UVA Study: out-of-body experiences may help people cope with trauma

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - New research out of the University of Virginia is shedding light on out-of-body experiences, or OBEs, and how they may actually serve as a coping mechanism for people who have faced trauma or stress.

A recent study found many people who experience OBEs report poorer mental health, but the experiences may help them subconsciously distance themselves from emotional pain.

Researchers say this challenges the idea that OBEs are automatically a sign of mental illness and could change how mental health professionals approach care.

“What I want to do now, and what I’ve started to do, is interviewing people that had OBE’s directly related to a trauma,” UVA Health Researcher and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Marina Weiler said. Unfortunately, this phenomena is still highly pathologized. There is a lot of stigma associated.”

The study also found that many participants said the OBE’s had a lasting positive impact including less fear of death and greater inner peace.

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