Maintaining Body Ownership by Complementing Body Continuity using Portals

Abstract

Self-location is extended by splitting a virtual body to left and right, and inducing body ownership in that body. However, there is a limit in the range of self-location extension, as it has been shown that body ownership is weakened by splitting, and that body outside of the peripersonal space does not induce body ownership. In this study, we investigated whether using portals to complement body continuity generates body ownership in a distant split body and extends self-location. The results showed that body ownership decreased in the distant split body without portals, but was maintained in the condition with portals. However, self-location was not extended. The results suggest that portals can maintain body ownership in the distant body, but not extend self-location.