By Bill Murphy, LDE Science Correspondent © 2014
In a paper published February 10, 2014 in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, brain function of a healthy volunteer experiencing the sensation of being out of her body was analyzed. The 24 year old graduate student reported she had developed the ability for astral projection as a child and continued the practice into adulthood.
In a number of articles I have prepared for the Lucid Dreaming Experience magazine, I have reported on the use fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices that reveal which areas of the brain are active during various states of consciousness. Please see the December 2012 issue for additional information on how this neuroimaging device works.
Understanding how these instruments perform may help with comprehending how brain function of the volunteer was examined during her moments of astral projection.
In a typical out-of-body experience, individuals report they are aware of their consciousness being separated from their physical body.
Some people state they can see themselves, which suggests their perception is not originating from their sensory organs, but rather from what some may call their ‘spirit’ or ‘discarnate awareness’.
Without exception, the sensation is described as exhilarating by those fortunate enough to experience it. It doesn‘t take much imagination to become excited at the idea of being able to mentally leave your physical body, while remaining safe knowing your vessel is there awaiting to be reunited with your mind after it completes its journey.
In the single study that was published, there is now a better understanding of how this one volunteer is able to experience astral projection.
In an interview prior to the fMRI analysis, the graduate student revealed some interesting details of her ‘projections’. I found her descriptions to be unusual as many people who ‘go astral’ see their physical body from a perspective that is usually above their own body, while the student who volunteered from this study ‘sees’ her astral body floating over her physical self. She would also sometimes see her physical body instead of the projected image, but in both cases she had an awareness of two bodies, one physical, and one astral. So, just what did the fMRI reveal?
Amazingly, her brain scans indicated a strong deactivation of the visual cortex, while areas of the brain associated with kinesthetic imagery became active. Kinesthetic sense is how people detect their placement in a physical space. The stimulus comes from all the senses, and the brain interprets the information to feel where they think they are.
Although it would be easy to assume that what we feel and think are always connected, the fact is that brain function can be compromised by various factors, and sometimes the association of where a person actually is, is different from where they think they are. In this case, our volunteer is able to exploit this phenomenon and sense her body is located away from where she is physically.
This ability to ‘split’ and be in two places simultaneously is considered by the researchers to be a hallucination, one that allows the volunteer to in effect create and manipulate another body.
The fMRI image below was used to compare the reduced activity of the visual cortex while astral compared to when the subject was at rest.
This study suggests the experience of astral projection is different from lucid dreaming since the reliance of the subjects feeling of physical placement is dependent more on kinesthetic sense than visual imagery. Previous research has indicated a link between what we see in our mind during lucid dreams and activity in the visual cortex.
Since this groundbreaking study of astral projection conducted by Claude Messier and Andra M. Smith at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada involves a single volunteer, more research would be welcome. It is possible that other individuals may employ different brain functions and have a comparable experience.
It is well established that different senses sometimes trigger unexpected results such as ‘hearing’ colors so perhaps some people may become astral through another mechanism not yet understood. But the lucid dreaming community may now be one step closer to understanding how we experience the breathtaking experience of being freed from the constraints of our physical body whether it is in the dreamscape or the astral realm.