We often think that we have a fairly good grip on life and we may feel as if we understand what is in front of us at any given time. In reality, our perception of something that we see or an event that is taking place may differ quite widely from reality. In fact, perception is reality in many cases, and it is not what we see but rather, how we perceive it that becomes real to us.
Perception can either work to our advantage or to our disadvantage, depending upon the situation. For example, if it is an uncomfortable temperature outside but we perceive it as being pleasant, it may actually feel pleasant to us. On the other hand, what if you saw somebody hit a rubber hand with a hammer unexpectedly? Would you jump or would you feel pain? That is what you will see in this rubber hand illusion video.
Something that will surprise you about this video is not only that people jump because the hammer hit the table, it was the perception of pain that they felt in their hand. It is a measurable response that many people have to the situation, yet it is one that is only an illusion.