Italian researchers Patrizio Tressoldi and Luciano Pederzoli conducted an experiment on out-of-body experiences using hypnosis. They recruited five volunteers with varying levels of prior knowledge about this phenomenon and prepared them for the experiment with four preliminary hypnosis sessions.
On the day of the experiment, some participants were in the laboratory, while others were at home (for these participants, the hypnosis session was conducted over the phone). The researchers placed six photographs in university buildings located 190 km or more from the participants. The participants were instructed to attempt to have an out-of-body experience, locate the room where a photograph was placed, and identify the subject of the photograph.
The authors assessed the results positively, as approximately half of the responses (47.6%) were correct. However, the researchers acknowledged the need for equipment to provide objective data on the participants’ brain states. Moreover, it should be noted that the authors did not comment on the accuracy of the responses—for example, they did not state whether the general idea of the photograph was guessed or whether minute details were accurately described.
The researchers published the verbatim text of all steps of the hypnosis procedure. Do you think you’ll try it?
The preprint of the article was published in December 2024 on Academia.
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