Therapeutic utilization of spontaneous out-of-body experiences in hypnotherapy.
American Journal of Psychotherapy January 1, 2004 Joseph Meyerson, Marc Gelkopf
An out-of-body experience (OBE) is a dissociative event where a person feels separated from their body, often occurring spontaneously in stressful or hypnogogic situations. Such experiences can shift a person's self-perspective and worldview, potentially influencing behavior. Despite its therapeutic promise in hypnotherapy, OBE application is rarely discussed. This article describes three individuals with different issues—symbiotic involvement, somatization, and therapy cessation—whose spontaneous OBEs during hypnotherapy significantly advanced their therapeutic processes. OBEs tended to appear in dissociative, highly suggestible subjects and helped them cope with anxiety-loaded issues by promoting complex separational processes through body-self detachment. The authors propose spontaneous OBE as an effective therapeutic resource in hypnotherapy.