A new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences suggests that people who report out-of-body experiences, where they feel separated from their physical body, tend to show higher rates of mental health concerns, trauma history, and dissociative symptoms compared to those who have never had such experiences.
Out-of-body experiences, often described as vivid sensations of floating above one’s own body or observing the world from an external perspective, have fascinated scientists and the public alike. While some researchers view them as potential symptoms of psychiatric conditions, others have argued that they can be part of a normal range of human consciousness. The new study set out to better understand the clinical profile of people who report these experiences and whether they are meaningfully different from people who do not.
“I’ve always been deeply fascinated by consciousness, and more recently, by out-of-body experiences (OBEs). Through my conversations with numerous individuals who have had these experiences, I’ve seen firsthand how frequently OBEs are stigmatized by society and the medical community,” said study author Marina Weiler, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia.
“Many experiencers are reluctant to share their stories, often fearing that they’ll be labeled as mentally ill or dismissed as ‘crazy.’ There is significant stigma surrounding OBEs, partly because previous literature has often linked these experiences to psychiatric conditions such as dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, depersonalization, and other disorders related to body ownership.”
“Some researchers have explicitly described OBEs as phenomena marked by feelings of detachment, alienation from oneself or the external world, flattened emotional experiences, or even as forms of ‘self-induced depersonalization syndrome.’ This prevailing negative portrayal can profoundly impact experiencers, causing them to hide their experiences even from close family members. My motivation for this research was to better understand whether OBEs are genuinely associated with underlying psychopathology or if they represent a distinct, non-pathological phenomenon.”
The study involved 545 adult participants from diverse backgrounds. Of these, 256 people said they had experienced an out-of-body episode at some point in their lives, while 289 reported they had never had one. Participants were recruited through a combination of online outreach and a survey platform, and they answered a range of questionnaires about their mental health, dissociative symptoms, early life trauma, social functioning, and general health. Participants were also asked about their psychiatric history and current treatments, and their responses were analyzed using statistical techniques that controlled for age and sex.
The researchers used several well-known psychological tools to measure participants’ mental health. These included the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (to assess common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety), the Social Adjustment Scale (to measure functioning in relationships and daily life), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (to assess experiences like depersonalization and memory gaps), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (to measure past abuse and neglect), and a single question on general self-rated health.
Participants who had experienced out-of-body episodes showed higher scores on nearly all the measures. They were more likely to report symptoms consistent with common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. They also scored higher on measures of dissociation and reported more adverse experiences in childhood, including emotional and physical abuse and neglect. In terms of functioning, they reported more difficulties in their social and interpersonal lives. These results were statistically significant, meaning that the differences between the groups were unlikely to be due to chance.
In the dissociation measure, 40 percent of people who had experienced out-of-body episodes scored in a range associated with clinical concern, compared to just 14 percent of those who had never had such experiences. Similarly, 53 percent of the out-of-body group met criteria suggesting they were at risk for a common mental disorder, compared to 44 percent of the comparison group. People with a shorter time since their first out-of-body experience were more likely to show signs of psychological distress, suggesting that for some, these experiences might occur during periods of acute emotional difficulty.
“Our findings were indeed surprising,” Weiler told PsyPost. “Initially, we hypothesized that individuals experiencing OBEs would demonstrate better mental health compared to those who don’t, given the widely reported transformative and beneficial effects of these experiences. However, our results indicated the opposite, with experiencers showing statistically higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and dissociation.”
“Interestingly, our findings related to childhood trauma suggest that rather than causing psychological distress, OBEs might serve as coping mechanisms, providing individuals with a psychological means to manage or distance themselves from traumatic experiences.”
The study’s authors caution against drawing overly simplistic conclusions. While people with out-of-body experiences did show more psychological symptoms on average, the research does not prove that the experiences themselves are harmful or that they cause mental illness.
“The key takeaway from our study is that although individuals who experience OBEs show statistically higher levels of psychiatric symptoms, dissociation, childhood trauma, and lower social adjustment compared to those who don’t have these experiences, this does not necessarily mean OBEs are indicative of mental illness,” Weiler said. “OBEs represent diverse phenomena—while they may reflect underlying mental health concerns in some individuals, in others, they might serve as adaptive coping mechanisms during stressful or traumatic events.”
“Importantly, we must avoid broadly stigmatizing OBEs as pathological, and instead focus on better understanding their context, distinguishing harmful from potentially beneficial experiences, and promoting awareness and support to help experiencers integrate these profound events without fear or stigma.”
One important limitation of this study is that it relied on self-reported data, which can be influenced by memory biases or personal interpretations of symptoms. Additionally, while the statistical differences between groups were significant, the clinical relevance of these differences is harder to pin down. The cut-off scores used to determine clinical risk are not always consistent across studies, and more research is needed to determine whether these differences translate into real-world impacts on mental health and functioning.
Another limitation is that the study did not assess the specific context or meaning of each participant’s out-of-body experience. It is likely that the psychological effects of these experiences vary depending on when, why, and how they happen. Future research could benefit from more detailed assessments that include qualitative interviews, longitudinal follow-ups, and brain imaging studies to explore the underlying neural mechanisms.
“My long-term goals for this line of research are primarily focused on reducing stigma surrounding out-of-body experiences,” Weiler explained. “I aim to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing these profound experiences openly without fear of judgment or being labeled as mentally ill. By expanding our understanding of OBEs, I hope to illuminate how these experiences can potentially serve as catalysts for personal transformation and psychological growth.
“Furthermore, I want this research to better inform mental health professionals, enabling them to distinguish between pathological cases and experiences that are non-pathological or even beneficial. Ultimately, my goal is to foster greater acceptance, understanding, and meaningful support for those who experience OBEs.”
“I’d like to emphasize that while our results showed statistical associations between OBEs and indicators of poorer mental health, this should not lead to further stigmatization or misinterpretation of these experiences,” Weiler added. “OBEs are complex and diverse phenomena, potentially ranging from adaptive coping strategies to transformative and deeply meaningful events.”
“We must continue to approach this topic with openness and sensitivity, aiming to understand the context and subjective meaning of OBEs for each individual. By shifting the narrative from pathology to possibility, we can create an inclusive space for experiencers to openly discuss and integrate these profound moments into their lives.”
The study, “Are out-of-body experiences indicative of an underlying psychopathology?,” was authored by Marina Weiler, Alexander Moreira-Almeida, and Martin M. Monti.
