An out-of-body experience is an rare phenomena in which a person experiences the world from a location outside their physical body. OBE sparks the curiosity of many researchers by examining self-consciousness as it involves abnormal forms of self-location and visuo-spatial perspective.
Many people confuse astral travel with OBEs however their are some key differences. Astral travel or projection is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience where as an OBE is not self induced. The idea that humans can leave their bodies during dream states can be recorded as far back as ancient Egypt.
Though their hasn’t been enough scientific evidence that proves consciousness resides outside the body, however people who have experienced an OBE say differently.
What does an OBE feel like?
- An out-of-body experience feels like a mild detachment from immediate surroundings to more severe detachment from physical and emotional experiences.
- Subjects often notice they are observing their body floating from above.
- They report observing their body and the world from an elevated location.
- The perceived location of the self at a distanced and elevated visuo-spatial perspective.
- During sleep paralysis loud noises, buzzing and voices are heard before departing.
Subjects who have experienced an OBE’s commonly report similar events “I was there. But I, like, wasn’t there. I was floating. I was looking at myself from outside of myself over my bed.
‘ I was in bed ready to fall asleep when I had the distinct impression that “ I ” was at the ceiling level looking down at my body in the bed. I was anxious and frightened; immediately [afterwards] I felt that I was consciously back in the bed again ’ .
Paranormal or Hallucination?
Many neurological researches and authors feel that that out of body experiences relate to a paroxysmal pathology of body perception and cognition (or body schema). However they are not sure that these senses involved in body perception and cognition are primarily involved in the generation of OBE’s.
Recent neurological and neuro-scientific studies understand that OBEs are the result of altered or disturbed bodily multi-sensory integration, primarilyin right temporal-parietal cortex.