The Effect of Out-of-Body Experience and Tactile Feedback on the Sense of Embodiment in Virtual Reality

The out-of-body experience (OBE) is generated from sensory disintegration. In virtual reality (VR), we can provide OBE to people by switching the first-person perspective (1PP) to third-person perspective (3PP). Generally, 1PP is the choice for high body ownership and presence. In addition, it is known from prior research that tactile feedback under 1PP can also provide a better immersive experience. However, it is underexplored whether the combination of 3PP and tactile feedback could affect the sense of embodiment in immersive environments. Thus, we plan to conduct a 2 (OBE: 1PP vs. 3PP) x 2 (Tactile Feedback: with vs. without tactile feedback) VR study to discover the effect of OBE in terms of perspectives and Tactile Feedback (TF). Out study plans to examine the six dimensions of the sense of embodiment: body ownership, agency, tactile sensations, location of the body, external appearance, and response to external stimuli. We will also discuss directions for future studies regarding different perspectives in VR.