Out-of-body experience facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

An out-of-body experience (often called an OBE) is when you feel like you are seeing the world from outside your own body. It's like seeing yourself from a different spot, maybe floating above your body.

The idea of an OBE became popular in 1943. Researchers like Celia Green and Robert Monroe used this term. It was a new way to talk about experiences like "astral projection" or "spirit walking." Some people have an OBE by accident, while others try to make it happen. About one in ten people will have an OBE at least once in their life.

Scientists like psychologists and neuroscientists think OBEs are a type of dissociative experience. This means your mind feels separated from your body. They believe these experiences are linked to different psychological and brain factors.

Spontaneous Out-of-Body Experiences

Sometimes, OBEs happen without anyone trying to make them happen. These are called spontaneous OBEs.

During Sleep or Near Sleep

Many people who have an OBE say it happened when they were almost asleep or already sleeping. This often happens when sleep isn't very deep. Things like being sick, loud noises, stress, or being very tired can cause this. People often feel awake during the experience. About half of them also feel like they can't move their body, which is called sleep paralysis.

Near-Death Experiences

Another type of spontaneous OBE is a near-death experience (NDE). Some people report having an OBE when they are very sick or have a serious injury. This could be during a major surgery or after almost drowning. People might feel like they are outside their body. They might also see family members who have passed away or religious figures. They often feel peaceful and without pain. Some describe moving through a tunnel or seeing a bright light. They might even feel like they are reviewing their life.

After Extreme Physical Effort

OBEs can also happen after a lot of physical effort. This is similar to a near-death experience. For example, high-altitude climbing or running a marathon can sometimes cause an OBE. People might feel like they are in two places at once. They might see themselves both on the ground and from above.

Induced Out-of-Body Experiences

Some people try to make an OBE happen on purpose. This is called induced OBEs.

Mental Ways to Induce an OBE

Mind Awake, Body Asleep: This is when your body falls asleep, but your mind stays awake. Many people think this state can cause OBEs. Famous people like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí used similar methods. They would try to stay alert while their bodies relaxed. As you relax deeply, you might feel like you are "slipping" out of your body.
Deep Trance and Visualization: This involves deep meditation or imagining things. People might imagine climbing a rope to "pull" themselves out of their body. They might also imagine floating or being shot out of a cannon. This method can be hard if you can't relax well.

Mechanical Ways to Induce an OBE

Brainwave Synchronization: Special sounds called binaural beats can change your brainwaves. These sounds can help your brain reach states where OBEs might happen. Some studies show that certain brainwave frequencies can help start an OBE.
Brain Stimulation: Scientists can use electricity to stimulate parts of the brain. This can cause feelings similar to an OBE. The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is one area that has been studied.
Sensory Deprivation: This means removing all usual sights, sounds, and feelings. Floating tanks or pink noise (a type of sound) can be used. This can make you feel very disoriented, which might lead to an OBE.
Sensory Overload: This is the opposite of sensory deprivation. It means giving the brain too much sensory input. For example, being rocked for a long time or light forms of torture can confuse the brain. This confusion can sometimes cause vivid OBEs.
Strong G-forces: When pilots or astronauts experience strong g-forces, blood can drain from parts of their brain. This can also cause OBEs.
Special Equipment: Some devices use head-mounted displays and touch to confuse your sense of where your body is. This can create the feeling of having extra limbs or being outside your body.

OBE Theories

There are different ideas about why OBEs happen.

Psychological Theories

In cognitive science and psychology, OBEs are seen as experiences that come from the mind. They are like dreams or other changed states of mind. Scientists believe OBEs are not paranormal.

Early researchers thought OBEs were like dreams or products of your imagination. Some thought they were a way for the subconscious mind to create images that make you feel like you're in a different place. Others linked OBEs to psychosis or hysteria.

Some psychologists suggested that OBEs are a way to cope with stress or the fear of death. They might be a defense mechanism. For example, Jan Ehrenwald thought an OBE was a way to believe you have a soul that can exist without your body.

Researchers like Carl Sagan thought OBEs might be linked to memories of birth. This is because some people describe tunnel-like feelings or a "cord-like connection" during an OBE. Susan Blackmore suggested that OBEs are like a very strong hallucination. They involve imaginary perceptions and distortions of how you see yourself.

Studies have shown that people who have OBEs might be more prone to fantasy. They might also be more likely to believe in the paranormal. Some research suggests a link between OBEs and certain brain activities. Scientists believe that OBEs are caused by "temporary, minor brain malfunctions." They are not caused by a spirit leaving the body.

Richard Wiseman said that OBEs are not paranormal. Instead, they show amazing things about how your brain and body work every day.

Paranormal Theories

Some writers, especially in parapsychology and occultism, believe OBEs are not just psychological. They think a soul, spirit, or "subtle body" can actually leave the physical body. They believe this spirit can travel to distant places. In old Indian texts, this state is called Turiya. It can be reached through deep yoga and meditation.

An old drawing showing the soul leaving the body.

The idea of a "subtle body" that leaves the physical body is old. Writers like Arthur E. Powell and Sylvan Muldoon supported this idea. They believed an "etheric body" could separate from the physical body.

