Brain
January 15, 2004
Olaf Blanke, Théodor Landis, Laurent Spinelli et al.
746 citations
Out-of-body experiences (OBE) and autoscopy (seeing one's body from outside) share common neurological mechanisms rooted in disrupted body perception. In six neurological patients, these experiences were linked to vestibular sensations (floating, flying, rotation), visual body-part illusions (shortening or moving limbs), and the sensation of seeing only part of one's body. Body position before the experience influenced both OBE and autoscopy. Brain damage or dysfunction localized to the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) in five patients. The findings suggest OBE and autoscopy result from a failure to integrate proprioceptive, tactile, visual, and vestibular information about one's own body, combined with a vestibular dysfunction that disconnects personal space from extrapersonal space, caused by temporary TPJ dysfunction during impaired consciousness.
Journal of Neuroscience
January 19, 2005
Olaf Blanke, Christine Mohr, Christoph M. Michel et al.
573 citations
The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is crucial for the conscious experience of the self as spatially united with the body. Using evoked potential mapping, the TPJ was selectively activated 330-400 milliseconds after stimulus onset when healthy volunteers imagined themselves in the position and visual perspective typical of out-of-body experiences (OBEs). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the TPJ at this time impaired mental transformation of one's own body but not of external objects. In an epileptic patient with OBEs originating from the TPJ, partial activation of the seizure focus occurred during mental transformations mimicking her OBE perceptions. These findings suggest that impaired processing at the TPJ may lead to pathological selves such as OBEs.
Medical hypotheses
January 1, 2005
Shahar Arzy, Moshé Idel, Théodor Landis et al.
Revelation experiences foundational to the three monotheistic religions share phenomenological features with experiences reported by contemporary non-mystic mountaineers at altitude, including feeling and hearing a presence, seeing a figure or lights, and fear. The authors suggest that exposure to altitude may alter functional and neural mechanisms—particularly in the temporo-parietal junction and prefrontal cortex—that facilitate such experiences. Acute and chronic hypoxia affect these brain areas, which are also linked to altered body perceptions and mystical experiences. Prolonged high-altitude stays, especially with social deprivation, may cause prefrontal lobe dysfunctions like reduced stress resistance and loss of inhibition. These parallels indicate altitude exposure might contribute to inducing revelation experiences and help explain the mountain metaphor in religion.