Spontaneous and induced out-of-body experiences during sleep paralysis: Emotions, "AURA" recognition, and clinical implications.
Journal of sleep research February 1, 2023 Nerea L Herrero, Francisco T Gallo, Miguel Gasca-Rolín et al. 15 citations
Sleep paralysis involves an inability to move during sleep/wake transitions and often brings negative emotions, while out-of-body experiences—the sensation of perceiving the world from outside the physical body—tend to be more pleasant. An online survey of 329 participants found that positive emotions were more frequent during out-of-body experiences, whereas negative emotions dominated sleep paralysis episodes. People who reported being able to induce out-of-body experiences also experienced more positive emotions during episodes. Auditory, tactile, and visual sensations often preceded sleep paralysis, suggesting an "aura" that could be recognized. Those who had out-of-body experiences without feeling sleep paralysis reported tactile and visual sensations similar to those who felt paralysis, indicating that recognizing this aura might help induce out-of-body experiences in patients to reduce negative symptoms.