PLoS ONE
January 9, 2017
Pierre Bourdin, Itxaso Barberia, Ramon Oliva et al.
120 citations
An out-of-body illusion induced by virtual reality reduced fear of death compared to a control condition where the illusion was weaker. Sixteen women per group experienced a virtual body from a first-person perspective with synchronized touch and movement, then viewed it from above. In the experimental group, the connection to the virtual body was cut, producing a stronger feeling of disownership; in the control group, synchrony continued. The experimental group reported lower fear of death, consistent with reports that naturally occurring out-of-body experiences are often linked to greater belief in life after death.
PLoS ONE
November 5, 2018
Itxaso Barberia, Ramon Oliva, Pierre Bourdin et al.
71 citations
Immersive virtual reality can simulate death and near-death experiences, offering a new way to study their psychological impact. Participants embodied in virtual bodies on an island witnessed companions' deaths and their own death, including out-of-body experience, life review, and tunnel leading to white light. Fifteen female participants experienced six sessions from childhood to death; sixteen controls formed a waiting group. Those who underwent the simulation reported life attitude changes, becoming more concerned with others and more interested in global rather than material issues compared to the control group. The small sample size means results are indicative rather than conclusive.
Journal of cognitive neuroscience
September 1, 2023
Charlotte Martial, Helena Cassol, Mel Slater et al.
13 citations
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) can be partially induced in a virtual reality setup. Seven healthy participants wore a VR headset and saw their virtual body from a ceiling viewpoint; in one condition their real movements were mirrored onto the virtual body, in the other they were not. Participants reported strong sensations of floating and being high up, but only weak to moderate feelings of being out of their body. Brain activity recorded with 128 electrodes showed that these subjective experiences were linked to increased delta and decreased alpha power, reduced theta complexity, and increased beta-2 connectivity, supporting the idea that delta activity plays a prominent role in certain conscious states.