Out-of-body experience trial finds no evidence for OBEs, but a puzzling twist emerges

A trial testing whether people who report out-of-body experiences (OBEs) could identify a hidden object found results no better than chance. But afterward, two participants unprompted described researchers’ locations and activities in a separate, closed-door room — descriptions trial records later confirmed were accurate. The University of Virginia (UVA) Health Division of Perceptual Studies trial, conducted in Brazil, is published in the journal EXPLORE.

In the trial, 21 participants attempted to identify a random object shown on a laptop screen in another room. Of the 21, 10 reported having an out-of-body experience, and 13 gave descriptions of the target, including some who reported seeing images on an internal “mental screen” without reporting an OBE. These descriptions were not statistically more accurate than guessing — the trial’s predefined, formal test found no evidence for OBEs.

During interviews afterward, one participant described a researcher seated on the left looking at a laptop screen while another sat farther back reading a book; a second described a researcher seated on the right taking notes while another sat at a computer on the left. Trial records confirmed both descriptions were accurate, and researchers said there was no apparent way to see the room. UVA Health investigators say that because these observations were not part of the trial’s predefined outcome measures, they cannot be counted as evidence for OBEs.

Researcher Marina Weiler, Ph.D., of UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, said the unexpected finding could help design better future trials, though it needs to be tested prospectively and under rigorous conditions before its meaning is known. “I hope this study encourages researchers to think creatively about how we test these experiences,” she said.

Weiler and her collaborators have proposed that the objects used as targets may affect outcomes, and suggest future trials add details such as a researcher wearing a distinctive or colorful item of clothing behind closed doors, to test whether participants can recall it unprompted.