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 it really is, which may reduce the pain felt from that organ.

Ten patients whose right arms were suffering from chronic pain that was intensified by movement were asked to move their arms while their visual perceptions of those arms were altered. They first used binoculars that magnified how their bodies appeared, and then used inverted binoculars that instead reduced their sizes. They also asked to rate the pain they felt when doing so. The larger the limbs appeared, the more pain was felt. 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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