The Tukdam Project, led by neuroscientist Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studies Tibetan Buddhist meditators who die in a state called tukdam. Their bodies remain lifelike for days or weeks after clinical death, defying standard decomposition. This multidisciplinary research, initiated by the Dalai Lama, involves Tibetan medical and scientific collaborators from India, Russia, and the U.S.

Tibetans believe tukdam signifies a subtle consciousness persisting beyond brain death, while scientists seek biophysical explanations like residual brainstem activity or metabolic changes from meditation. However, invasive sampling is culturally prohibited, limiting research to non-invasive methods. The project highlights a fundamental tension: spiritual frameworks seeking proof of consciousness versus scientific paradigms requiring measurable, physical evidence.

Recent findings have been null; a 2021 study found no detectable brain activity. Yet the tradition offers its own criteria for ending tukdam, such as ringing a bell, which some interpret as the body responding to cues. This ongoing dialogue between neuroscience and Tibetan Buddhism pushes the boundaries of how we define death and consciousness, with practical implications for end-of-life care and our understanding of the mind-body relationship.