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Published online 20 September 2006 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news060918-4
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Brain electrodes conjure up ghostly visions
Simple stimulation may underpin complex mental illusions.
Simple stimulation of the brain can cause the mind to play complex and creepy tricks on itself, neurologists have discovered. They found that, by inserting electrodes into a specific part of the brain, they could induce a patient to sense that an illusory 'shadow person' was lurking behind her and mimicking her movements.
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