Unconscious integration of multisensory bodily inputs in the peripersonal space shapes bodily self-consciousness

Roy Salomon, Jean-Paul Noel, Marta Łukowska, Nathan Faivre (), Thomas Metzinger, Andrea Serino and Olaf Blanke
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Roy Salomon: LNCO - Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CNP - Center for Neuroprosthetics [Geneva] - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center - Bar-Ilan University [Israël]
Jean-Paul Noel: LNCO - Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CNP - Center for Neuroprosthetics [Geneva] - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Vanderbilt Brain Institute - Vanderbilt University School of Medicine [Nashville]
Marta Łukowska: Consciousness Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow - UJ - Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie = Jagiellonian University = Université Jagellon de Cracovie
Nathan Faivre: CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LNCO - Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Thomas Metzinger: Philosophisches Seminar/Gutenberg Research College, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany - JGU - Johannes Gutenberg - Universität Mainz = Johannes Gutenberg University, FIAS - Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies
Andrea Serino: PSI - Dipartimento di Psicologia - Department of Psychology [Universita di Bologna] - UNIBO - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna = University of Bologna, LNCO - Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CNP - Center for Neuroprosthetics [Geneva] - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Olaf Blanke: LNCO - Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CNP - Center for Neuroprosthetics [Geneva] - EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Geneva - Geneva University Hospitals and Geneva University

Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) from HAL

Abstract: Recent studies have highlighted the role of multisensory integration as a key mechanism of self-consciousness. In particular, integration of bodily signals within the peripersonal space (PPS) underlies the experience of the self in a body we own (self-identification) and that is experienced as occupying a specific location in space (self-location), two main components of bodily self-consciousness (BSC). Experiments investigating the effects of multisensory integration on BSC have typically employed supra-threshold sensory stimuli, neglecting the role of unconscious sensory signals in BSC, as tested in other consciousness research. Here, we used psychophysical techniques to test whether multisensory integration of bodily stimuli underlying BSC also occurs for multisensory inputs presented below the threshold of conscious perception. Our results indicate that visual stimuli rendered invisible through continuous flash suppression boost processing of tactile stimuli on the body (Exp. 1), and enhance the perception of near-threshold tactile stimuli (Exp. 2), only once they entered PPS. We then employed unconscious multisensory stimulation to manipulate BSC. Participants were presented with tactile stimulation on their body and with visual stimuli on a virtual body, seen at a distance, which were either visible or rendered invisible. We found that participants reported higher self-identification with the virtual body in the synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation (as compared to asynchronous stimulation; Exp. 3), and shifted their self-location toward the virtual body (Exp.4), even if stimuli were fully invisible. Our results indicate that multisensory inputs, even outside of awareness, are integrated and affect the phenomenological content of self-consciousness, grounding BSC firmly in the field of psychophysical consciousness studies.

Keywords: Continuous flash suppression; Visual awareness; Peripersonal space; Bodily self-consciousness; Consciousness; Multisensory integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-09
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Published in Cognition, 2017, 166, pp.174-183. ⟨10.1016/j.cognition.2017.05.028⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-01668132

DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.05.028

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