Hallucinating people can see world from locations outside physical body {out-of-the-body experience} {out-of-body experience}| (OBE). One-fifth to one-quarter of people have at least one OBE during their lifetimes, often as children. Out-of-body experiences typically last from seconds to minutes [Blackmore, 1992] [Green, 1968]. Out-of-body experience can involve heautoscopic experience. Imagined-world model or representation replaces normal perceptual model. From above, people see imagined models. Models project what people see from another viewpoint. People feel that they perceive from positions different from head position [Alvarado, 1982] [Alvarado, 1992] [Blanke et al., 2002] [Grüsser and Landis, 1991] [Morris et al., 1978] [Penfield, 1955] [Penfield, 1958] [Tart, 1968].
If original body stays behind, people feel that they are in body or have no body [Green, 1968].
The experience feels like real life, not like dreams, and is often life-changing [Gabbard and Twemlow, 1984].
causes
Muscular relaxation, exhaustion, monotonous sounds, and certain drugs can disrupt both sense input and body image to make OBE. Out-of-body experiences typically happen when people relax and voluntary muscles are not moving, so internal stimulation is low. Body image lessens, as in drowsiness [Blackmore, 1992] [Green, 1968]. OBE can happen when outside stimulation is low.
People can have out-of-body experiences in depersonalization reactions.
Drugs that relax body and reduce body image can induce out-of-body experiences [Morse, 1990] [Persinger, 1983] [Persinger, 1999] [Shermer, 2000].
Near-death experiences often involve out-of-body experience.
Perhaps, out-of-body experiences involve temporal lobe [Morse, 1990] [Persinger, 1983] [Persinger, 1999] [Shermer, 2000].
comparisons
OBE relates to hypnotizability [Blackmore, 1996] [Gackenbach and LaBerge, 1988] [Irwin, 1985].
OBE relates to imagination, absorption, and belief in psi [Blackmore, 1996] [Gackenbach and LaBerge, 1988] [Irwin, 1985].
More lucid dreaming correlates with more out-of-body experiences [Blackmore, 1996] [Gackenbach and LaBerge, 1988] [Irwin, 1985].
Out-of-body experience is like vivid dreaming. OBEs are like dreams that people know are dreams. Out-of-body experiences are similar to stage one dreaming.
factors
OBE has no relation to age, education, gender, mental health, or religion.
Consciousness>Consciousness>States>Hallucination
1-Consciousness-States-Hallucination
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Date Modified: 2022.0224