At the end of this PowerPoint you will be able to… Describe psychological research and explanations for out-of-body experience. Evaluate psychological research and explanations for out-of-body-experience.

What do we mean by out-of-body experience? (OBE) An experience in which a person seems to perceive the world from a location outside the physical body (Blackmore, 1982).

Typical features of an OBE A feeling that one’s soul is ‘going out’ of their body. ‘Looking down’ on their physical body (known as escomatic). Can clearly see and hear events taking place. Travel to other locations e.g. spiritual realms (known as astral projection). Can last from a few seconds to several minutes. OBE are a common feature of NDE.

What type of body is it during an OBE? Others do not experience possessing another body- known as asomatic OBE Some claim the body resembles their own physical body- known as parasomatic OBE

Psychological and social variables of OBEs 15-20% of the population will experience an OBE. OBEs can occur to anyone- regardless of culture, age, gender, religion. OBEs are more likely to occur in some types of people than others. E.g. fantasy prone, easily hypnotised.

Electrical brain stimulation When do OBEs occur? Natural OBEs (involuntarily) Induced OBEs (deliberate) Whilst awake Hypnosis Falling asleep Mental training Exhaustion Electrical brain stimulation Stress Drugs Illness/injury NDE

Paranormal explanation Explanations for OBE Psychological & physiological explanations Paranormal explanation OR (Non-paranormal) We will look at each in turn.

Evidence for human immortality? Paranormal Explanation OBEs are a real paranormal phenomena. Some psychologists (and OBEr) tend to support the ‘survival hypothesis’. The soul (or consciousness) during an OBE actually leaves the physical body. Evidence for human immortality?

Research supporting the paranormal explanation for OBE Tart, the researcher, arranged for ‘Miss Z’ (a women who often had an OBE whilst sleeping) to spend four nights in a sleep laboratory room. A piece of paper with 5 random numbers was placed in the same room on top of a shelf, not visible to Miss Z.

Miss Z during her OBE was able to read the 5 numbers and report it correctly. Tart claims the odds against guessing a 5 digit number by chance alone are 100,000 to 1.

Further research supporting the paranormal explanation Osis and McCormick (1980) designed an optical-image device. A box that contained an assortment of images. Looking in, through the lid, one would see them as a jumble of images. Looking through the viewing slot the jumbled images make a picture (an optical illusion image).

Alex Tanous, capable of inducing an OBE, sat in a separate room during an OBE state. Alex was required to identify the image, via the viewing slot which was locked in a distant room.

A strain-gauge sensor (records vibrations) was placed in front of the box. To measure any physical effects caused by the participant’s out-of-body presence Researchers found 114 of the 197 (58 %) trials. Alex correctly identified the random optical illusion image. Also during the 114 ‘hits’ the strain gauge activation level was significantly higher than when the subject scored ‘misses’.

Physiological explanation OBEs are an illusion caused by electrical activity in the brain. Electrical stimulation of the right angular gyrus produces an OBE. Malfunctioning of the right angular gyrus can trigger an OBE. The angular gyrus is located at the point where the temporal lobe, occipital lobe and parietal lobe meet. This is region is known as the Temporal Parietal Junction (TPJ)

Blanke et al (2002) demonstrated OBEs can be artificially induced. Research supporting the physiological explanation for OBE Blanke et al (2002) demonstrated OBEs can be artificially induced.

He accidently electrically stimulated the right angular gyrus region of a woman suffering from epilepsy.

The women reported floating and seeing herself below, lying on the bed from above.

During her illusion, the woman reported seeing her legs ‘becoming shorter’.

The role of the angular gyrus is to combine incoming information from the different senses.

When this is disrupted you may feel that you are not in your body, hence an OBE can occur.

This is supported by De Ridder et al This is supported by De Ridder et al. (2007) who was treating a patient for tinnitus by stimuating the TPJ

The patient experienced a sensation of disembodiment- the self being separated from the body.

Offers a cognitive theory called ‘models of reality’ to explain OBE. Psychological explanation Offers a cognitive theory called ‘models of reality’ to explain OBE. Susan Blackmore

This is called the ‘sensory model of reality’ Psychological explanation This is called the ‘sensory model of reality’ (reality being based on our sense) We feel as though ‘we’ ourselves, exists behind our eyes ‘looking out’ at the world at eye-level. That is because how we see reality comes from our senses. However, there are other models of reality…

The brain cannot separate the different ‘models of reality’ The brain chooses the one which is most stable to be ‘reality’ (which is the one that comes from our senses) The brain also has the ability to generate other types of ‘models of realities’… Fantasy Memory Daydreaming

What has this got to do with OBE? Our reality can become disrupted under some circumstances. E.g. stress or sensory damage (injury), reduction (sleeping). What has this got to do with OBE? The current sensory model of reality becomes unstable. A new model of reality is created from memory and imagination.

Images from memory are recalled from a bird’s eye-view (think of a beach scene). This explains why people feel they are outside their bodies ‘looking down from above’ in an OBE experience.

Research supporting the psychological explanation for OBE Blackmore carried out a questionnaire on students to investigate the relationship between OBE & memory images.

Found OBE were more likely to recall dream images in bird’s eye-view BUT…

NOT for recall of real life events images (e. g NOT for recall of real life events images (e.g. describing the layout of their house).

Although she cannot explain the reasons for this difference!

Evaluation: Paranormal Explanation & Research Replication an issue with Tart’s study on Miss Z Validity questioned: Miss Z moved away. Unable to repeat the experiment by other researchers to test the validity of the findings.

Evaluation: Paranormal Explanation & Research Other methodological issues with the Miss Z study Miss Z, being attached to an EEG machine could not have physically read the numbers. However, as it has been pointed out by skeptics:

Evaluation: Paranormal Explanation & Research For example: Tart placed the number on the shelf when Miss Z was already in the room. Could she have glimpsed at the numbers? Could she have shined a torch light towards the numbers which might have reflected the numbers in the glass of a wall clock located above the shelf? (As it has been suggested.).

Evaluation: Paranormal Explanation & Research Results in the optical-image study not that great! The OBE was able to identify the correct picture 114 of 197 (58%) of the times. Blackmore (1981) is not impressed with the results. This approximately equal to that expected by chance.

Evaluation: Physiological and Psychological Explanation & Research Blackmore’s ‘model of reality’ is questioned. Fails to explain how memory images are created in bird's eye views in the first place?! Not all memory images are from a bird’s eye view. E.g., one does not recall the roof of their local supermarket when you think of it!

Evaluation: Paranormal Explanation & Research Induced OBE are different from natural OBE Are the same experience? Natural OBE Induced OBE In Blanke’s study, the epileptic women, experienced distortions of body part (legs becoming shorter). In De Ridder’s study, the patient experience a sensation of disembodiments. This is not common in natural OBEs!

More questions and answers at www.psychologyzone.co.uk Exam questions Explain what is meant by the term ‘out-of-body experience’. (2 marks). Give two explanations for out-of-body experiences. (6 marks) 3. Outline and evaluate research into out-of-body experiences. (4 marks + 8 marks). More questions and answers at www.psychologyzone.co.uk