Support the Tukdam Project

The Tukdam Project relies on generous contributions from donors. By making a gift to the Tukdam Project today, you will help support the following goals:

Outreach

The team cultivates relationships in the Tibetan monastic and lay community to facilitate communication and understanding regarding tukdam cases and their importance for scientific study. Donations will support these outreach activities including facilitating strong community networks to engage the research.
Increase Public Awareness

Regular activities increase awareness in the Tibetan community and wider global public about the Tukdam state and meditation effects on the life course and dying process. Donations will support these activities including public and academic talks, workshops, website, media, and social media engagements.
Support the Research

The study conducts research across several domains — neurophysiology, human biology, microbiome, metabolomics and forensics. Donations will directly support the equipment, supplies, data collection, analysis, and publishing expenses.
Monastic Research Trainings

The science team convenes regular trainings on neurophysiology, human biology, microbiome, metabolomics and forensics. Donations will directly support the materials, venues and workshop expenses.
Secure the Next Generation of Scientists

Several of our monastic researchers have simultaneously completed their traditional Buddhist training and are currently pursuing Bachelors, Masters and PhDs at the university level. Donations will directly support their education expenses.

"In Western medicine, death is conceptualized in a binary state – either you’re alive in one moment or dead in another. Yet biological processes don’t work in a simple on-off way. They are more graded. We hope this research catalyzes a conversation around the process of dying and raises questions about dying as a process and not a binary switch."

— Dr. Richard Davidson, PI of Tukdam Project; Founder-Director, Center for Healthy Minds, UW-Madison
"If scientists are able to provide evidence of those who are in tukdam, there will be greater attention among the youth to Buddhism and a regeneration of confidence, faith and joyous effort for Buddhist practice. I hope that it will also provide an even greater exemplar of what a mind filled with peaceful joy and ease looks like for our society."

- Dr. Tsewang Tamdin, Chief Medical Officer, Men-Tsee-Khang (Sowa-Rigpa) Institute
"Tukdam is difficult to study because it is a sensitive cultural phenomenon that requires the community to accept and trust the research team. It is also challenging to make early observations because tukdam is not typically reported until three days after death when it is considered a definitive state. However, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave the project team permission to make observations as early as the attendants or family say it is okay to do so, and the team is careful to use a high degree of cultural sensitivity in making observations."

— Dr. Tawni Tidwell, PI of Tukdam Project; Research Assistant Professor, Center for Healthy Minds, UW-Madison
"We are learning a significant amount about the external factors driving decomposition (e.g., temperature, humidity and insects), but we know relatively little about the internal factors (e.g., microbial activity). The tukdam phenomenon is unique and has the potential to greatly add to our understanding of the pattern and rate of the decomposition process."

— Dr. Diane L. France, Forensic Anthropologist and Director of the Human Identification Laboratory of Colorado
"From the Tibetan Buddhist perspective, anyone has the opportunity to recognize the nature of mind and enter this state. However, the individuals who achieve such a state tend to be those who lived a life of renunciation and committed themselves to a lifetime of meditative practice that allows them to use the particular context of the dying state to gain realization and exhibit these rare external signs."

— Geshe Ngawang Norbu, Associate Director of Tukdam Project; Secretary of Buddhist Institute
"Because Buddhist practitioners view the dying state with reverence and as a critical physiological opportunity of the coarse body to disassociate from the subtle mind, a process they have been rehearsing through a variety of practice techniques throughout their lives, they are able to manifest signs at the time of death indicative of their achievement. Their lack of fear in entering the dying state and, instead, their compassionate resolve that realization in such a state will allow them to bring greater benefit to sentient beings in the next reincarnation is a key context for their capacity at this critical transitional time."

— Geshe Lodoe Sangpo, Associate Director of Tukdam Project; Science Director of Gaden Jangtse Monastic University
"It’s important to build trust and relationships with tukdam practitioners and their students, given that the moment of death is for them a unique opportunity to achieve enlightenment and liberation. We have been immensely careful to not infringe upon that opportunity."

— Dr. Dylan Lott, former Project Manager of Tukdam Project; Honorary Fellow of CHM, UW-Madison
"We hope this research catalyzes a conversation around the process of dying and raises questions about dying as a process and not a binary switch."

— Dr. Richard Davidson, PI of Tukdam Project; Founder-Director, Center for Healthy Minds, UW-Madison
"Our study draws attention to the different cultural approaches to the dying process and how we can best support communities of all different cultures in their own practices of caring for their loved ones during the dying transition and post-death process."

— Dr. Tawni Tidwell, PI of Tukdam Project; Research Assistant Professor, Center for Healthy Minds, UW-Madison
"To die is such an essential part of life. But we know almost nothing about the dying brain."

— Dr. Jimo Borjigin, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Weil Institute for Critical Care Research, University of Michigan Medical School

Support the Tukdam Project

Outreach

Increase Public Awareness

Support the Research

Monastic Research Trainings

Secure the Next Generation of Scientists

"It’s important to build trust and relationships with tukdam practitioners and their students, given that the moment of death is for them a unique opportunity to achieve enlightenment and liberation. We have been immensely careful to not infringe upon that opportunity."

"We hope this research catalyzes a conversation around the process of dying and raises questions about dying as a process and not a binary switch."

"Our study draws attention to the different cultural approaches to the dying process and how we can best support communities of all different cultures in their own practices of caring for their loved ones during the dying transition and post-death process."

"To die is such an essential part of life. But we know almost nothing about the dying brain."