In individuals with the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the rubber hand illusion (RHI) provokes complex and differentiated responses, including subjective distress, depersonalization, derealization, tonic immobility, increased physiological arousal, and flashbacks. The illusion was induced after both synchronous and asynchronous brushing. These findings suggest that the RHI acts as a strong provocation stimulus, eliciting individual patterns of symptom presentation related to body misrepresentation and altered body ownership. The paradigm may be useful for studying the neurophenomenology of body distortion in trauma-related altered states of consciousness.
Peripersonal space (PPS) is the area around the body where we can reach or be reached by objects or people, and it is crucial for bodily self-consciousness, action, and protection. Multisensory processing in brain regions such as the ventral intraparietal sulcus and insula underpins PPS, helping to assess approaching threats. Although PPS's defensive role appears in phobias, its relation to altered bodily consciousness in trauma-related disorders is unexplored. This review examines behavioral and neurobiological literature on trauma disorders relevant to PPS and outlines future research directions on altered bodily self-consciousness in these conditions.