that certain paranoia and that "feeling of something there" could all just be an illusion. Because I am such a string believer, I'm also terrified at the thought of ghosts. Knowing this is really interesting and kind of cool that all those scares may have just been an alteration of semi monitor cortex.

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  5. This blog has to be one of the most fascinating post because I am sometimes paranoid of ghost. I would have never though that ghost illusions are caused by alternation of the sensorimotor brain signals. The cause of hallucination makes sense now.

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