An international group of researchers from China, Belgium, and Canada, led by Yan Li, translated the famous Greyson near-death experience scale into Chinese. They noted that interest in this phenomenon is growing worldwide and that the Chinese population should be studied, as China is the world’s most populous country.
Most studies have been conducted in Western Europe or North America, with few studies being conducted in Asian countries. So far, there has been no instrument for identifying and evaluating near-death experiences in China. Two authors from the team chose to independently translate the Greyson scale from English to Chinese, and five other experts evaluated the result.
In traditional Chinese society, the topic of death is taboo. Therefore, the researchers named their questionnaire the “Experience Content Scale.” Other changes were made in accordance with Chinese culture and way of life. For example, the word “thoughts” became “ideas/opinions.” Additionally, all items were formulated affirmatively rather than as questions. The scientists also believed that the Greyson scale overly positively evaluates near-death experiences and added items related to negative emotions. However, the authors made an effort to stay as close as possible to the original and tested the completed scale on a group of near-death experience survivors.
The researchers note that atheism predominates in China, and most of their volunteers are atheists or agnostics. However, when listing known signs of near-death experiences, the authors mention another phase state—the out-of-body experience—as well as such classic experiences as flying through a tunnel towards light, communicating with the deceased and spirits, and experiencing feelings of harmony and unity.
What question would you include in a survey for individuals who have been revived after clinical death?
The article was published in January 2024 in Front. Psychiatry.
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