out-of-body experience
C1/C2Specialized (Psychology/Parapsychology/Medicine), Academic
Definition
Meaning
A sensation of floating outside one's physical body and observing it from an external perspective.
Any dissociative or transcendent state where one feels disconnected from the physical self, sometimes occurring during trauma, meditation, or drug use.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often abbreviated as OBE. Typically describes a subjective, personal experience, not an objectively observable event. The term is neutral regarding spiritual or neurological explanations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The hyphenation is standard in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral in both regions, though may carry stronger parapsychological associations in popular culture.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, used primarily in specialized or journalistic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + have/experience + an out-of-body experienceAn out-of-body experience + occur/happen + to [Subject]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To feel like you're watching yourself from the ceiling”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically: 'The merger felt like an out-of-body experience for the CEO.'
Academic
Common in psychology, neuroscience, and consciousness studies journals.
Everyday
Used to describe extreme disconnection or surreal events: 'Seeing my name in lights was an out-of-body experience.'
Technical
Specific term in parapsychology and some therapeutic contexts (e.g., trauma studies).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She felt she was out-of-bodying during the meditation session.
- The accident caused him to briefly out-of-body.
American English
- Some claim to be able to out-of-body at will.
- The intense pain made her out-of-body for a moment.
adverb
British English
- He experienced the event almost out-of-body.
- She watched the surgery out-of-body.
American English
- I felt I was observing out-of-body.
- It was as if he were there out-of-body.
adjective
British English
- She described an out-of-body-like state.
- The patient reported out-of-body phenomena.
American English
- He had an out-of-body feeling.
- The book details out-of-body research.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She had a strange dream where she floated above her bed.
- After the accident, he reported a brief out-of-body experience where he saw himself from above.
- Some meditation techniques aim to induce an out-of-body state.
- The neuroscientist argued that so-called out-of-body experiences are caused by temporary glitches in the brain's parietal lobe.
- Her account of the out-of-body experience during surgery was detailed and compelling.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
OUT-OF-BODY: Imagine your mind stepping OUT OF your BODY for an EXPERIENCE.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONSCIOUSNESS IS A DETACHABLE ENTITY / THE SELF IS SEPARABLE FROM THE BODY
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'опыт вне тела'. Use established term 'внетелесный опыт' or descriptive phrase 'ощущение выхода из тела'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect hyphenation (out of body experience)
- Using as a verb ('I out-of-bodied')
- Confusing with near-death experience.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'out-of-body experience' most technically precise?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, though they can overlap. A near-death experience (NDE) often includes an OBE but also involves other elements like a tunnel of light or life review. An OBE can occur without being near death.
The experience is subjectively real for the person reporting it. Scientifically, it is considered a dissociative state of consciousness with possible neurological causes, not evidence of a soul literally leaving the body.
Some meditation, lucid dreaming, and sensory-deprivation practices claim to induce OBEs, but there is no scientific consensus on reliably inducing genuine out-of-body sensations.
It is commonly used to describe a feeling of extreme disconnection or surrealism during a major life event, e.g., 'Winning the award was an out-of-body experience.'