更新日期:2008/09/19 04:09
〔編譯鄭寺音／綜合報導〕未來三年內，二十五家美國與英國醫院的醫師，將觀察一千五百名瀕死後生還的病患，是否會在沒有心跳或腦部活動的情況下，體驗到所謂的「靈魂出竅」。
圖1. Contrary to popular perception, death is not a specific moment, scientists say. It is a process that begins when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working and the brain ceases functioning.
一些人從鬼門關繞過一回後，訴說自己看到隧道或亮光的經驗；也有人說自己飛到天花板邊，從上俯看著為他們急救的醫療人員。
這項由英國南安普頓大學（Southampton University）統合的大型研究（The AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study），將在英、美兩國的二十五家醫院進行，研究內容包括將圖片放在架子頂端，除非從上往下看，否則看不到這些圖片等。
主持這項研究的 Sam Parnia 博士說：「如果可以證明腦部停止運作之後還有意識，意識就可能是分開的實體；如果沒人能看到這些圖片，就顯示這些經驗不過是幻覺，或者是錯誤的記憶。」
圖2. Near-Death Experiences
Parnia 平時在加護病房工作，從日常工作經驗中，他了解到科學對瀕死經驗的探索並不徹底。與一般觀念相左的是，死亡並非某個特定的時間點，而是從心臟停止跳動、肺部功能停止、腦部停止運轉開始的一段過程，這段時間可能持續幾秒鐘到一小時以上，急救人員在這段時間內試著恢復病患心跳，讓病患起死回生。
Parnia 將在這一千五百名病患經歷所謂的「心跳停止（cardiac arrest）」階段時，分析他們的腦部活動，並觀察他們是否能回想起放在架子上的圖片，藉此證實這段時間內他們真的曾有靈魂出竅的經驗。
原始報導：
瀕死靈魂出竅！英美實地測驗
站內連結：
1. 科學，就是醬：30 分鐘的 CPR 訓練與耗費數小時的訓練同樣有效率
原文新聞報導：
World's Largest-ever Study Of Near-Death Experiences
ScienceDaily (Sep. 10, 2008) — The University of Southampton is launching the world's largest-ever study of near-death experiences this week.
圖3. Sceintists will see if consciousness continues after brain death.
The AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study is to be launched by the Human Consciousness Project of the University of Southampton - an international collaboration of scientists and physicians who have joined forces to study the human brain, consciousness and clinical death.
圖4. 帶領研究小組執行瀕死經驗研究的 Sam Parnia 博士
圖5. 瀕死經驗研究小組中的另一位共同執行者 Peter Fenwick 博士
圖6. 瀕死經驗研究小組中的另一位共同執行者 Peter Fenwick 博士
圖7. 瀕死經驗研究小組中的另一位共同執行者 Robert Peveler 教授
The study is led by Dr Sam Parnia, an expert in the field of consciousness during clinical death, together with Dr Peter Fenwick and Professors Stephen Holgate and Robert Peveler of the University of Southampton. Following a successful 18-month pilot phase at selected hospitals in the UK, the study is now being expanded to include other centres within the UK, mainland Europe and North America.
"Contrary to popular perception," Dr Parnia explains, "death is not a specific moment. It is a process that begins when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working and the brain ceases functioning - a medical condition termed cardiac arrest, which from a biological viewpoint is synonymous with clinical death.
"During a cardiac arrest, all three criteria of death are present. There then follows a period of time, which may last from a few seconds to an hour or more, in which emergency medical efforts may succeed in restarting the heart and reversing the dying process. What people experience during this period of cardiac arrest provides a unique window of understanding into what we are all likely to experience during the dying process."
A number of recent scientific studies carried out by independent researchers have demonstrated that 10-20 per cent of people who go through cardiac arrest and clinical death report lucid, well structured thought processes, reasoning, memories and sometimes detailed recall of events during their encounter with death.
During the AWARE study, doctors will use sophisticated technology to study the brain and consciousness during cardiac arrest. At the same time, they will test the validity of out of body experiences and claims of being able to 'see' and 'hear' during cardiac arrest.
The AWARE study will be complemented by the BRAIN-1 (Brain Resuscitation Advancement International Network - 1) study, in which the research team will conduct a variety of physiological tests in cardiac arrest patients, as well as cerebral monitoring techniques that aim to identify methods to improve the medical and psychological care of patients who have undergone cardiac arrest.
Dr Parnia will formally announce the launch of the AWARE study at an international symposium to be held at the United Nations on September 11.
原文報導出處：
ScienceDaily：World's Largest-ever Study Of Near-Death Experiences