Two new illusions of the tongue

Perception. 2008;37(8):1305-7. doi: 10.1068/p6016.

Abstract

New illusions resulting from failures in proprioception are described. The Forked Tongue illusion results from weaving the tongue among the prongs of a fork, or from using the prongs of a fork to distort skin on other parts of the body-in these cases, the prongs feel misaligned even though the fork has not bent. The Tongue Twister illusion results from turning the tongue upside down and probing it with a finger or foreign object-the object can be felt to be in the wrong spatial location, opposite to where it actually is on the tongue.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Illusions*
  • Perception / physiology*
  • Psychophysics
  • Tongue*
  • Touch / physiology*