Chinese translation and validation of the Near-Death Experience Content scale

Introduction

In recent years, a growing number of near-death experience (NDE) testimonies have been collected worldwide due to an increasing interest in research on this phenomenon. China has many patients who survive life-threatening situations, leaving over much data on NDEs to be collected for research. In the historical context of Eastern civilization, many mentally controlled practices in China can also lead to "NDEs-like" (e.g., meditation). This study aimed (1) to translate and validate the recently developed Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale into Chinese and (2) to quantify and identify NDEs and NDEs-like in China with this new Chinese version of the NDE-C scale.

Methods

Here, we presented the work that had been performed to translate the NDE-C scale into Chinese and validated this version on 79 NDE testimonies.

Results

Brislin's back-translation model was performed to translate a Chinese version of the NDE-C scale and internal consistency (the Cronbach's α value for the total group = 0.846) as well as the confirmatory factor analysis was conducted.

Discussion

Currently, the Chinese version of the NDE-C scale is ready for use in research practice in the context of Eastern culture, to screen people who have experienced an NDEs(-like) and to quantify their subjective experience, promoting further NDEs-related research in China.

Reflections on extraordinary knowing: Insight into the nature of the mind

Scientists have spent considerable time and effort studying and mapping the geography of the brain, with the expectation that this understanding will lead to insights related to the nature of the mind. This article discusses evidence that, while the mind utilizes sensory information processed by the brain, awareness is not limited to these structures. Research studies give evidence supporting the mind's ability to expand awareness to include perception of objects and events not available to the five senses. This awareness also extends to moments in the future, including the mind's ability to access information seconds or even days in advance of the occurrence. A major brain filter that limits this capacity for expanded awareness is the Default Mode Network (DMN). We summarize research showing that when the DMN activity is reduced, e.g., through meditation, ingestion of neuromodulatory drugs, or NDEs, filtering within the brain is reduced, there is a concomitant development of new connectivity, and these neural changes are correlated with access to expanded awareness.

Near-Death Experiences in patients with locked-in syndrome: Not always a blissful journey

Memories of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) most often are recounted as emotionally positive events. At present, no satisfactory explanatory model exists to fully account for the rich phenomenology of NDEs following a severe acute brain injury. The particular population of patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS) provides a unique opportunity to study NDEs following infratentorial brain lesions. We here retrospectively characterized the content of NDEs in 8 patients with LIS caused by an acute brainstem lesion (i.e., "LIS NDEs") and 23 NDE experiencers after coma with supratentorial lesions (i.e., "classical NDEs"). Compared to "classical NDEs", "LIS NDEs" less frequently experienced a feeling of peacefulness or well-being. It could be hypothesized that NDEs containing less positive emotions might have a specific neuroanatomical substrate related to impaired pontine/paralimbic connectivity or alternatively might be related to the emotional distress caused by the presence of conscious awareness in a paralyzed body.