Experiment Tested Out-of-Body Experiences. Two Reported Seeing Things Scientists Can’t Explain.
This is actually weird.
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Researchers at the University of Virginia conducted a carefully controlled experiment to test claims of out-of-body experiences, in which people report separating their consciousness from their physical bodies to observe distant locations. The study involved 21 experienced practitioners who were placed in one room while attempting to identify a randomly selected image displayed on a laptop screen in a sealed room down the hallway, with their brain activity monitored throughout the session.
The rigorous experimental design ensured that no one involved knew which image would appear until analysis months later. Participants were given 60 to 90 minutes to describe what they perceived. While 13 participants reported impressions they believed related to the hidden target, an artificial intelligence system comparing their descriptions to all possible images found no evidence of accurate perception, with correct answers ranking between 16th and 92nd place—results indistinguishable from random guessing.
However, two participants reported observations that puzzled the research team. They described details of what researchers were actually doing in a separate room, including accurate descriptions of their positioning and activities that had not been disclosed. These unexpected findings cannot currently be explained by conventional means, leading neuroscientist Marina Weiler to call for more creative experimental approaches to studying these phenomena under rigorous scientific conditions.
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Originally reported by Sciencealert →
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