Report on Random Post and Web-Based Surveys of Depersonalization, Out-of-Body Experiences, Synaesthesia-Like Experiences and Life Satisfaction

Depersonalization and OBEs: Relationships with Dream,

Parapsychological, and Synesthesia Experiences, Life

Satisfaction and Hallucinations

Nancy L. Zingrone, Ph.D.Carlos S. Alvarado, Ph.D.

Natasha Agee, B.A.

Two Studies

• Stratified Random Survey of Charlottesville, VA

• 2400 questionnaires mailed

• 19% returned undeliverable

• 256 usable datasets returned = 13% response rate

• Web-based survey, volunteers solicited from transpersonal psychology and parapsychology sites

• 667 datasets received

• 597 usable

Study 1: Postal Study 2: Web

Objectives: To compare OBErs to Non-OBErs

on the following• Scores on the Cambridge Depersonalisation

Scale (CDS)

• Scores on specific items

• Incidence of particular OBE Features in “high” and “low” scorers on the CDS

• Relationship between OBEs and depersonalization, hallucination experiences, dream variables, synesthesias and psi exeriences

• Scale scores and rates of endorsement by respondents to the Postal Survey and respondents to the Web-based survey

Demographics

• 62.5% Female• 37.5% Male

• Mean Age = 49.29 ± 18.70, Range = 17 to 95

• 90.5 % White• 5.1% Black• 2.0% Mixed• 1.6% Asian• .4% Hispanic• .4% Celtic

• 64.7% Female• 35.3% Male

• Mean Age = 45.27 ± 14.15, Range = 13 to 84

• 87.8% White• 3.7% Hispanic• 2.9% Mixed• 1.7% Asian• 1.4% Black• 1% Indian (South Asia)• .7% Native American• .4% Arabic• .2% Albanian• .2% Sri Lankan

Study 1: Postal

Sex & Age N = 256Ethnicity N = 253

Study 2: WebSex N = 589 / Age N = 587

Ethnicity N = 575

Demographics

• 51.8% Married• 25.1% Single• 11% Divorced• 6.7% Widowed• 5.1% Living together• .3% Separated

• 25.2% Masters• 24.8% Bachelors• 15.3% Some college• 7.9% High School• 6.6% Some grad

school• 6.2% Doctorates• 14% Other

• 43.6% Married• 27.5% Single• 14.4% Divorced• 10.3% Living together• 22.6% Widowed• 1.7% Separated

• 27.9% Some college• 24% Bachelors• 13% Masters• 8.8% Doctorates• 7.1% High School• 5.7% Some grad

school• 13.5% Other

Study 1: PostalMarital Status N = 255

Education N = 242

Study 2: WebMarital Status N = 585

Education N = 509

Demographics

• 68.4% Christian• 12.3% None• 5.7% Agnostic• 4.4% Mixed or

Miscellaneous• 3.5% Atheist• 3.1% Buddhist• 2.6% Jewish

• 37.4% Christian• 22% Agnostic• 17.1% None• 5% Miscellaneous• 4.3% Pagan• 4.1% Buddhist• 3.7% Mixed• 2.7% Jewish• 2.7% Hindu• 1% Atheist

Study 1: PostalN = 228

Study 2: WebN = 486

Religiousness

• 22.9% Not at all• 24.1% Slightly• 34.8% Moderately• 18.2 Very

• Range = 0 to 3• Mean =

1.48±1.04

• 28.8% Not at all• 29.3% Slightly• 29.2% Moderately• 12.7% Very

• Range = 0 to 3• Mean =

1.26±1.01


Study 2: WebN = 583

Headaches & Head Injuries

• 18.4% never had a headache

• 44.5% rarely• 28% occasionally• 7.4% frequently• 1.2% most of the

time

• 13.7% had suffered a head injury

• 9% never had a headache

• 48.7% rarely• 18.6% occasionally• 20.2% frequency• 3.5% most of the time

• 19.5% had suffered a head injury


Study 2: WebHeadache N= 560

Head Injury N = 565

Main Questionnaires• CDS Scale (Sierra & Berrios, 2000)• Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al, 1985)

