Physical Attack and Out-of-Body Experiences
Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition October 6, 2026 DOI: 10.31156/jaex.28213 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Individuals who reported out-of-body experiences during a physical attack such as assault or rape |
| Key findings | Argues that out-of-body experiences during physical attack can be understood as a form of dissociation tied to threat response, and proposes that they may have adaptive survival value, functioning as an escape with an orienting response to the threat and/or an absorption event, based on thematic patterns drawn from eight case examples. |
Abstract
The out-of-body experience (OBE) is a state of altered consciousness in which one has the impression of being consciously outside of the physical body either somewhere on Earth (often, but not always, in the vicinity of the physical body) or in some transcendental location (having ventured into some otherworldly place distinct from the Earth). Some OBEs are known to occur in association with a physical attack such as an assault or rape, which is the focus of this research. This qualitative study generated thematic patterns associated with the onset and occurrence of OBEs during such incidents based on eight specific case examples. It discusses OBEs as a form of dissociation associated with threat response and then explores what possible adaptive benefit such OBEs might have contributed toward survival in those specific cases. It suggests the possibility that OBEs during physical attack function as an escape with an orienting response to the threat and/or an absorption event.