Transcript Anomalistic Psychology - Caroline Chisholm School VLE

Anomalistic Psychology
Exceptional experiences
Out-of-body and Near-death
experiences
Lesson objectives
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Define out-of-body and near-death
experiences.
Examine the effect of these.
Evaluate research into these.
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I laid on my bed and went to sleep. I then
felt a positive sensation, and I realised that I
was above my body. I could see my body, I
was laying in a foetal position. I could see
everything in the room, I must have been
about 8-9ft above myself. I felt great; I had
no pain, and had an immense sense of
positivity. I just knew I would beat my illness!
Everything about my experience I
remember, the room, the colours the bright
light in the distance, everything.
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This was the reported experience of
someone who was very ill with
anorexia.
Definition of out-of-body
experience
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A feeling of being able to view yourself
and the world from outside of your own
body. (Blackmore, 1982)
Often reported alongside dreams and
daydreams (Peterson, 1997)
Possibly induced when receiving
anaesthetic (Woerlee, 2008)
Areas of the brain involved
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Parietal lobe
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Angular gyrus
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Temporal lobe
Brain studies
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When being stimulated as a treatment
for epilepsy subjects commonly
reported an out-of-body experience.
This involves the temporal and parietal
lobes and the angular gyrus.
This suggests that these areas of the
brain may be involved in such
experiences.
Near-death experience
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Introduced by Moody (1975)
‘a distinctive subjective experience that
people sometimes report after a near-death
episode’.
This is often when people have been
involved in serious accidents or have been
injured as a result of military combat.
What does this suggest?
Maybe trauma is involved as these are both
violent, sudden and dramatic.
Common features of NDE
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International Association for Near Death
Studies Identify the common features as:
Intense emotion
Seeing one’s body from above
Movement through darkness towards light
Encounters with dead loved ones
A life review
For some, a decision to return to their body.
Atwater’s research
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For pleasant NDE and OOB experiences,
There is often a sensation of floating and
passing through a long black tunnel with the
subsequent ascension towards light, friendly
greeting from familiar and unfamiliar voices
and the realisation that time does not exist.
People experiencing this are usually
disappointed to be revived.
Atwater continued
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A disturbing near-death experience
often brings about a search for
meaning in it, changes in behaviour,
an increase in religious practice.
The experience is often interpreted
according to the person’s beliefs or
cultural background.
Ring (1980)
Ring (1980). Semi-structured interview
(n=102) on NDEs. Identified ‘core
experience’.
 E.g. Deep sense of peace and well
being. Entering darkness. Seeing a
light.
AO2. Anecdotal. Subjective. Cultural
bias.
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Ehrsson’s study 2007
Assumption
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Ehrsson suggests that out-of-body
experiences are caused by a
disconnection between the brain
circuits that process visual and touchsensory information.
method
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42 participants
Used virtual reality technology to present
participants with the view of their own backs, from
the perspective of 2 metres behind themselves.
The experimenter then places one rod on the
participant’s chest (out of view) and another rod
where the illusory body would be located.
Participants reported that they were sitting behind
their physical bodies.
Similar study from Blanke
Conclusions
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Self-visual perspective disruption can
lead to the experience of a new
veiwpoint.
Suggests that OBEs are related to
sensory disturbance.
AO2 Methodological issues
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Small sample size
Volunteer sample
Why does this limit the research?
AO2
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Ethical issues
Lack of informed consent
But confidentiality was ensured by
coding the participants.
On the bright side
Ehrsson’s experimental set up
provided a way of putting out-of-body
experiences into the lab.
AO2
+ Testable hypothesis
+ Controlled experiment.
- Perhaps doesn’t explain rich
experiences and detailed reports
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Further research
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Blanke (2004)
Found support for neurological
functioning as a cause for out of body
experience
A mild electric shock to the angular
gyrus induced an OOB experience.
But he used a small sample (all
female)
Further research
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Nelson (2006) NDEs and brain’s regulation
of the sleep cycle.
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Blackmore (1996) Dream control skills and
OBEs.
Key points
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Near-death experiences are traditionally
different to out-of-body experiences.
Out-of-body experiences involve a person
looking at their own body from above.
Near-death experiences involve a variety of
effects including the loss of pain, seeing
bright lights and positive feelings.
Key points cont.
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There are various biological explanations for
near-death phenomena including:
anoxia,
hypercarbia,
temporal lobe function abnormalities,
endorphins and
administered drugs.
A psychological explanation is the
expectation of life after death.
Key points cont.
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Ehrsson has attempted to research
out-of-body experiences in a scientific
way that was commended by
Blackmore.
Summary questions
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1. List at least two pieces of research
relevant to OBEs and/or NDEs.
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2. Give two evaluation points of the above.