Using Eye Movements to Signal the Onset of Self-Induced Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs)
Journal of Consciousness Studies April 1, 2025 Marina Weiler, R. F. Casseb, David J. Acunzo
In a pilot study, three participants who claimed to self-induce out-of-body experiences (OBEs) at will were tested in a laboratory. Two reported successful OBE self-induction. Horizontal eye movements measured with electrooculography (EOG) could potentially serve as a time marker of OBE onset: one participant reported generating the instructed eye movement pattern at OBE onset in all three of her sessions, and this was corroborated by EOG traces. The study identifies room arrangement and environmental factors that facilitate OBE self-induction, opening new avenues for laboratory exploration of the neural mechanisms underlying OBEs.