OOBE

Out-of-body experience (OOBE) is a reported conscious experience in which a person perceives the world from a location outside the physical body. People describe floating or rising above their body and observing their surroundings, including their own form. OOBEs are reported in various contexts, including near-death experiences, sleep phenomena like sleep paralysis, dissociative states, and under certain drugs or anesthesia. Scientific explanations emphasize neurological and cognitive processes, such as alterations in the temporoparietal junction, vestibular sensations, or dissociative states; the phenomenon remains controversial and not verifiably demonstrated. Cultural and personal interpretations vary, with some traditions interpreting OOBEs as symbolic, spiritual, or evidence of afterlife experiences.

Out-of-box experience (OOBE) refers to the initial setup and onboarding process that occurs when a product is first used, especially consumer electronics and software. The goal is to guide the user through installation, activation, and configuration, including language and region selection, account creation, privacy and permission settings, and basic personalization. OOBEs typically involve a guided user interface and may include offline or online components such as firmware updates, sample data, or tutorials. While designed to reduce setup friction, OOBEs can be lengthy or encounter issues, and some users criticize them for pushing privacy settings or telemetry. Modern devices increasingly offer streamlined or modular OOBEs with opt-in options and clearer explanations of data collection.

Because OOBE is an acronym with multiple meanings, context is essential to determine which interpretation is intended. In technical writing, capitalization and surrounding terminology often clarify whether the author means out-of-body experiences or the out-of-box setup process.