Liu Lixia, 36, from Xuhe Township in Dongtai, Jiangsu Province.
After reading several of Li Hongzhi's books on Falun Gong and listening to his tapes in December 1998, Liu began to believe in Li's "theory." She thought that she would become an immortal after practicing Falun Gong and would not die but enjoy eternal life in another realm. She also said that Li Hongzhi warned people that the Earth was to explode soon and there would not be enough time for her to practice. So in order to become an immortal, she started to practice in December 1998 day and night, refusing to do anything else. She even insisted that she and her husband sleep in separate beds, claiming that sleeping together was what common people did. By March 1993, Liu had a mental breakdown. She attempted to commit suicide by taking poison, but was fortunately saved. She was sent to the No. 3 People's Hospital of Dongtai for treatment on April 12, and the medical diagnoses showed that she was suffering psychiatric dysfunction resulting from practicing Falun Gong.
