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TUKDAM: BETWEEN WORLDS, directed by Donaugh Coleman.
FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION AND Q&A WITH ANDREW HOLECEK AND DAN HIRSHBERG
Most of us think of death as something clear-cut, and that medical science has it neatly figured out. This feature documentary explodes such assumptions through its exploration of a phenomenon that blurs life and death to an unprecedented degree. In what Tibetan Buddhist call tukdam, advanced meditators die in a consciously controlled manner. Following ground-breaking American scientific research into tukdam and taking us into intimate death stories of Tibetan meditators, the film juxtaposes scientific and Tibetan perspectives as it tries to unravel the mystery of tukdam.
In what Tibetans call tukdam, deceased meditators show no signs of death for days or even weeks. Juxtaposing ground-breaking scientific research and Tibetan perspectives, this creative documentary challenges our notions of life and death, and where we draw the line between them.
Nepal /2022/English/91 min/documentary
Andrew Holecek
Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. He is the founder of the Preparing to Die Program, and the author of many books, including Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom From the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. His most recent book is Reverse Meditation: How to Use Your Pain and Most Difficult Emotions as the Doorway to Inner Freedom. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the author of scientific papers on lucid dreaming. His work has appeared in Psychology Today, Parabola, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Utne Reader, Buddhadharma Magazine, Light of Consciousness, and many other periodicals. He also hosts the popular Edge of Mind podcast, and is the founder of the international Night Club community, a support platform for the nocturnal meditations. He holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. Learn more at andrewholecek.com.
Dan Hirshberg
Dan Hirshberg, Ph.D. is an Instructor for the Center for Asian Studies and the Tibet Himalaya Initiative at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Much of his research centers on cultural memory, the narrative of Tibet’s 8th ce. conversion to Buddhism, and the apotheosis of its catalyst, Guru Padmasambhava, in both literature and iconography. The former is the focus of his monograph, Remembering the Lotus-Born (Wisdom Publications, 2016). Dan has held year-long fellowships at UC Santa Barbara, LMU Munich, and UVa’s Contemplative Sciences Center. Before returning to Boulder, he was associate professor of Asian religions at the University of Mary Washington, where he founded one of the first Contemplative Studies programs for undergrads, established a Japanese-style garden, and led study abroad programs to Nepal and Japan. He also serves as Editor and Chair of the Journal of the North American Japanese Garden Association.
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