Out of body experiences: Scoping review.
Explore (New York, N.Y.) June 4, 2025 Jenny Moix, Samantha Baldaccini, Marta Isern
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) can occur spontaneously, be self-induced, or triggered by methods such as sleep paralysis or lucid dreaming. A scoping review of 87 publications from 1987 to 2024 found that reactions to OBEs vary widely, with some people fearing recurrence and others welcoming them. OBEs are highly idiosyncratic and often feel intensely real. Explanatory hypotheses include psychological, physiological, and non-local consciousness perspectives. The phenomenon is complex and requires further study to normalize and expand the current conception of consciousness.