Sitara Taddeo

Background: Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) have been retrospectively associated with profound and lasting psychological benefits, including increased self-transcendence, reduced fear of death, and enhanced interpersonal connectedness. However, all prior research on OBE aftereffects has been retrospective or cross-sectional, convoluting what changed, when, or whether the OBE actually caused the changes people reported. Objective: This study examined the psychological effects of participation in a structured online OBE self-induction workshop using a prospective, longitudinal design, testing both workshop-wide effects and effects specific to OBE occurrence. Methods: Two hundred adults completed a four-day online workshop teaching a structured OBE self-induction protocol, with self-reported practice continuing over a six-month period. Standardized measures of well-being, affect, self-transcendence, interpersonal and nature connectedness, death attitudes, and mystical-type experience were administered at baseline, immediately post-workshop, and at three- and six-month follow-up. Participants were also asked at each post-workshop timepoint whether they had achieved an OBE, allowing exploratory comparison between OBE and non-OBE groups. Methods: Two hundred adults completed a four-day online workshop teaching a structured OBE self-induction protocol, with self-reported practice continuing over a six-month period. Standardized measures of well-being, affect, self-transcendence, interpersonal and nature connectedness, death attitudes, and mystical-type experience were administered at baseline, immediately post-workshop, and at three- and six-month follow-up. Participants were also asked at each post-workshop timepoint whether they had achieved an OBE, allowing exploratory comparison between OBE and non-OBE groups. Results: Workshop participation was associated with significant reductions in negative affect and significant increases in self-transcendence and interpersonal closeness, effects sustained through six-month follow-up; overall well-being, sleep, pain, and nature connectedness did not change significantly. No significant change was observed in death-related attitudes or death representations at any timepoint. Mystical-type experience quality (MEQ-4) increased significantly post-workshop and at six months relative to baseline. Participants who reported achieving an OBE showed no significant changes at the six-month timepoint relative to non-achievers. Conclusions: Participation in OBE training was associated with measurable psychological benefits, particularly reduced negative affect and increased interpersonal connectedness, largely independent of OBE occurrence. The self-selected, high-functioning nature of the sample likely constrained detectable change in death-related attitudes. Findings support the value of OBE training as a contemplative practice with broad psychological benefits, while highlighting the need for further research in less self-selected populations to clarify OBE-specific effects.

Sitara Taddeo is a research associate at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), where she supports projects exploring consciousness, human potential, and transformative experiences. She is a co-author of 10 publications and is the coordinator of the IONS Discovery Lab, overseeing its mission to investigate how such transformative practices and experiences influence well-being and interconnectedness. Her work focuses on integrating rigorous scientific methods with subjective experience to better understand the interplay between mind, body, and consciousness, with a particular interest in these applications for physical and mental health. She holds an honors Master's Degree in biology with a concentration in ethics, policy, and law as well as two honors Bachelor's degrees in neuroscience, and political science.