Items we developed• Dream recall, Lucid dreams, Disturbing dreams,

Psi Experiences (adapted from Palmer, 1979)• Interference of depersonalization experiences with

work, relationships, sense of self• Depersonalization experiences and flourescent

lights• Synesthesia of color with sounds or music• Synesthesia of color with letters or numbers

Follow-up Questionnaires• Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (Larøi & Vander

Linden, 2005)• Short Form OBE Questionnaire (Alvarado, 1997)

Representativeness of Postal Sample

Stratification held but …Study 1 Census

EthnicityWhites 90.5% 72.3%African Americans 5.1% 20.8%“Other” 4.4% 16.9%

AgeAge below 18 .4% 18.9%Ages between 18 and 65 76.6% 67.5%Ages above 65 22% 13.6%

SexMales 37.5% 46.9%Females 62.5% 53.1%

EducationHigh school degree or better 97.1% 80.8%Baccalaureat degree or better 68.6%

40.8%

Order Effects

OBE frequency– Form A (N = 125)

• Mean = .36– Form B (N = 127)

• Mean = .71• z = 2.38, p = .02

Lucid dreams– Form A (N = 126)

• Mean = 1.28– Form B (N = 127)

• Mean = .93• z = 2.12, p =.03

OBE frequency– Form A (N = 264)

• Mean = 1.10– Form B (N = 260)

• Mean = 1.28• z = 1.88, p = .06

Déjà Vu– Form A (N = 257)

• Mean = 1.94– Form B (N = 263)

• Mean = .86• z = 2.75, p = .006


Parapsychological Experiences & Dream Variables

Experience N Yes

OBEs 253 37.5%Waking ESP 253 50.2%Dream ESP 252 49.2%Apparitions 253 34%Aura 253 10.7%

Dream Recall 254 96.9%Disturbing Dreams 252 92.9%Lucid Dreams 254 70.9%

Experience N Yes

OBEs 524 67.2%Waking ESP 524 84.5%Dream ESP 528 82%Apparitions 528 80.3%Aura 527 54.1%

Dream Recall 532 99.4%Disturbing Dreams 531 98.1%Lucid Dreams 530 89.2%


Internet respondents reported significantly more of all the above atthe p < .0001 level, except dream recall which is p < .004.

Other Experiences, Headaches & Head Injuries

Experience N Yes

Déjà Vu 252 82.5%Sense of Oneness 253 58.9%

Seeing colors music/sound 254 22.4% letters/numbers 251 13.9%

Headache 256 81.6%Head Injury 35 13.7%

Experience N Yes

Déjà Vu 520 94.8%Sense of Oneness 527 90.3%

Seeing colors music/sound 522 45.8% letters/numbers 525 33.7%

Headache 565 91%Head Injury 109 19.5%


In all of the above except Head Injury, Web respondents reportedsignificantly more of the experiences at the p < .0001 level. Head Injury was significant at p = .044.

Scale Scores & Indexes

Study 1 : Postal Study 2: Web

N Mean Range N Mean Range

CDS* 256 20.13 0-93 591 37.18 0-279

SWLS* 256 25.17 0-35 597 20.39 0-34

LSHS* 43 16.63 0-48 76 35.11 3-63

Psi Index* 256 1.79 0-5 597 3.24 0-5

OBE Feature*** 11 6.91 0-18 61 4.46 0-28

OBE Transformation Score** 11 1.55 0-6 61 3.53 0-8

* p < .0001, ** p = .035, *** = n.s.

