Neurophenomenology of Out-of-Body Experiences Induced by Hypnotic Suggestions

Abstract

Inducing out-of-body experiences in hypnosis (H-OBEs) offers an almost unique opportunity to investigate them in a controlled condition.

OBEs were induced as in imaginative task in a resting condition (I-OBE) or in hypnosis (H-OBE) in a group of fifteen high hypnotizable subjects. A 32-channel EEG was recorded and the spectral power and imaginary coherence of each frequency band and each couple of electrodes were calculated. At the end of each session, the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) was administered to check the phenomenological aspects of their experience.

Significantly higher scores in the Altered State, Positive Affect, Altered Experience and Attention subdimensions of the PCI were reported in H-OBE than in I-OBE, which were associated with a significant decrease of power in beta and gamma band activity in right parieto-temporal derivations.

Our results suggest that the H-OBE may offer a useful experimental model of spontaneous OBEs.

Keywords: Out-of-Body Experience, Hypnosis, Consciousness, EEG, Phenomenology, Near-Death Experiences