Virtual Reality and Neurofeedback in the Induction of Out of Body Experience (VR-NIOBE)

During out-of-body-experiences (OBE), the perceived location of one’s conscious self (mind) is displaced from the known location of one’s physical self (body). Methods.

We investigated the neurophenomenology of induced OBE through 19-channel EEG to a novel VR neuromodulation induction of OBE (VR-NIOBE) paradigm in 62 healthy young adults (Study 1), and an 18 person case series comparing subjective responses to the VR-NIOBE paradigm vs. persons’ prior naturally-occurring OBE (Study 2). Results and Significance. Study 1 showed that the OBE was associated with greater experiences of awe, challenge, floating, elevation, invisibility of the body, dissociative (“dream-like”) quality, absorption, and disconnect from the body at medium-to-large effect sizes.