This final reading is an interview between Peter Eleey and Olaf Blanke. Blanke and a team of neuroscientists developed a way to onset “out-of-body experiences.” To do so, the participant has to wear virtual goggles that make it appear they are infront of themselves; the person with the goggles only sees his/her back. When they have the goggles on, the team rubs the participants back with a paintbrush and these two elements combined cause the illusions. I find it very interesting that they found a way to trick our mental sensors into such illusions. This particular project uses the visual and physical sensories, goggles and paintbrushes, to fool the mind into believing you’re having an “out-of-body experience.”
Bruce Nauman also has a similar “experience” for participants to partake. It is called Live-Taped Video Corridor. People were allowed to walk down this corridor- at one end a video camera and at the other end a monitor. So as the participant walked down the corridor, they became farther away from the camera and closer to the monitor. People always want to see themselves on monitors for some reason, so I see this almost as a prank. As you get closer to the monitor, you’re farther away from the camera, so it would be hard to see yourself.
I do believe I have had an “out-of-body experience” at least twice in my life. One time in particular I remember is when I got my first pair of glasses. I put on the glasses and tried to walk. My perception of where I was and how close I was to everything was totally different. It was almost as if I couldn’t tell how far down the steps were or where I could put my foot. Its a very disorienting experience. Another example that I have is after working out on an elliptical. An elliptical works in gliding motions to simulate running. After being done working out and trying to walk normal becomes tricky. I felt like I was trying to walk faster and leaving my body behind me; almost like I was floating along. I have no complaints about the experiences- It just makes a person very disoriented.