However, not all paranormal researchers agree. Gardner Murphy said that OBEs are "not very far from the known terrain of general psychology." This means they can be understood without needing paranormal explanations.

Some experiments have tried to prove the paranormal side of OBEs. For example, in 1977, a patient named Maria claimed to have an OBE. She said she saw a tennis shoe on a window ledge outside the hospital. A social worker, Kimberly Clark, later found the shoe. This story was used as proof that a spirit could leave the body.

However, later investigations showed that the shoe was visible from inside the hospital. Maria could have seen or heard about it while she was there. Richard Wiseman said the story was "endlessly repeated by writers who either couldn't be bothered to check the facts."

Astral Projection

Astral projection is a paranormal idea about OBEs. It suggests that there are non-physical planes of existence. It believes that a "astral body" or spirit can leave the physical body. This astral body then travels in the spirit world or "astral plane."

OBE Studies

Scientists have done many studies to understand OBEs better.

Early Studies

Celia Green did one of the first big scientific studies in 1968. She collected stories from 400 people who had OBEs. She wanted to classify the different types of OBEs. She saw them as unusual experiences or hallucinations. She also wondered if some cases involved getting information through extrasensory perception (ESP).

International Academy of Consciousness - Global Survey

In 1999, a survey was done online about OBEs. It found that a common feeling related to OBEs was temporary catalepsy. This is similar to sleep paralysis. A later study in 2007 confirmed that people who have OBEs are more likely to experience sleep paralysis.

Miss Z Study

In 1968, Charles Tart did an OBE experiment with a person called Miss Z. A secret five-digit code was placed above her bed. She was connected to an EEG machine to measure her brain activity. On the fourth night, she correctly said the number.

However, critics pointed out problems with the experiment. The psychologist James Alcock wondered why there was no video camera watching Miss Z. Martin Gardner suggested that Miss Z might have simply stood up in bed to see the number. Susan Blackmore noted that Miss Z's brainwave record showed activity that looked like interference. This could mean she moved.

Neurology and OBE-like Experiences

Scientists have found that stimulating certain parts of the brain can cause feelings similar to an OBE. For example, stimulating the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) can create these experiences. This suggests that OBEs might come from how the brain processes information.

Susan Blackmore believes an OBE starts when a person loses touch with their body's senses but stays conscious. The brain then creates a vivid body and world, even without sensory information. This is similar to how our brains create dreams every night.

OBEs seem to happen when a person is either very relaxed or under extreme stress. For example, many people report OBEs while lying down. But some also happen during intense moments like a rock-climbing fall or childbirth. One idea is that sleep can happen as a reaction to extreme stress. So, OBEs might be a form of "waking dream."

Olaf Blanke Studies

Olaf Blanke and his team in Switzerland have done important research. They found that they could cause OBE-like experiences by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) in the brain. This area is where the temporal lobe and the parietal lobe meet.

Blanke's studies showed that OBEs are linked to problems in this brain region. When this area was stimulated in a patient with epilepsy, they felt like their arms and legs were changing. They also felt like their whole body was moving.

Blanke's team believes the TPJ is important for knowing where your body is in space. When this process goes wrong, an OBE might happen. They also showed that when healthy people imagined themselves in an OBE, the TPJ was active.

Ehrsson Study

In 2007, Henrik Ehrsson published research showing a way to make healthy people feel like they were having an OBE. He used virtual reality to create an illusion. People saw a virtual body in front of them. They then felt as if that virtual body was their own. They also felt like they were outside their own body.

Both critics and Ehrsson himself noted that this study didn't create "full-blown" OBEs. But it showed that the feeling of being outside your body can be created in a lab.

Awareness During Resuscitation Study (AWARE Study)

Sam Parnia and his team started the AWARE study in 2008. They wanted to see if people could have OBEs when their heart had stopped. They placed hidden pictures on shelves in hospital rooms. These pictures could only be seen from the ceiling. The idea was that if someone had an OBE and floated near the ceiling, they might see the pictures.

The first phase of the study was published in 2014. No one saw the hidden pictures. Only two out of 152 patients reported any visual experiences. One patient described events during their resuscitation that could be checked. However, this patient did not see any hidden pictures. They described things like the sound of a defibrillator machine. This patient's description was very precise, and they even identified a doctor who helped them. But it didn't involve seeing the hidden targets.

AWARE Study II

A second phase of the AWARE study, called AWARE II, began in 2014 and continued until 2020. It aimed to study more patients who had cardiac arrest.

Smith & Messier Study

In 2014, a study looked at a woman who could have OBEs whenever she wanted. She said she developed this ability as a child. She could see herself floating and rotating above her body. She was still aware of her "real" body lying still. Brain scans showed that different parts of her brain were active during these experiences. These areas included parts of the brain linked to body movement and the temporal parietal junction.

OBE Training and Research Facilities

Some places specialize in studying and helping people induce OBEs. The Monroe Institute's Nancy Penn Center is one such facility. The Center for Higher Studies of the Consciousness in Brazil also offers OBE training. Olaf Blanke's Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience is well-known for its OBE research.