Abstract

Autoscopic phenomena are illusory visual experiences during which subjects have the feeling of seeing and perceiving their own body image in extrapersonal space: The person sees and sometimes experiences a sort of double. Commonly thought of as paranormal, these phenomena have raised long debate on the mind-body connection. Based on evidence from social psychology and cognitive neuroscience, we argue that these phenomena might be ultimately rooted in mechanisms supporting social interaction. Processes involved in autoscopic phenomena - we surmise - might be the same as those as those implicated in the ability to overcome one's own position in space to take the visuo-spatial perspective of other people.