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From dreams to (virtual) reality : exploring behavioural embodiment in out-of-body experients.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>12/2006
<mark>Journal</mark>Australian Journal of Parapsychology
Issue number2
Volume6
Number of pages10
Pages (from-to)125-134
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Recent research has indicated that the body experience of people who report a prior out-of-body experience (OBErs) is qualitatively different on a number of body-image variables to that of non-experients (non-OBErs). The present study examined OBErs and non-OBErs Behavioural Embodiment during immersion in a Virtual Reality system. It was hypothesised that OBErs would, compared with non-OBErs, exhibit a disembodied behavioural interaction with the Virtual Environment (VE), characterised by the proportion of time spent navigating the environment from an elevated position and the number of collisions with virtual objects. It was also hypothesised that OBErs would score higher on measures of absorption, dissociation and somatoform dissociation. There were no significant differences between OBErs (n = 16) and non-OBErs (n = 28) on Behavioural Embodiment (i.e., the proportion of time spent navigating the environment from an elevated position and the number of collisions with virtual objects), although there was a positive correlation with number of OBEs and proportion of trial time spent navigating the environment from an elevated position. OBErs were found to score significantly higher than the non-OBErs on measures of absorption, dissociation and somatoform dissociation.