Out-of-Body Experiences

Unless you have had an out-of-body experience, you cannot imagine what it really feels like, say people who have journeyed through one. Others dismiss it as a figment of imagination. Yet this curious phenomenon has been recognised for centuries and has fascinated believers and sceptics alike. Scientists have found it hard to study these events.

So what are the out-of-body experiences that around 1 in 10 people claim to have had? They are usually described as the sensation that you are floating above your body, your mind somehow disconnected from your physical self. They can be triggered by trauma or impending death, alcohol or drugs. They can be intensely spiritual and produce a whole host of profound emotions from fear to serenity.

Theologians, philosophers and psychologists continue to debate out-of-body experiences. What is actually going on in the brain is still unclear. Henrik Ehrsson recently conducted virtual-reality experiments at University College London to induce the illusion in volunteers. His results suggest that the brain circuits responsible for processing of visual and tactile sensory information may become disconnected.

Our speakers this evening - a philosopher, a psychologist and a neuroscientist - will discuss this strange state of mind, and we will hear from someone who has had an out-of-body experience following major surgery.

Can the mind really become disassociated from the physical brain? Or are out-of-body experiences hallucinations? What do you think?

Event organised by:
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain, the British Neuroscience Association and Art and Mind

Speakers

Chris French, psychologist, Goldsmiths College, London
Ray Tallis, neurologist and philosopher, (formerly) University of Manchester
Henrik Ehrsson, neuroscientist, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Nigel Wright, who has had an out-of-body experience

Facilitator: Narender Ramnani, Royal Holloway, University of London

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