Tukdam: Between Worlds

Is it possible to die in a consciously controlled way? The Tibetan Buddhist tradition of tukdam, a practice of meditating at the deepest level of consciousness right before death, has been shown to delay rigor mortis and other postmortem decay for days or even weeks. The bodies of those in tukdam remain warm and in the meditation position even after they are declared medically dead. Through interviews with Western scientists, Tibetan medical professionals, the Dalai Lama, and respected bhikkhus, Coleman’s fascinating documentary explores current research into the practice, in which the cessation of brain function, breathing, and heart activity is not necessarily life’s clear-cut end but instead a pliant threshold.