Out-of-body experiences: interpretations through the eyes of those who live them

Introduction: Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are primarily characterized by the sensation of the self being located outside one's physical body. The complexity of this phenomenon has led researchers to propose various theories to explain it, including physiological, psychological, and non-local consciousness theories. The objective of this study is to directly explore the interpretations of individuals who have experienced this phenomenon firsthand.

Method: The study employed a qualitative descriptive design with a phenomenological interpretive analysis approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The sample comprised 10 participants without mental disorders or neurological and/or vestibular pathologies. The factors studied were predisposing, precipitating, phenomenological, consequential, and interpretive.

Results: All participants agreed that their experience was not only real but described it as more vivid and authentic than everyday reality. Four participants had no explanation for their experience, while one interpreted it in physiological terms. The remaining five explained their experiences using terms like “other planes or dimensions” and “universal consciousness,” aligning with some authors who use concepts such as “non-local” or “expanded consciousness” to address OBEs.

Discussion: The findings suggest that, given that most participants refer to explanations that go beyond what is commonly understood as consciousness, theories of non-local consciousness could be enriched by incorporating these experiential perspectives.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psy...66679/full

This is an interesting study, I read the report and appreciated the openness of the method,

Unlike most literature that aims for researchers to reach specific conclusions, this study prioritizes the participants' own hypotheses.

One thought which occurred to me, I've heard anecdotally of athletes such as cyclists or distance runners perceiving themselves from above during these extreme/prolonged exertions, this might be an area where further study could be interesting. I suspect the phenomenon is under-reported, mainstream media coverage of sports doesn't seem to mention it.

One sentence in the report is similar to myself, "I had to experience it to know that it existed and that's it". Years ago as a young adult, I set out to deliberately experience an OOBE. Prior to that I was open-mindedly sceptical, willing to consider it as possible but needed to verify it for myself. I think it did shift my worldview, not towards being unquestioning and credulous, but towards a different position of open-minded questioning.

[Laird]

A few of the takeaways from this study for me are:

Firstly, that OBEs vary quite a lot:

The results of this study confirm that OBEs are very idiosyncratic experiences, both in their phenomenology and in the precipitating and consequential factors

Secondly, that a plausible hypothesis is that the number of OBEs experienced is positively correlated with their complexity:

If we categorize OBEs based on their complexity, we can distinguish between simple and complex experiences. Simple OBEs involve the participant leaving their body but not moving far from it, remaining in a place where they can observe their physical body. In contrast, complex OBEs involve longer journeys and a variety of experiences. In our research, most participants have experienced simple OBEs, and the vast majority have had only one such experience. Conversely, participants who have experienced more complex OBEs have done so on numerous occasions. This leads us to hypothesize that the complexity of OBEs can increase with repeated experiences.

This seems to align with your own experience, @Typoz, which, if I'm not mistaken, was a one-off and "simple" by the definition given above.

Thirdly, that some OBEs have veridical elements:

In our sample, two participants affirmed that reality confirmed what they had experienced during their OBEs. Participant 5 described an out-of-body experience where she visited the hospital to see her aunt in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The following day, upon visiting the hospital in reality, she was deeply surprised to find that the hallway, the door, and the ICU where her aunt was located were exactly as she had seen during the OBE. Participant 10 reported that during her OBE, she visited a village in Scotland. As she flew in, she observed a bridge and a specific landscape, and upon “landing” in the village, she noticed the village's name. Later, she confirmed on a map that both the river and the village existed.

The authors cautiously, however, add:

From the subjective perspective of these participants, there seems to be a clear correspondence between their experiences during the OBE and reality. Nevertheless, it is crucial to note that these cases do not allow us to draw objective conclusions in this regard.

[Laird]

The lead (or at least corresponding) author's website (in Spanish):

jennymoix.com

A few of the takeaways from this study for me are:

Firstly, that OBEs vary quite a lot:


Secondly, that a plausible hypothesis is that the number of OBEs experienced is positively correlated with their complexity:


This seems to align with your own experience, @Typoz, which, if I'm not mistaken, was a one-off and "simple" by the definition given above.

Not exactly. What I came to understand was that the very first OOBE required persistent attempts over a period of months at least. However, after that first time, it seemed like the resistance was much less, a bit like opening an old door which may be wedged tightly in the frame. Subsequently the door may open more readily or even by itself. All of this was some time ago for me, but I had a number of experiences over several years. They varied, sometimes earthbound, other times ejected into deep space among the stars. I decided to slow my efforts when I was in an indeterminate environment and encountered other beings. As it happened they ignored me and there was no interaction but I felt I wasn't ready to pursue that line of activity, so stopped deliberate attempts to induce an OOBE, though they still occurred sporadically afterwards.

I'd add that the early attempts were quite brief, a bit like learning to ride a bike, I fell off a few times until I was able to do so in a less precariously-balanced manner.