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In theVajrayana tradition[1] ofTibetan Buddhism,tukdam (Standard Tibetan:ཐུགས་དམ,Wylie:thugs dam) is ameditative state said to occur after clinical death, in which the body shows minimal signs of decomposition, retaining a lifelike appearance for days or even weeks. Practitioners are believed by Buddhists to be in a profound state ofmeditation,[2] merging their consciousness with theClear Light.[3] Buddhist tradition considers thattukdam is available to all people, but only the expert practitioners of meditation, when dying, can recognize it and use it for spiritual purposes.[4]
Practitioners believe that one's consciousness can remain in a meditative state known as the "Clear Light Stage" after death.[5][6] A person is claimed to exist in this state anywhere from a minute to weeks, depending on the level of theirrealization,[1] but only expert practitioners of meditation, when dying, can recognize it and use it for spiritual purposes.[4] AsSogyal Rinpoche describes it inThe Tibetan Book of Living and Dying:[7]
A realized practitioner continues to abide by the recognition of the nature of mind at the moment of death, and awakens into theGround Luminosity when it manifests. He or she may even remain in that state for a number of days. Some practitioners and masters die sitting upright in that state for a number of days. Some practitioners and masters die sitting upright in meditation posture, and others in the "posture of the sleeping lion". Besides their perfect poise, there will be other signs that show they are resting in the state of the Ground Luminosity: There is still a certain color and glow in their face, the nose does not sink inward, the skin remains soft and flexible, the body does not become stiff, the eyes are said to keep a soft and compassionate glow, and there is still a warmth at the heart. Great care is taken that the master's body is not touched, and silence is maintained until he or she has arisen from this state of meditation.
The appearance of people that enteredtukdam, intantric view,[1] is described as "radiant", with the skin maintaining its softness and elasticity. Exit is manifested by the body beginning to decompose.[4]
A 2021 study, usingelectroencephalograhy, did not detect any brain activity in clinically deadtukdam when examined in the days after death.[4]
Tukdam is rarely mentioned explicitly in the canon texts of Tibetan Buddhism.[8] It holds profound cultural and religious significance within Tibetan Buddhism. It is viewed as a manifestation of a practitioner's mastery over the mind and the death process.[9]
In Tibetan Buddhism, death is not seen as an end but a transition. The state oftukdam represents an advanced level of spiritual attainment where the practitioner's consciousness remains in meditation after clinical death, merging into the Clear Light orGround Luminosity. This concept is extensively discussed in Tibetan texts such asThe Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. Rinpoche writes that a realized practitioner recognizes the nature of mind at the moment of death and awakens into the Ground Luminosity, remaining in that state for several days.[10] The body is typically not disturbed or moved until signs oftukdam have ceased, reflecting the belief that the consciousness is still present and active.[10]
Books such asDeath and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism, byLati Rinpoche andJeffrey Hopkins,[11] andMind Beyond Death, byDzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche,[12] further explore the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings oftukdam. Additionally, scholarly research and personal accounts oftukdam, as compiled inTestimonies of Tibetan Tulkus: A Research Among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile by Dieter Bärlocher,[13] document the experiences and teachings of those who are believed to have attained this state.
The tradition became more popular amongTibetan exiles after the14th Dalai Lama's call for scientific research into the matter.[1]
In Russia, a prominent case often associated with thetukdam phenomenon is that ofDashi-Dorzho Itigilov. Following his exhumation in 2002, forensic analysis was conducted by Victor Zvyagin of the Federal Center of Forensic Medicine. The examination concluded that the body's tissues were soft and joints mobile, lacking signs of embalming or typical decay. However, since January 2005, the Buddhist authorities have suspended all further biomedical research on the body, limiting the availability of updated scientific data.
The tradition became a subject of scientific interest following the 14th Dalai Lama's ongoing engagement with scientists, leading to formal studies by the University of Wisconsin–Madison (approved in 2013) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (initiated in 2019).
In 2021, a study published inFrontiers in Psychology examined the electrical brain activity of 13 advanced practitioners in the state oftukdam. Using mobile electroencephalography (EEG) units, researchers sought to detect residual neural activity after clinical death. The study concluded that there was no detectable EEG activity distinct from the control group of deceased individuals who were not practitioners.[14]
In May 2024, a team of researchers published the first forensic case report documenting the physical state of bodies intukdam in a peer-reviewed journal. The study, published inForensic Science International: Reports, was conducted by a multidisciplinary team including forensic anthropologists and neurophysiologists from the United States and Russia, in collaboration with Tibetan monastic communities in India.[15]
The researchers observed two cases of deceased monks in a controlled indoor setting in India. Despite environmental conditions that typically accelerate decomposition (temperatures between 20–25°C and relative humidity ranging from 40% to over 70%), the bodies exhibited "attenuated decomposition." Specifically, the study documented a delay in the onset of expected putrefactive changes (such as bloating, odor, and skin discoloration) for a period of 19 and 31 days postmortem, respectively. The observation utilized standardized forensic methods, including Munsell color charts to objectively score skin color changes, noting a distinct "plateau" in the decomposition process that deviated from standard forensic models for those climatic conditions.[15]
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