Oxford researchers discover fake tongue illusion

Research led by Professor Charles Spence in EP has discovered a a novel perceptual illusion in which people report feeling a fake tongue (the so-called Butcher's Tongue) as if it were their own. The work, published in the journal Perception, describes how people report feeling as if they had been touched in the location where they see the butcher’s tongue being touched, as well as feeling that the fake tongue is their own. Furthermore, illuminating the butcher’s tongue with a laser-pointer also resulted in tactile or thermal sensations on the participant’s own tongue. These results provide the first evidence to suggest that it may be possible to perceive tactile (and perhaps even taste) experiences 'outside of the mouth'.  The work is highlighed on the APS website and in the New Yorker Magazine.