Inverted binocular phenomenon

Disowning Pain Phenomenon (or "Inverted binocular phenomenon") is the subject of 2008 study[1] suggesting that distorting the body image can change the way we feel it. For example, when we see an organ through inverted binoculars, it looks smaller than what they really is, and it may reduce the pain felt from that organ.

It has been found that the body image can have an important effect on how we perceive our bodies. In other words, the way we see and perceive our body can affect the way we feel it.

Ten patients who were suffering from chronic pain in their right arms that was intensified by movement were asked to move their arm when their visual perception of that arm was altered. They first used binoculars that magnified how their body appeared, and then used inverted binoculars that instead reduced the image. They also asked to rate their pain they felt when doing so. The result was surprising: there was an obvious relation between the size of organs seen by binocular and the way they felt; the bigger the limbs were seen, the more the pain was. The results become more interesting when it was found that magnifying and minimizing with binoculars can even change the extent of swelling.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ Moseley, G. Lorimer; Parsons, Timothy J.; Spence, Charles (2008). "Visual distortion of a limb modulates the pain and swelling evoked by movement". Current Biology. 18 (22): R1047–R1048. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.09.031.
  2. ↑ Costandi, Moheb (December 23, 2008). "Distorted Body Images: A Quick and Easy Way to Reduce Pain". Scientific American.
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