14 Apr Out of Body Experiences: What Happens to the Self?
Out of body experience is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “an experience in which you feel as if you have left your own body and can see it from the outside, usually from above”. Many of us think of our body as our home, the foundation of who we are. But what happens when you step out of that body – or so it feels?
This article looks at how out-of-body experiences (OBEs) can be a truly shocking and life-changing experience that can completely change the way we see ourselves. Not only that, but they can also liberate our consciousness and increase our energy levels.
When can an out-of-body experience occur?
When you have an out-of-body experience, your consciousness leaves your body and sees the world through a “subtler” body, like the astral body. These kinds of experiences are often reported:
- during meditation,
- in dreams (especially in lucid dreaming),
- during near-death experiences (when someone “sees” their body during resuscitation),
- or in deep relaxation states, on the borderline between sleep and wakefulness.
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Neurologists think that OBEs might also be caused by problems in the brain areas that control body image, like the temporo-parietal junction, which can trigger these experiences. Our brains are always working on the idea of “where we are” in space, but sometimes, this can go a bit wrong.
What does it feel like to have an out of body experience?
People often say that it feels like:
- It’s like you’re floating, your body feels weightless, as if it disappears,
- You see yourself from above, as if you’re observing the world from another viewpoint,
- You can move through space—or even dimensions—just by thinking about it,
- You feel really calm or peaceful,
- You feel connected to a higher intelligence, or you get a deep sense of truth.
Consciousness is a thing that inhabits a physical body, driven and controlled by the mind. There is a very valid purpose to why it is that way.
Many say that an out-of-body experience is a kind of “spiritual awakening” where you realise that you’re more than just a physical body, that your consciousness can exist apart from matter, and that your existence may have deeper, otherworldly or multidimensional aspects.
The connection between out-of-body experiences, life energy and self
In many spiritual traditions, the ego is basically the self-image that the mind creates of itself. It’s the ‘little self’ that sees itself as separate from others and gets caught up in labels, roles and past histories. The spiritual path is often about letting go of the ego in order to find our true, more open self. When we get all tied up with our attachments, fears and identities, our energy gets all blocked and restricted too. But when we realise that the “self” isn’t solid or fixed and doesn’t need to be protected, we can give space for life energy to move naturally. An out-of-body experience is a powerful way to get rid of your ego.
Liberation is all about unleashing your energy
If you’re not so protective of your old ideas of yourself, you’ll feel more free in yourself and have more energy. When people have an out-of-body experience or go into deep meditation, they often report feeling inner light, floating and flow, weightlessness and the ecstasy of boundless presence. Basically, all these experiences are saying the same thing, and they happen when the ego isn’t in control and you start to feel life flowing through you freely.
When there’s no more “me,” just life
An out-of-body experience can totally change how you see yourself — and with that, the wall that used to keep you separate from the energy of the world, from deep connection with others, from the joy of presence, from the amazing spiritual power that comes with simply existing, just dissolves. This is when life force isn’t just something to measure, but something to experience: the feeling of boundlessness, the breath as an expanding universe, the pulsation of existence within yourself.
Out of body experiences can change your life
A 2024 University of Virginia study found that out-of-body experiences can lead to increased empathy and a deeper sense of connection with others. This change is often connected to something called “ego dissolution,” which is when you lose your sense of self and feel one with the whole world.
There was another study in 2023 that looked at the long-term psychological effects of spontaneous out-of-body experiences in eight healthy people. Their experiences, which occurred during meditation, hypnagogic (when you are waking up), hypnopompic (when you are falling asleep) or relaxation states, showed eight transformative themes as follows:
- It’s about not seeing death as the end, but as a kind of transition.
- It reduces anxiety and increases calm.
- It’s a shift in values and perspective.
- You also develop a wiser sense of self.
- You get to experience your own limits and boundlessness.
- Being honest and deep in relationships becomes essential.
- Spiritual beliefs, whether religious or more intuitive, can also deepen or renew.
- It gives you new energy and motivation for life.
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Final Thoughts
So, when you have an out-of-body experience, your self-image – your ego – can seem a bit shaky, and that can actually feel quite liberating. It’s like a moment of realisation that we’re not just our bodies, that our thoughts aren’t who we are, and that space and time don’t define us. You might feel like you’re floating or experience silence, spaciousness and a sense of energy flowing freely.
This life energy, whatever we call it (prana, chi or whatever), isn’t some kind of mystery from outside. It’s something we can feel when we let go of our ego. As such, the out-of-body experience becomes an opportunity to sense who we are beyond our stories. Realising that the ‘self’ is only a temporary construct is not disillusioning – it’s spiritually liberating.
6 Sources +
Egely Wheel has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
- Out-of-Body Experiences Can Profoundly Increase Empathy – https://news.med.virginia.edu/
- Have Scientists Found the Source of Out-of-Body Experiences? – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/
- 8 Ways Your Life Could Change After An Out-Of-Body Experience, According To New Research – https://www.forbes.com/
- Can Out-Of-Body Experiences Improve Mental Well-Being? – https://therapytips.org/
- What’s Actually Happening When We Have An Out-of-Body Experience? – https://www.discovermagazine.com/
- Robert A. Monroe Quotes – https://thecitesite.com/
