Height of the first-person perspective affects the out-of-body experience illusion
Frontiers in Virtual Reality September 13, 2024 Chiharu Toi, Akira Ishiguchi, Shu Imaizumi
An out-of-body experience (OBE) illusion, where participants see their own back through a head-mounted display and feel as if they are sitting behind themselves, was induced at all tested heights of the first-person perspective (1PP). The illusion was stronger when the 1PP was lower or higher than usual. However, participants' perceived own height, and the perceived size and distance of external objects, did not change. Manipulating the 1PP height affects the strength of the OBE illusion but not the perception of self or object dimensions. The height of the 1PP may be an important factor in bodily illusions.