OBE Frequency & CDS Score

Study N rs p

Postal Respondents 253 .49<.0001

Web Respondents 524 .37<.0001

CDS Scores for OBErs vs Non-OBErs

Mean

Study N CDS Score z p

OBErs Postal 95 31.13Non-OBErs Postal 158 13.49 6.51

< .0001

OBErs Web 350 47.48Non-OBErs Web 168 26.49 6.83

< .0001

SWLS Scores for OBErs vs Non-OBErs

MeanSWLS

Study N Score z p

OBErs Postal 95 24.61Non-OBErs Postal 158 25.59 1.985 < .047

OBErs Web 350 21.32Non-OBErs Web 172 22.06 1.19 < .231

LSHS Scale Scores for OBErs vs Non-OBErs

MeanLSHS

Study N Score z p

OBErs Postal 14 20.14Non-OBErs Postal 29 14.93 1.09 < .276

OBErs Web 53 38.42Non-OBErs Web 23 27.48 3.02 < .003

Correlations between OBE Frequency and the Other Experiences

Study 1 : PostalStudy 2: Web

Variable N rs N rs

Age 251 .03 518 .04

Education 239 .08 466 -.06

Religiousness 250 .17 515 .12

Headaches 253 .23* 522 .23*

SWLS 253 .05 524 -.01

LSHS 43 .31 76 .62*

*p < .0001

Correlations between OBE Frequency and the Other Experiences continued

Study 1 : PostalStudy 2: Web

Variable N rs N rs

Waking ESP 252 .46* 520 .55*Dream ESP 251 .42* 521 .48*Apparitions 252 .52* 523 .53*Auras 252 .59* 520 .54*OBE Feature Index 253 .65* 61 .49*OBE Transformation Index 253 .64* 61 .54*Psi Experiences w/o OBE item 253 .61* 524 .52*

Correlations between OBE Frequency and the Other Experiences continued

Study 1 : Postal Study 2: Web

Variable N rs N rs

Sense of oneness 252 .36* 520 .48*Déjà Vu 251 .38* 510 .42*Dream recall 253 .28* 524 .29*Disturbing dreams 251 .27* 524 .24*Lucid dreams 253 .36* 523 .481*Seeing colors while hearing sounds, music, voices 253 .52* 520 .49*Seeing colors while seeing, hearing, or thinking about letters or numbers 250 .55* 521 .54*

* P < .0001

Significant Differences between Studies on Features of the OBE Experience

Study 1: Postal Study 2: Web Fisher

OBE Features N % N % Exact

Able to pass through matter 10 0 48 45.8 .005

Illumination while out not normal light 10 0 52 40.4 .01

Sensation of rising while going out 9 66.7 50 38 .08

Looking down while out 9 66.7 54 40.7 .10

OBE Transformation Items

Study 1: Postal Study 2 : Web(N = 11) (N = 61)

% Yes % YesYourself 27.3 56

Human Nature 9.1 48

Communication with others 18.2 43

Material Wealth 9.1 28

Society 0 36

Life 27.3 49

Death 27.3 53

God 27.3 41

Other 9.1 0

Study 1 OBE Transformation Score was 1.55, significantly lower than the Study 2 OBE Transformation Score of 3.53, p < .0001.

Relationship of CDS Score to OBE Feature Index

& OBE Transformation Score


N rs p N rs p

CDS Score to:

OBE Feature Index 11 -.15 ns 61 .32

.013

OBE Transformation Score 11 -.13 ns 61 .42

.001

Relationship of LSHS Score to OBE Feature Index

& OBE Transformation ScoreStudy 1: Postal Study 2:

WebN rs p N rs p

LSHS Score to:

OBE Feature Index 9 .52 ns 61 .46

.001

OBE Transformation Score 9 .05 ns 61 .47

.001

Logistic Regression: CDS Items as Predictorsof OBE Group Membership


Standard TVariable Coefficient Error Ratio p

Item 6. Detached observer of self .391 .149 2.63 .009

Item 24. Feeling “robotic” .625 .241 2.59 .01

Item 15. Autoscopy 1.008 .404 2.50 .013

Item 17. Déjà Vu -.333 .142 -2.31 .019

Item 13. Detached from surroundings .450 .195 2.32 .021

Item 8. Body feels light .417 .182 2.29 .022

Constant -1.378 .282 -4.88 .000

2(27)=107.932, p < .0001, log of likelihood = -113.47379.1% of the cases were classified correctly

