a2 psychology: out-of-body experience © 1 at the end of this powerpoint you will be able to…...

A2 Psychology: Out-of-body experience

© www.psychologyzone.co.uk 1

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).



A feeling that one’s soul is ‘going out’ of their body.

‘Looking down’ on their physical body (known as escomatic).

Travel to other locations e.g. spiritual realms (known as astral projection).

Can clearly see and hear events taking place.

OBE are a common feature of NDE.

Can last from a few seconds to several minutes.

Typical features of an OBE



What type of body is it during an OBE?

Some claim the body resembles their own physical body- known as parasomatic OBE

Others do not experience possessing

another body- known as

asomatic OBE



Psychological and social variables of OBEs

OBEs are more likely to occur in some types of

people than others. E.g. fantasy prone, easily

hypnotised.

15-20% of the population will

experience an OBE.

OBEs can occur to anyone- regardless of

culture, age, gender, religion.



When do OBEs occur?

Hypnosis

Mental training

Electrical brain stimulation

Drugs

Whilst awake

Falling asleep

Exhaustion

Stress

Illness/injury

NDE

Natural OBEs (involuntarily)

Induced OBEs (deliberate)



Explanations for OBE

OR

We will look at each in turn.

(Non-paranormal)

Paranormal explanation

Psychological &physiological explanations



Paranormal Explanation

The soul (or consciousness) during an OBE actually leaves the physical body.

Evidence for human immortality?

OBEs are a real paranormal phenomena.

Some psychologists (and OBEr) tend to support the ‘survival hypothesis’.



A piece of paper with 5 random numbers was placed

in the same room on top of a shelf, not visible

to Miss Z.

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.

Tart

Miss Z

25132

Research supporting the paranormal explanation for OBE



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.

Miss Z

25132



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).

Further research supporting the paranormal explanation



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’.

http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=ClLpiJZxyUMGCHtKT0wW6m4C4CLyIzckBtvCA6hHPzK4vCAAQASCTrPsFUNu1wuUFYLvWwYPQCqAB5O38_gPIAQGpAhIzC42Y-7o-qgQmT9AtZ3AHelfw8oPgO0-Q42KVVT6AVBOUO1JbrI31-Yn-i_BEFJE&sig=AOD64_2v6lmnuPooWG2LxpUHVNs1uJgi_w&docid=397114914600357273&ctype=2&rct=j&frm=1&q=strain+gauge+display&ved=0CEMQ1xI&adurl=http://www.omega.co.uk/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=DP63900-S

http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=ClLpiJZxyUMGCHtKT0wW6m4C4CLyIzckBtvCA6hHPzK4vCAAQASCTrPsFUNu1wuUFYLvWwYPQCqAB5O38_gPIAQGpAhIzC42Y-7o-qgQmT9AtZ3AHelfw8oPgO0-Q42KVVT6AVBOUO1JbrI31-Yn-i_BEFJE&sig=AOD64_2v6lmnuPooWG2LxpUHVNs1uJgi_w&docid=397114914600357273&ctype=2&rct=j&frm=1&q=strain+gauge+display&ved=0CEMQ1xI&adurl=http://www.omega.co.uk/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=DP63900-S



Physiological explanation

OBEs are an illusion caused by electrical activity in the brain.

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)

Malfunctioning of the right angular gyrus can trigger an OBE.

Electrical stimulation of the right angular gyrus produces an OBE.



Research supporting the physiological explanation for OBE

Blanke et al (2002) demonstrated OBEs

can be artificially induced.

Continue



He accidently electrically stimulated the right angular gyrus

region of a woman suffering from epilepsy.

Continue



The women reported floating and seeing

herself below, lying on the bed from above.

Continue



During her illusion, the woman reported seeing her legs

‘becoming shorter’.

Continue



The role of the angular gyrus is to combine

incoming information from the different

senses.

Continue



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

occur.

Continue



This is supported by De Ridder et al. (2007)

who was treating a patient for tinnitus by stimuating the TPJ

Continue



The patient experienced a sensation of

disembodiment- the self being separated from

the body.



Psychological explanation

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



Psychological explanation

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.

This is called the ‘sensory model of reality’

(reality being based on our sense)

However, there are other models of reality…



The brain also has the ability to generate other types of ‘models of realities’…

Daydreaming

FantasyMemory

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 currentsensory model of reality

becomes unstable.

E.g. stress or sensory damage (injury),

reduction (sleeping).

A new model of reality is created from memory and imagination.

Our reality can become disrupted under some

circumstances.What has this got to do with OBE?



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 thepsychological explanation for OBE

Blackmore carried out a questionnaire on

students to investigate the relationship between OBE & memory images.

Continue



Found OBE were more likely to recall dream

images in bird’seye-viewBUT…

Continue



NOT for recall of real life events images (e.g. describing the

layout of their house).

Continue



Although she cannot explain the reasons for

this difference!

Continue



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.




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:

Why was the target object in the same room as the participant?

Why was the target object they so close to the participant? Why wasn't an observer also in the room at the time of the experiment?

Why was the target object in the same room as the participant?

Why was the target object they so close to the participant? Why wasn't an observer also in the room at the time of the experiment?

Why was the target object so close to the participant?

Continue




For example:

o Tart placed the number on the shelf when Miss Z was already in the room. Could she have glimpsed at the numbers?

o 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.).




Results in the optical-image study not that great!

o The OBE was able to identify the correct picture 114 of 197 (58%) of the times.

o 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.

o Fails to explain how memory images are created in bird's eye views in the first place?!

o 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!




Induced OBE are different from natural OBE

Are the same experience?Natural OBE Induced OBE

o In Blanke’s study, the epileptic women, experienced distortions of body part (legs becoming shorter).

o In De Ridder’s study, the patient experience a sensation of disembodiments.

This is not common in

natural OBEs!



Exam questions

1. Explain what is meant by the term ‘out-of-body experience’. (2 marks).

2. 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

a2 psychology: out-of-body experience © 1 at the end of this powerpoint you will be able to…...

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