<p>I think it happens to the one who is fully dedicated to the holly book n concentrate on Buddha which I can give example of our lama who died last week n he is still in thukdam now </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-15T07:40:38.387Z
2016-09-15T07:40:38.387Z
Lhakpa bhuti
<p>Tukdam is a state of meditation that is practiced by highly realized masters of Buddhism. They do go into a near death state that is called Ground Luminosity, generally for 3-4 days. They neither eat nor drink during this time, and are not moved or touched until they arise on there own. Then at the time a master senses his own death is eminent, he will enage in this meditation until death, at which point the body is left undisturbed for three days, so that the consciousness can fully exit the body.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-15T19:15:50.893Z
Good explanation.  A relevant study may also be the Jhanas, and the _neither-perception-nor-non-perception_ absorption, which is not liberative, but can suspend.
sova
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-03T14:26:10.753Z
2016-05-03T14:26:10.753Z
Bonnie Topits
<p>I was reading an article in National Geographic about death, in which there was a brief reference to "thukdam". This was described as a form of meditation that takes place in India, during which monks meditate for a week or more with no biological processes occurring in their bodies (essentially, their bodies are dead), and then come out of the meditation with no apparent consequences. What is this meditation and could someone provide references for further info?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-02T15:59:28.217Z
See also [Meditating dead monks](http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/8787/254).
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-02T18:23:14.577Z
An article on the topic: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=22935
Ryan
<reference-request><terminology><meditation-classification>
What is "thukdam"?
# What is "thukdam"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-02)

I was reading an article in National Geographic about death, in which there was a brief reference to "thukdam". This was described as a form of meditation that takes place in India, during which monks meditate for a week or more with no biological processes occurring in their bodies (essentially, their bodies are dead), and then come out of the meditation with no apparent consequences. What is this meditation and could someone provide references for further info?

Thanks

**Tags:** reference-request, terminology, meditation-classification

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See also [Meditating dead monks](http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/8787/254).  
> **username_2**: An article on the topic: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=22935  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-05-03. Score: 4

Tukdam is a state of meditation that is practiced by highly realized masters of Buddhism. They do go into a near death state that is called Ground Luminosity, generally for 3-4 days. They neither eat nor drink during this time, and are not moved or touched until they arise on there own. Then at the time a master senses his own death is eminent, he will enage in this meditation until death, at which point the body is left undisturbed for three days, so that the consciousness can fully exit the body.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Good explanation.  A relevant study may also be the Jhanas, and the _neither-perception-nor-non-perception_ absorption, which is not liberative, but can suspend.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2016-09-15. Score: 2

I think it happens to the one who is fully dedicated to the holly book n concentrate on Buddha which I can give example of our lama who died last week n he is still in thukdam now


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