Out-of-Body Experience Induced by Hypnotic Suggestions: An Exploratory Neurophenomenological Study

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to compare the neurophenomenology of the Out-of-Body-Experience (OBE) state induced by hypnotic suggestion on a group of five selected participants with other states of consciousness, specifically the state of imagined OBE and hypnosis. From a phenomenological point of view, a comparison of the OBE state with that of deep hypnosis, measured by using the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory, gave higher scores of Self-Awareness, Memory, Rationality, Voluntary Control and Imagery for the OBE.From a neurophysiological perspective, the major difference – with respect to all other control conditions – was an increase in the power spectrum density and a decrease of coherence of the delta band when participants were required to answer questions posed by the hypnotist during their OBE state, suggesting that this could be the neurophysiological marker of this special state of consciousness.