Death has always had a marketing problem. The debilitating(令人衰弱的) terror it induces has been linked to everything from money hoarding(囤积) to workaholism(工作狂). And worrying about death—thanatophobia(死亡恐惧症) for the pub quizzers—can even be self-fulfilling(自我应验的). Anxiety can double the risk of death in patients with heart disease and cause others to avoid screening tests most likely to catch cancer early.(焦虑会使心脏病患者的死亡风险翻倍，还会让其他人逃避最有可能早期发现癌症的筛查测试。)
死亡一直存在一个“营销难题”。它所引发的令人衰弱的恐惧，与从囤积金钱到工作狂等各种行为都有关联。而对死亡的担忧——酒吧问答爱好者称之为“死亡恐惧症”——甚至可能自我应验。焦虑会使心脏病患者的死亡风险翻倍，还会让其他人逃避最有可能早期发现癌症的筛查测试。
So all credit to the brave folk in Australia who signed up for a quick practice kick of the bucket(踢水桶（指死亡）)—experiencing a cardiac arrest(心脏骤停) and out-of-body journey(灵魂出窍之旅) in virtual reality (VR). The ten-minute VR experience, “Passing Electrical Storms” by Shaun Gladwell, was shown at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2023. Visitors lay on a bed that initially vibrated with their heartbeat, while wearing a VR headset showing them on a table in the gallery.(参观者躺在一张最初随心跳振动的床上，同时戴着VR头显，看到自己躺在美术馆的一张桌子上。) The simulation(模拟) then takes over(接管，控制): as their heart rate seemingly crashes, the volunteers watch doctors try and fail to resuscitate(使复苏，抢救) them. After brain death, they then see themselves leave their body and appear to float through the universe before shrinking(缩小) inside cells and atoms. Six large fans provide the associated cooling effects.
所以，要感谢那些勇敢的澳大利亚人，他们报名参加了一次“踢水桶”的快速练习——在虚拟现实（VR）中体验心脏骤停和灵魂出窍。这个名为《过电风暴》的十分钟VR体验由肖恩·格拉德威尔创作，于2023年在维多利亚国家美术馆展出。参观者躺在一张最初随心跳振动的床上，同时戴着VR头显，看到自己躺在美术馆的一张桌子上。随后模拟接管：当他们的心率似乎骤降时，志愿者看着医生试图抢救他们却失败。脑死亡后，他们看到自己离开身体，似乎漂浮穿过宇宙，然后缩小进入细胞和原子内部。六台大风扇提供相应的冷却效果。
Participants’ reactions to the experience were analysed by researchers before being published in a journal in June. Most participants found it a pleasant trip, and many emerged(变得，显现) less anxious about death. “If death is as simple as that, I’d be very happy,” a volunteer told the research team, led by Stefan Greuter, a design technologist at Australia’s RMIT University.(“如果死亡就这么简单，我会非常开心，”一位志愿者告诉由澳大利亚皇家墨尔本理工大学设计技术专家斯特凡·格罗伊特领导的研究团队。) Another compared the experience to yoga. One participant, brought up to believe in hell, admitted to being relieved(如释重负的).
研究人员分析了参与者对这次体验的反应，并于六月发表在期刊上。大多数参与者觉得这是一次愉快的旅程，许多人之后对死亡的焦虑减轻了。“如果死亡就这么简单，我会非常开心，”一位志愿者告诉由澳大利亚皇家墨尔本理工大学设计技术专家斯特凡·格罗伊特领导的研究团队。另一位将这次体验比作瑜伽。一位从小被教导相信地狱存在的参与者承认自己感到如释重负。