The Tibetan book of the dead: Its history and controversial aspects of its contents.
Journal of Near-Death Studies 2011 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2011-29-3-p373-398. (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative literature review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Afterlife Context archaeology Spirituality Literature |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Features of the death and dying process reported in the Tibetan Book of the Dead are inconsistent with those reported in four other categories of firsthand accounts, likely due to the Dzokchen tradition's idiosyncratic concepts. |
Abstract
In recent decades, the Tibetan Book of the Dead (TBD) has attracted much attention from Westerners interested in Eastern spirituality and has been discussed in the literature on dying and near-death experiences. However, the history of the TBD has practically been ignored in that literature up to now. This history has been elaborated in detail by Tibetologist Bryan Cuevas (2003). To bring this history to the attention of scholars in the field of near-death studies, I present in this paper a summary of the TBD's development based primarily on the work of Cuevas (2003). The summary shows that the TBD was gradually elaborated within a specific Tibetan Buddhist context, the Dzokchen tradition. In comparing features of first-hand reports of the death and dying process as reported in the TBD with those reported in four other categories -- Tibetan délok, near-death experiencers, mediums, and children who remember previous lives -- I find that some features are consistent but that other key features are not. Because it seems likely that inconsistent features of the TBD reflect idiosyncratic dying and afterlife concepts of the Dzokchen tradition, scholars in the field of near-death studies and others should be careful about adopting the contents of the TBD without question.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Zen Meditation for Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Psychological Distress | 2012 | Review | |
| Measuring mindfulness | 2011 | Review | |
| The Influence of Buddhist Meditation Traditions on the Autonomic System and Attention | 2015 | Review | |
| Seeking the Sacred with Psychoactive Substances | 2014 | Review | |
| Positive Psychology and Buddhism | 2023 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Near-death and out-of-body experiences in a Melanesian society. Journal of Near-Death Studies 1983
- Near-death experiences in Thailand. Journal of Near-Death Studies 2001
- Kongo near-death experiences: Cross-cultural patterns. Journal of Near-Death Studies 2006
- The reimagination of death: Dream, yoga, near-death, and clear light. Journal of Near-Death Studies 2004
- Views from Tibet: NDEs and the Book of the dead. Journal of Near-Death Studies 1985
and 3 more in the library