Out-of-Body Experiences
Floating above your body, looking down at yourself. Traveling through walls. Visiting distant locations. OBEs have been reported throughout history. Science can now induce them artificially. What are they?
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are sensations of consciousness being separated from the physical body—floating above, traveling to other locations, or existing in a non-physical form.
The Experience
According to documented research, typical OBE elements include the sensation of floating above one’s body, looking down at oneself from an external vantage point, the apparent ability to move through solid objects, traveling to distant locations instantaneously, experiencing heightened clarity and awareness, and sometimes encountering difficulty returning to the physical body.
Who Has Them?
OBEs occur in various contexts including near-death situations such as cardiac arrest, during sleep paralysis episodes, under conditions of extreme stress or trauma, during deep meditation and relaxation, while under anesthesia, spontaneously without any apparent trigger, and through deliberate practice by those who claim to have mastered the technique.
Scientific Research
Neuroscience has actively studied OBEs through various experiments. Olaf Blanke induced OBEs in 2002 by electrically stimulating the temporal-parietal junction of the brain. Henrik Ehrsson created OBE illusions using virtual reality technology in 2007. The Rubber Hand Illusion has demonstrated how the sense of body ownership can be manipulated through simple sensory tricks.
Brain Regions Involved
OBEs appear to involve specific brain regions including the temporal-parietal junction which processes body perception, the angular gyrus responsible for spatial processing, and the vestibular system that maintains balance and orientation. Disruption to these areas causes the distinctive “leaving body” sensation reported during OBEs.
Astral Projection
Some believers hold that OBEs involve the “astral body” actually separating from the physical body, enabling travel on the “astral plane” and providing access to spiritual realms. This interpretation is commonly called “astral projection” in occult and New Age circles.
Verification Attempts
Researchers have attempted to verify whether OBEs represent actual separation by placing targets that would only be visible from above, testing if OBE travelers can read hidden information placed in locations they claim to visit, but results have been inconclusive with no definitive proof that consciousness actually separates from the body.
Sleep Paralysis Connection
OBEs often occur during the transition between sleep and waking states, specifically when the body remains paralyzed from REM sleep but the mind has awakened. This REM intrusion into wakefulness strongly suggests a neurological rather than supernatural basis for the experience.
Historical Reports
OBEs appear throughout human history including the ancient Egyptian concept of the “ka” or soul-body, Tibetan Buddhist meditation practices, shamanic journeying in indigenous cultures, Western occult traditions, and countless near-death accounts from various time periods and cultures.
Techniques for Inducing
Practitioners claim to induce OBEs through various methods including deep meditation and progressive relaxation, the wake-back-to-bed technique involving interrupted sleep cycles, visualization practices and mental imagery, listening to binaural beats, and sensory deprivation in isolated environments.
The Reality Question
The central debate remains unresolved: are OBEs actual separation of consciousness from the physical brain, or are they vivid hallucinations produced by specific brain states? Can the mind exist outside the brain, or is consciousness entirely dependent on neural activity? Current science leans heavily toward a neurological explanation for these experiences.