What is it like to be Out-of-Body? Phenomenal accounts of experiencers
Patrizio Tressoldi, Luciano Pederzoli
Qeios November 25, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.32388/wq4gja.2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | People who reported out-of-body experiences |
| Key findings | Across 13 first-person accounts, out-of-body experiences were described as involving positive feelings, high self-awareness without self-boundaries, perception through almost all modalities, and a timeless dimension. The authors characterize this as a way of perceiving and knowing that differs from perception constrained by the brain and sensory organs. |
Abstract
By using the descriptions of the Out-of-Body experiences of 13 participants, we aimed to have a picture of what it is like to be in this particular state of consciousness. All information was grouped according to the following topics: consciousness status, self-boundaries, object perception, color perception, other types of perceptions, interactions with other people or beings, emotions, and time and movement perception. From the 13 first-person accounts, it emerges a very different way to perceive and know with respect to the perception constrained by the brain and sensory organs. Overall, the participants reported positive feelings, a consciousness status characterized by a high level of self-awareness without self-boundaries, and the ability to perceive information with almost all modalities, living in a timeless dimension.
Citations in the library
Cited by 1
Cites 13
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and 8 more in the library