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Ashton Orvin

12/5/2017

English 111

Final Draft

Julia Intawiwat

Out of Body Experiences

When faced with the topic of out of body experiences, a few immediate questions come

to mind. What exactly is an out of body experience? What causes this phenomenon? Why do

they happen? What is their purpose relating to the individuals who experience them? Although

there may not be definitive answers to help answer these questions, there have been many

theories, or models, that have been developed to help ones better understanding of what exactly

an out of body experience is and what causes one to happen.

An out of body experience is described by psychologists as a dissociative experience

wherein the person imagines their mind, soul, or spirit has exited the body and is functioning or

comprehending separately(Nugent). In simpler terms it is when the consciousness leaves the

body and is in a completely different state of being from the physical body after a traumatic

event. This phenomena is a very widely used plot device in multiple forms of literature and

media as scientists continue to debate why it occurs and what is actually happening in the mind.

There are many theories surrounding what causes an out of body experience but the three most

popular ones that provide the basis are the Blackmore Model, the Palmer Model, and the Irwin

Model. This triad of models help one to better understand what external and internal factors

contribute to the how and why of the out of body experience.

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The Blackmore model is firstly the most popular model used to explain the cause of the

experience and is the most commonly used explanation in media and literature. The model was

developed by British psychologist Susan Blackmore and actually dissuades any form of astral

projection actually occurring. Instead the model expresses that due to the extreme stress the

body is put under after a traumatic event, excessive amounts of opiates in the brain, such as

endorphins, are released causing mini seizures and activating the individuals memory(source 2).

This causes the brain to produce memories of past experiences in ones life and similar to the

REM stage in the sleep cycle, create a dream like state for the conscious to live in, thus

preserving ones sanity (source 1).

The novel If I Stay by author Gayle Foreman heavily expresses the ideas within this

model as the main character Mia experiences an out of body experience after a could-be fatal car

accident. Mias consciousness is shown to be re-experiencing her most important life events,

such as meeting her boyfriend and performing her cello for Julliard. The stress of the wreck and

the reality that most of her family had died because of the crash, Mias brain simply could not

handle it and triggered the temporal lobe to provide vivid images of important moments in her

life. This idea was somewhat proven by neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield. By electrocuting certain

parts of the temporal lobe, many of his patients claimed out of body experiences due to the

vivid memories they had experienced (Mauro). This prompted a basis for the find that an out

of body experience could be due to a malfunction in the brain and chalked up to neurons

misfiring, thus somewhat proving Blackmores model and explaining Mias condition in the

novel.

The second theory that could potentially correlate with Blackmores model is the Model

of Palmer. From a more psychological standpoint, the model expresses the idea that due to the
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change of the body because of a traumatic event, the brain compensates for the stress by

establishing a psychological identity (source 1). By forcing the individual to relive certain

memories, it is allowing the brain to reinstate the individuals identity, allowing some form of

comfort after the stress of the event. While not as scientifically backed as Blackmores model,

this does reinforce an idea that it is a defense mechanism against the fear of death (source 2).

This form of detachment is represented also within the book If I Stay as due to Mias change in

body, aka her injuries from the crash and the damage caused to her head, her brain

overcompensated by providing vivid memories of her favorite moments in life to help reestablish

her identity. This helps her overall to make her decision between life and death and could

potentially explain her overall calm attitude towards her situation.

The third, and least popular, theory is the Model of Irwin. Though not as popular, it is

well known by the majority as the population as it is the classic idea that ones consciousness is

living outside of the body. The model explains that there is total absorption into ones mental

state and dissociation occurs, allowing the consciousness to astral project away from the physical

body (source 1). The consciousness transcends into a fantasy-like state and amplifies few traits

or attributes of ones personality to help cope with the stress (source 1). In Mias case, this idea

is expressed heavily within the type of memories she experiences during her own out of body

experience. By reliving some of her happiest moments and being able to witness her friends and

familys sadness over her condition, it ultimately contributes to her decision to continue on living

her life, seeing as she had a lot to look forward to despite the death of her immediate family.

All together, this triad of models and theories started the basis of research for why

out of body experiences happen and have allowed modern psychologists to mull over these

questions, encouraging more complicated theories with the development of more extensive
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research. Although there is no definitive proof of why or how these experiences happen, these

theories could all intertwine to help understand the experience itself and to propose ideas as to

what is happening in the brain during an out of body experience. By combining the neurological

perspectives and the ideas that the consciousness could astrally project itself, the concept of a

legitimate projection of oneself outside of the mind is very plausible and helpful towards keeping

the mind from collapsing after a traumatic experience.

Works Cited

https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/central/docview/1724504789/87830EB1B4FF4B93PQ/6?accountid=100

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https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/central/docview/1724505042/87830EB1B4FF4B93PQ/7?accountid=100

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Mauro, James. Bright Lights, Big Mystery. Psychology Today, Sussex

Publishers, 1 July 1992, www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199207/bright-lights-big-mystery.

Nugent, Pam M.S. What Is OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE? Definition of

OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE (Psychology Dictionary). Psychology Dictionary, 7 Apr. 2013,

psychologydictionary.org/out-of-body-experience/.