People who have had out-of-body experiences (OBEs) often describe them as more vivid and authentic than everyday reality. In interviews with 10 participants without mental or neurological disorders, five interpreted their OBEs through concepts like "other planes or dimensions" and "universal consciousness," aligning with non-local or expanded consciousness theories. Four had no explanation, and one gave a physiological account. The findings suggest that theories of non-local consciousness could be enriched by incorporating these firsthand experiential perspectives.
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.