7th November 2001 - New survey reveals that 10 of Britain claim to have had an Out of body experience

New survey reveals that 10% of Britain claim to have had an "Out of body experience"

The Opinion Research Business was commissioned by The Horizon Research Foundation to conduct a survey into the prevalence of "Out of Body Experiences" in the national population of Great Britain.

The survey was timed to coincide with a seminar to explore the phenomenon of near death experiences entitled "Near Death Experiences: Vision of a dying brain or visions of a new science" to be held at Southampton General Hospital on 8th December. The seminar will be addressed by speakers such as the consultant neuropsychiatrist Dr. Peter Fenwick of the Maudsley and Radcliffe Hospitals, Dr. Sam Parnia, Southampton Hospital, David Lorimer and Heather Sloan.

As a background it should be noted that the research carried out at Southampton General Hospital suggests that consciousness and the mind may continue to exist after the brain has ceased to function and the body is clinically dead. Seven out of 63 (11%) of the Southampton patients recalled emotions and visions during unconsciousness, although all the patients had been, for varying lengths of time, clinically dead with no pulse, no respiration and fixed dilated pupils.

The Horizon Research Foundation is a charity established to help support education and research into understanding the state of the human mind at the end of life, or during 'near death experiences'.

The Opinion Research Business conducted a random dial telephone interview across Great Britain on November 28th - 29th 2001 of 1002 respondents. This is believed to be the first ever survey of "Out of body experiences" amongst the general population in Great Britain. The survey revealed that:

10% of the population claimed that they had an out of body experience

The peak age for these type of experiences was 45-54, where 13% claimed an out of body experience.

There were noticeable regional differences. Most incidences seem to occur in the Midlands, where 12% claimed an out of body experience, compared to only five percent in Scotland.

There were no differences in reported incidences of out of body experiences between men and women, but amongst the lower social classes (DE) 12% claimed this type of experience, compared to only 8% amongst the upper social classes (AB).

Three out of five of the population (60%) claimed that although they had not experienced the phenomena, they were aware of it; only 10% of the population had never heard of it.

Only one in seven (13%) of the population did not believe that it occurs.

For further information:

Sam Parnia, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton (tel: 023 80777222 x. 3308, email parnis@soton.ac.uk)

Gordon Heald, Managing Director, The Opinion Research Business (tel: 020 7430 0216, email gheald@opinion.co.uk)