1. How the Brain Creates the Body: Whose Leg is This? (Part 1)

In this inaugural episode, Hedi sits down with veteran science writer Moheb Costandi about his fascinating book Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness.

From phantom breasts and rubber hands to the Pinocchio illusion and out-of-body experiences; from amputating a healthy leg to feel whole, to scratching an itch with a ghostly third arm – prepare to journey through the strange and astonishing ways our brains construct a sense of bodily self. Moheb walks us through the science, the syndromes, and the people whose experiences reveal just how malleable – and downright bizarre – our sense of owning a body really is.

Relevant links:

Book – Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness by Moheb Costandi

More about Moheb

Chapters:

(00:00) Losing a Limb to Feel Whole

(01:12) Introduction

(03:36) Understanding Bodily Awareness

(04:41) A Hand That Isn’t Mine vs. A Hand I Can’t Control

(05:51) Phantom Limbs, Breasts, and Beyond

(08:26) Phantom Sensations in Transgender Individuals

(09:49) Counting with Invisible Fingers

(11:14) Therapies for Phantom Pain

(12:50) Rubber Hands, Rubber Tails: The Illusion from Humans to Mice

(16:34) Hammers, Knives, and Illusions in the Pub

(18:32) Body Integrity Identity Disorder

(21:08) A Surgeon, a Pistol, and a Leg

(22:02) Hemiplegia and The Denial of Paralysis

(23:36) Discovering Body Maps in the Brain

(26:58) Scratching an Itch with a Ghostly Third Arm

(29:02) The Multisensory Mind

(30:13) Inducing Out-of-body Experiences

(31:50) The Body Swap Illusion

(32:35) The Barbie Doll Illusion

(33:49) Proprioception and the Pinocchio Illusion

(35:00) The Story of Ian Waterman

(36:20) Interoception and the Origins of Emotion

(39:21) Alexithymia and Emotional Blindness

(39:56) Wrapping Up & What’s Next

Episode Credits:

Creator & Series Producer: Hedi Young

Concept Development & Curation: Ana Rita Mendes, António Monteiro, Carla Emilie Pereira, Catarina Ramos, Diana Cadete, Hedi Young, João Van Zelst, John Lee, Marta Correia, Thaïs Lindemann and Teresa Fernandes

Host: Hedi Young

Guest: Moheb Costandi

Graphic Design: Marta Correia

Sound Design: João Van Zelst

Dissemination: Ana Rita Mendes and Diana Cadete

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Champalimaud Foundation.