Friedman, D.,Pizarro, R., Or-Berkers, K., Neyret, S., Pan, X. & Slater, M. A method for generating an illusion of backwards time travel using immersive virtual reality an exploratory study.
The combination of stereo vision, tracking, haptic and auditory feedback, and the ability to represent even the body of the participant, generate an illusion for the participant of being and acting in an alternate virtual reality [19].
This generates a basic illusion of touch projected to a foreign arm.
This together with self-induced synchronous visual-tactile stimulation and visual-motor correlation, seen on the virtual body and felt on the real body in the corresponding location was sufficient to generate an ownership illusion and a feeling that the belly had increased in size.
As to the latter, it may be that the clever alien scientists have generated a convincing illusion of significant exploratory and volitional powers in the mind of the poor envatted brain.
The camera recognizes the gender of a subject, then uses pre-scanned images to generate a convincing illusion of the person's own body.
Worse yet: when a guy does get my bells ringing, I'm never sure that the chemistry I feel isn't actually being generated by an illusion: empty charms, a souped up persona, the smoke and mirrors some guys use to say, Here stands before you a hot man you cannot live without.
In conclusion, even if using VR it is possible to experience more presence than in real life [ 24, 45], or to generate a body transfer illusion [ 46], it is also possible to experience less presence than reading a text or watching a video.
It all happens with a certainty of purpose that generates the illusion that things are under control and social order prevails.
