Dissociation of the subjective and objective bodies: Out-of-body experiences following the development of a posterior cingulate lesion.

An out-of-body experience (OBE) involves viewing one's body and surroundings from outside the physical self. While prior research linked OBEs to the temporoparietal junction, this case report describes a 46-year-old woman who experienced monthly OBEs before surgery for a brain tumor in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and none afterward. Her OBEs involved a clear separation of the subjective and objective bodies. The case suggests the PCC may play a role in creating spatial unity between self and body, with its removal eliminating the experiences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

An out-of-body experience (OBE) is a phenomenon whereby an individual views his/her body and the world from a location outside the physical body. Previous studies have suggested that the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), the brain region responsible for integrating multisensory signals, is responsible for OBE development. Here, however, we first present a case of OBE after brain tumour development in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The patient was a 46-year-old right-handed female; she underwent brain surgery. She reported that she had experienced OBEs several times monthly (during daily life) before surgery but never after surgery. She defined her OBEs explicitly; she drew pictures. Her OBEs exhibited phenomenological, overt dissociation of the subjective and objective bodies. We discuss the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and the relationship between OBEs and the PCC in terms of anatomical and functional brain connectivity. Our case sheds some light on the mechanism involved in creating spatial (dis)unity between the self and the body.