Have you ever felt yourself float above your own body - and what does science say actually happened?
What if leaving your body isn't a mystery of the soul, but a glitch science can reproduce on command?
For centuries, people who felt themselves float above their own bodies had nowhere to turn but mysticism. Neuroscience now takes the experience seriously - not as proof of the paranormal, but as a glimpse into how the brain builds the felt sense of self.
Scientists can now trigger the sensation in healthy volunteers using only a camera and synchronized touch - evidence the mind constructs its location in space, with real implications for trauma care and anesthesia.
Inside, you'll discover:
- Why a camera and a paintbrush can shift where you feel located
- What near-death experience claims actually hold up to evidence
- How this research is reshaping care for pain and dissociation
Part of the What Science Says About... series, exploring consciousness through rigorous evidence.
Step outside the familiar - and see what remains.