Have you ever had the feeling of perceiving the physical world from a location outside of your physical body? This panel discussion of out-of-the-body experiences (OBEs) aims to provide a fuller understanding of this fascinating phenomena and what it means for a broader understanding of human consciousness.

Long-time scholars of OBE phenomena, Alvarado and Zingrone will present an general introduction to the OBE phenomena, including definitions of the OBE and its differences from other phenomena. They will focus on research on OBE cases completed in Illinois, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Scotland, Spain and on the Internet, as well as on historical and upcoming research. Among the topics: features of the OBE, contexts in which the experiences take place, how common these experiences are, what is known about the psychology of folks who report them. In addition, the various explanations offered to account for OBEs and their implications for consciousness and for the issue of the survival of bodily death will be covered. Time will be allowed for Q&A and audience interaction.