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In the Vajrayana tradition[1] of Tibetan Buddhism, tukdam (Tibetan: ཐུགས་དམ, Wylie: thugs dam་) is a meditative state said to occur after clinical death, and in which the body shows apparent minimal signs of decomposition, retaining a lifelike appearance for days or even weeks. Practitioners are believed by Buddhists to be in a profound state of meditation,[2] merging their consciousness with the Clear Light, a fundamental concept in Tibetan Buddhism signifying the primordial nature of mind and reality.[3] Buddhist tradition considers that the tukdam is available to all people, but only the expert practitioners of meditation, when dying, can recognize it and use for spiritual purposes.[2] The tradition became more popular among Tibetan exiles after the 14th Dalai Lama's call for the scientific research of the matter.[1]
- ^ a b Lott 2023.
- ^ a b Lott et al. 2021.
- ^ Donough Coleman, interviewed in Tricycle (2024).