Presence in Death

Summary

While the non-decaying tukdam body signifies the presence of consciousness for Tibetans, this is not obvious from a biophysical scientific perspective. Indeed, the Center for Healthy Minds has been looking for possible residual activity in the brainstem—a primitive part of the brain not thought to be involved in consciousness—as a factor contributing to the unusual integration of the bodies. In 2021, the research team published a null-finding stating they had not found any activity in the brain so far. Compelled to operate within a biophysical paradigm, scientists are also interested in possible changes to cell metabolism and breakdown, brought about by years of meditation practice, as perhaps contributing to the pristine postmortem state of tukdam bodies. But taking samples from the bodies has so far been out of the question due to cultural sensitivity and the sacredness of these deaths. Tibetans are concerned that invasive procedures could disturb the postmortem meditative state and the potential it carries for spiritual liberation and achieving a good rebirth. An exchange from Tukdam: Between Worlds illustrates some of the tensions and cross-purposes with which the scientists and Tibetan parties have been operating, although there have been developments in the research and collaboration since the time of shooting in 2019 to early 2020. The scene shows a meeting where Dr. Dylan Lott, who was then the Tukdam Project manager in India, presents the current state of the research and its findings to Tibetan project collaborators. The Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Dr. Tsetan Dorji Sadutshang, expresses frustration over the lack of results from years of research and what he sees as a misguided approach to explain tukdam in neuroscientific terms. According to the Tibetan view, something far more subtle than the “gross” mind related to the brain and senses is responsible for the physical signs of tukdam. Dr. Tsetan: To me, from my understanding of His Holiness’ hope fro...