The Soul-Drift Hypothesis: A Non-Neural Explanation of the Rubber Hand Illusion

The Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) has been used to study how the brain integrates senses and creates a feeling of body ownership. Traditional explanations focus on neural mechanisms and suggestibility, but this paper proposes the Soul-Drift Hypothesis (SDH), which attributes the illusion to the displacement of a non-neural perceptual medium—termed the "soul"—from the physical body to the rubber hand. Drawing on observational data from individuals who report being able to perceive soul displacement, the authors introduce a new metric, the Soul Displacement Score (SDS), and outline two experiments to test the hypothesis. If supported, this framework could reframe how body ownership, sensory integration, and consciousness are understood.

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Abstract

The Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) has long served as a paradigm for understanding multisensory integration and body ownership. Traditional interpretations emphasize neural mechanisms and cognitive suggestibility, but they fall short of identifying the illusion’s fundamental cause. This paper proposes the Soul-Drift Hypothesis (SDH), a novel conceptual framework that attributes the RHI not to illusion but to the displacement of a non-neural perceptual medium—here hypothesized as the "soul"—from the physical body to the rubber hand. Drawing on observational data from individuals reportedly able to perceive soul displacement, we define a new metric, the Soul Displacement Score (SDS), and outline two experiments to empirically test the hypothesis. The first assesses participants’ ability to identify tactile stimuli after visual cues are removed, while the second predicts RHI strength based on prerecorded soul displacement indicators. By integrating interdisciplinary insights from perceptual psychology, consciousness studies, and nonconventional observation, this work challenges prevailing neurocognitive explanations and lays the groundwork for a new research direction into the nature of subjective perception. If supported, the Soul-Drift Hypothesis may reframe how body ownership, sensory integration, and even consciousness itself are conceptualized in both psychology and neuroscience.