Meditative state post death possible?

In a first scientific evidence, Russian scientists have demonstrated that the body of a person in the rare spiritual meditative state of 'thukdam' is in a quite different state from the body of someone undergoing the ordinary process of death.

The scientists have established research laboratories in the Tibetan settlements in Bylakuppe and Mundgod in Karnataka where they have examined 104 monks in meditation. They are carrying out a project of research into 'thukdam', the phenomenon that sometimes occurs when an accomplished meditator dies and their subtle consciousness remains in the body, even after clinical death.

Recently the scientists were able to observe a monk who was in 'thukdam' for 37 days at Gyuto Monastery. They invited a forensic physician to examine the physical body at various stages after death.

These facts came to light in a virtual conversation between Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and Professor Svyatoslav Medvedev of the Russian Academy of Sciences and founder of the Institute of the Human Brainy. On query of Professor Medvedev that what value the study of 'thukdam' could have for humanity in general, the spiritual leader replied Tibetan Buddhists believe that people go through a process of dissolution in the course of death. Once some accomplished meditators cease breathing, the process of dissolution they go through includes three visions - whitish appearance, reddish increase and black near attainment.

In the course of these three stages 80 different conceptions dissolve, 33 during the vision of whitish appearance, 40 during reddish increase and finally seven during the stage of black near attainment. He said, "We need to undertake more research and investigate more cases of 'thukdam' to establish whether the visions are associated with dissolution of the coarser elements. Since it is observed that the body of a person going through this process can remain warm, it may be that the dissolution of the earth, water and fire elements do not coincide with the three visions."

"When an ordinary person dies, there is dissolution of the elements. Buddhists believe that beings go through past and future lives, so there is some bearing on this too. My own senior tutor Ling Rinpoche remained in 'thukdam' for 13 days. Recently, a monk at Kirti Monastery remained in this state for 37 days. This is an observable reality, which we need to be able to explain."There is evidence to see and measure. We can also find a detailed explanation of the inner subjective experience of the process of death in the Guhyasamaja Tantra texts. I hope scientists can take all this into account and come up with an explanation," His Holiness said.

Professor Alexander Kaplan, Head of the Laboratory for Neurophysiology and Neuro-Computer Interfaces, Moscow State University (MSU), asked what Buddhist ideas could help Western scientists to understand the workings of the brain. At this, the elderly Buddhist monk replied that in the past, modern science as it had developed in the West had tended to focus on external phenomena, things that can be seen and measured.