Out-of-Body Experiences and Other Complex Dissociation Experiences in a Patient with Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Damage and Deficient Multisensory Integration

Kaliuzhna, Mariia; Vibert-Mennet, Dominique; Grivaz, Petr; Blanke, Olaf (2015). Out-of-Body Experiences and Other Complex Dissociation Experiences in a Patient with Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Damage and Deficient Multisensory Integration. Multisensory research, 28(5-6), pp. 613-635. Brill 10.1163/22134808-00002506

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Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are illusory perceptions of one's body from an elevated disembodied perspective. Recent theories postulate a double disintegration process in the personal (visual, proprioceptive and tactile disintegration) and extrapersonal (visual and vestibular disintegration) space as the basis of OBEs. Here we describe a case which corroborates and extends this hypothesis. The patient suffered from peripheral vestibular damage and presented with OBEs and lucid dreams. Analysis of the patient's behaviour revealed a failure of visuo-vestibular integration and abnormal sensitivity to visuo-tactile conflicts that have previously been shown to experimentally induce out-of-body illusions (in healthy subjects). In light of these experimental findings and the patient's symptomatology we extend an earlier model of the role of vestibular signals in OBEs. Our results advocate the involvement of subcortical bodily mechanisms in the occurrence of OBEs.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Further Contribution)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders (ENT)
UniBE Contributor:	Vibert, Dominique Christine
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
ISSN:	2213-4794
Publisher:	Brill
Language:	English
Submitter:	Markus Huth
Date Deposited:	02 Mar 2016 14:32
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2023 23:27
Publisher DOI:	10.1163/22134808-00002506
PubMed ID:	26595959
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/76313