Neurophenomenology of Out-of-Body experiences induced by hypnotic suggestions

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) induced through hypnosis (H-OBEs) produce stronger phenomenological changes than those induced through imagination alone. In 15 highly hypnotizable participants, H-OBEs led to significantly higher scores on the Altered State, Positive Affect, Altered Experience, and Attention subdimensions of the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory, alongside a decrease in beta and gamma band power in right parieto-temporal brain regions. These findings suggest that hypnotically induced OBEs may serve as a useful model for studying genuine OBEs, involving altered multisensory integration in right parieto-temporal areas.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Inducing out-of-body experiences in hypnosis (H-OBEs) offers an almost unique opportunity to investigate them in a controlled condition.OBEs were induced as imaginative task in resting conditions (I-OBE) or in hypnosis (H-OBE) in 15 high hypnotizable subjects. A 32-channel EEG was recorded and the spectral power and imaginary coherence were calculated. At the end of each session, the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) was administered to check the phenomenological aspects of their experience.Significantly higher scores in the Altered State, Positive Affect, Altered Experience and Attention subdimensions of the PCI were reported in H-OBE than in I-OBE, which were associated to a significant decrease of power in beta and gamma band activity in right parieto-temporal derivations. Our result suggest that H-OBE may be an appealing model of “true” OBEs, including an alteration of multisensory integration in right parieto-temporal brain areas.