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 suggestions on a group of five selected participants with the state of imagined OBE and resting state hypnosis.

From a phenomenological point by using the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory, a comparison of the OBE state with that of deep hypnosis of a different group of participants, showed higher scores in the Self-Awareness, Altered Experience, Memory, Voluntary Control, Positive Affective and Rationality subdimensions and lower score in the Negative Affective, Arousal, and Attention subdimension.

From a neurophysiological perspective, the major difference 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 with respect to imagined OBE and resting state hypnosis conditions, suggesting that this could be the neurophysiological marker of this special state of consciousness.

Keywords: Out-of-Body-Experience, Hypnosis, EEG, Neurophenomenology, Consciousness