Those of us with normal brain function would probably agree — we know what’s a part of our body and what isn’t. We can put on a hat or a glove or rollerblades and still be pretty confident about where we end and the inanimate object begins. The rubber hand illusion throws a wrench in all of that, essentially convincing participants that a fake rubber hand is theirs.

By placing a rubber hand on the table in front of a participant and stroking it in the same way as their real hand (see the video for a demonstration), researchers were able to convince people the rubber hand was their own. Subjects gradually begin to experience the rubber hand as their own through the stroking, then are so convinced that when asked to point to the hand in question, they would point to the rubber hand. The study is hugely important for understanding how sight, touch, and one’s sense of body position. Work with the rubber hand could have applications in virtual reality or robotics in the future, but for now, it’s all about understanding the relationship between the brain, eyes, and muscles.