Logistic Regression: CDS Items as Predictors of OBE Group Membership

Study 2: WebN = 521

Standard TVariable Coefficient Error Ratio p

Item 8. Body feels light .301 .085 3.54 .000

Item 2. What is seen, flat, lifeless -.190 .057 -3.38 .001

Item 15. Autoscopy .378 .124 3.05 .002

Item 3. Parts of body don’t don’t seem to belong to me .342 .164 2.09 .037

Item 27. Have to touch myself to make sure my body is real -.403 .193 -2.09 .037

Constant -.261 .200 -1.30 .293

2(27)=132.751, p < .0001, log of likelihood = -260.009123, 87.3% of the cases correctly classified

Logistic Regression: Experiences, CDS w/o OBE, Psi Index w/o OBE as Predictors

of OBE Group MembershipStudy 1: Postal

N = 244

Standard T

Variable Coefficient Error Ratio p

CDS Score w/o OBE .047 .011 4.45 .000

Constant 51.982 2152.483 .02 .981


Standard TVariable Coefficient Error Ratio pESP Dream .619 .141 4.38 .000Aura .406 .142 2.87 .004Synesthesias

Numbers .560 .208 2.69 .007Disturbing dreams -.423 .171 -2.48 .013CDS Score w/o OBE item .009 .005 2.09 .037Constant 35.11 1364.09 .03 .98


Logistic Regression: Experiences, CDS w/o OBE, Psi Index w/o OBE as Predictors of OBE Group Membership

Study 2: WebN = 501

CDS Scores for Yes/No Responses on Dream, Psi and Synesthesia Experiences

Study 1: Postal Study 2: WebCDS Mean CDS Mean

ExperienceYes No z Yes No zWaking ESP 26.81 13.96 5.42*** 44.15 25.12 4.97***Dream ESP 27.52 13.46 5.47*** 43.18 30.33 3.61***Apparitions 29.61 15.17 4.98*** 45.48 22.39 6.68***Aura 30.19 18.87 2.37* 50.00 30.12 6.32***Sense of Oneness 23.64 15.64 3.61*** 42.32 25.96 3.46***Déjà Vu 22.05 11.66 3.98*** 41.82 23.96 4.03**Synesthesia Color with Sounds 37.74 15.22 7.05*** 53.32 30.71 6.73***Synesthesia Color with Numbers 38.03 17.19 5.25*** 57.38 32.86 7.33***

* p = .018, ** p = .001, *** = < .0001

LSHS Scores for Yes/No Responses on Dream, Psi and Synesthesia Experiences

Study 1: Postal Study 2: WebLSHS Mean LSHS Mean

Experience Yes No z Yes No zWaking ESP 18.04 15.44 .623 36.85 24.82 2.67**Dream ESP 20.35 12.59 1.90 36.29 23.88 2.67**Apparitions 24.00 13.73 2.34* 37.62 24.87 3.08**Aura 24.86 15.14 1.99* 40.26 28.25 3.77***Sense of Oneness 17.39 15.20 1.22 35.44 30.80 .66Déjà Vu 18.00 9.57 1.83 36.04 18.50 2.24*Synesthesia Color with Sounds 23.17 14.09 2.17* 39.95 30.26 3.21***Synesthesia Color with Numbers 24.80 14.15 2.63** 39.94 31.59 2.68**

*p <.05, ** p < .01, *** p < .0001

And now for something completely different …

Report on Random Post and Web-Based Surveys of Depersonalization, Out-of-Body Experiences, Synaesthesia-Like Experiences and Life Satisfaction

Education

postal n

education n

ethnicity n

web headache n

web sex n

form b n

postal study

head injury n