Distinguishing out-of-body experiences from lucid dreaming: a phenomenological analysis.

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and lucid dreams (LDs) are often debated as possibly being the same or different types of experience. After compiling a list of features associated with each, the authors conclude that neither previously proposed features nor how people interpret the experience can reliably tell them apart. They argue that the key feature defining an OBE should be disembodiment—the sense of existing without a physical body—regardless of other aspects. This criterion, supported by first-person reports, helps distinguish OBEs from related experiences like lucid dreams.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Despite extensive discussions, a consensus is lacking on whether out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and lucid dreams (LDs) should be considered as distinct categories of experience, and if so, what differentiates them. To address this issue, we first discussed the implications of OBEs and LDs as the same type of phenomenon. We then compiled a comprehensive list of experiential features associated with OBEs and LDs, aiming to identify a distinguishing criterion between them. We conclude that neither the previously proposed features nor the interpretation of the experience can reliably differentiate them. We suggest that disembodiment, or existing without a physical body, should be the key phenomenological feature of OBEs, regardless of other aspects of the experience. Our argument is supported by first-person reports included as supplementary material, indicated by superscript numbers. By focusing on this crucial element, we can better understand and characterize an OBE, distinguishing it from other related experiences.