Chinese psychiatrists are using near-death experiences of victims of the mammoth earthquake in Tangshan 30 years ago to help people through similar traumas today.
They believe the experiences of survivors of the quake, which claimed 240,000 lives and razed the city of 1.3 million, are helpful for disaster relief efforts and for those with failed suicide attempts.
Professor feng Zhiying, a psychiatrist who has specialized in NDE research for nearly 20 years, has begun, with his colleagues, to put their research findings into clinical use.
They questioned 81 survivors - 43 male and 38 female - from the Tangshan earthquake, in which 164,000 people were seriously injured, including 3,817 who became paraplegics.
Seventy-six of those studied were paraplegic.
Feng said it was the biggest study of its kind and had many practical applications.
People threatened by death in natural disasters or accidents were easily frightened and panicked, which would drain their energy and worsen their condition.
Nde could be used to train people on what to expect in a disaster and help those suffering from a major physical trauma to conserve energy until rescue arrived, Feng said.
In psychiatric treatment, pictures and letters about near-death experiences could help those with suicidal ideas or failed suicide attempts see new value in life, Feng noted.
Knowledge about NDE-influenced character changes would be helpful for treating related psychological problems, he added.
Comparing their NDE study with those made abroad, Feng and his colleagues found that religious and non-religious people had similar near-death experiences.
Feng cited the case of a 23-year-old girl surnamed Liu, who was paralyzed when her house collapsed in the quake.
She described her near-death experience: "When I was buried under the house, my thoughts were very clear and sped up. Joyful memories flashed through, including laughing and joking with my friends as a child, affectionate moments with my boyfriend and receiving awards in my factory."
Analytical findings show half of those surveyed had flashbacks of their pasts when they approached death.
Meanwhile, nearly half had the feeling that their consciousness had separated from their bodies. Around one third of those questioned said it seemed that they were walking in a noisy pit or tunnel, being squeezed or hauled.