Deliberate and spontaneous sensations of disembodiment: capacity or flaw?
Hallucinations that involve shifts in the subjectively experienced location of the self, have been termed "out-of-body experiences" (OBEs). Early psychiatric accounts cast OBEs as a specific instance of depersonalisation and derealisation disorder (DPD-DR). However, during feelings of alienation and lack of body realism in DPD-DR the self is experienced within the physical body. Deliberate forms of "disembodiment" enable humans to imagine another's visuo-spatial perspective taking (VPT), thus, if a strong relationship between deliberate and spontaneous forms of disembodiment could be revealed, then uncontrolled OBEs could be "the other side of the coin" of a uniquely human capacity.



We present a narrative review of behavioural and neuroimaging work emphasising methodological and theoretical aspects of OBE and VPT research and a potential relationship.



Results regarding a direct behavioural relationship between VPT and OBE are mixed and we discuss reasons by pointing out the importance of using realistic tasks and recruiting genuine OBEers instead of general DPD-DR patients. Furthermore, we review neuroimaging evidence showing overlapping neural substrates between VPT and OBE, providing a strong argument for a relationship between the two processes.



We conclude that OBE should be regarded as a necessary implication of VPT ability in humans, or even as a necessary and potentially sufficient condition for the evolution of VPT.
a Aston Brain Centre , Aston University , Birmingham UK.
Klaus
K
Kessler
b Department of Psychology , University of Lancaster , Lancaster , UK.
Jason J
JJ
Braithwaite
D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D012649:Self Concept; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D012918:Social Alienation / Q000523:psychology*
(dis-)embodiment; HOBT task; Out-of-body experiences; perspective taking; temporo-parietal junction