Scientists Say Your Consciousness Might Exist Beyond Your Brain — As Suggested by Out-of-Body Experiences

Have you ever experienced seeing yourself from outside of your body? These are called Out-of-Body experiences, and a new study suggests that they may be clues to understanding human consciousness and whether it truly exists only in our brains.

What Are Out-of-Body Experiences?

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are rare phenomena in which individuals perceive themselves to be outside their bodies, looking at or being aware of it from an external point of view. Scientists have long been studying these experiences, but it still remains one of the biggest mysteries of our consciousness.

OBEs can happen spontaneously without any reason at all, however, it is often the case that it was triggered by an event such as a near-death or traumatic experience. For a long time, most experts have only considered them as a neurological condition induced by hallucinations or illusions created by the mind to cope with difficult situations.

But, a new theory suggests that these are our consciousness existing beyond our brain, and that is why we can perceive our physical bodies during these phenomena.

Read more: ResearchGate

Theories on Consciousness Beyond the Brain

Does Consciousness Extend Beyond Brains? The 2023 Holberg Debate, feat. Seth, Luhrmann, Sheldrake.

This is a new theory and study, but it basically says that our consciousness could be non-local, which means that it is not only the brain that is making us aware of ourselves and our surroundings. Out-of-body experiences, which many people say they have undergone, could be a piece of evidence, though it can’t be proven yet, still give us an indication that consciousness can exist outside our physical bodies, in a different realm.

From the study done by the Frontiers in Psychology, some participants described their OBEs as vivid and authentic, just like their everyday reality. There are also some people who said that it felt like a different dimension or plane. This is the reason scientists are set on trying to understand more about out-of-body experiences to know if it is just the brain hallucinating, or if our consciousness can really exist outside it.

Read more: Frontiers in Psychology

Neurological Perspectives and Brain Activity

From a neurological and biological standpoint, scientists have already explained how out-of-body experiences could happen. They have been thought to originate from a specific brain region, in the temporoparietal junction or TPJ, that manages sensory information. That is why, during some scenarios, they could be disrupted, confusing our minds and creating a sense of disembodiment.

So, when someone is experiencing traumatic situations, the part of the brain that manages all that information could be disrupted, which means you could lose your sense of self for a short time, leading to out-of-body experiences.

But, scientists argue that your consciousness does not really leave the body; it is just confused inside your own mind, creating images and possibly some illusions. A way for the brain to cope and protect itself from the emotional intensity, which is why OBEs only often happen during extreme situations.

Read more: Popular Mechanics

Implications for Understanding Consciousness

Consciousness of humans is one of the most complex concepts, and it could easily branch out to multiple studies to be understood, including but not limited to human biology, philosophy, and even quantum physics.

Further researches are needed to know why out-of-body experiences are happening, or if they really indicate that our consciousness could exist beyond the brain. However, if it does, would it mean that the human soul is real? Science still has a long way to go before we can prove anything and answer questions that have been asked for thousands of years.

The Science of Out of Body Experiences - Dr Susan Blackmore

Author's Final Thoughts

Going through this short article probably leads people to have more questions than answers, and we are feeling the same. Out-of-body experiences offer a unique perception to our consciousness, but unless we can come out with a definitive scientific study to prove that it is not just a neurological event, we can only speculate about if our minds are truly capable of existing beyond our physical bodies, whether it is in the same reality or another.

Read more: Scientists Create New Contact Lenses That Let You See in the Dark — Even With Your Eyes Closed