Out‐of‐body experience and autoscopy of neurological origin
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.