Phowa (འཕོ་བ)

[Whole Brain Emulation (WBE), Sokushinbutsu]

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The Tibetan Buddhist practice of transferring consciousness at the precise moment of death through chanting, concentration, and other ritualized practices. The concept of Phowa has of recently been applied to the burgeoning field of transhumanism - specifically mind uploading, or Whole Brain Emulation (WBE), a controversial technique in which an individual's consciousness is preserved and continued in a non-biological substrate. Phowa is sometimes associated with Sokushinbutsu (即身仏), a process designed to mummify the body while still alive. Sokushinbutsu begins with years of intermittent fasting and extreme physical exertion to remove all body fat. In the final phase, the practitioner enters a small underground tomb where he is buried alive in the lotus position. A bamboo tube is provided for air, and a bell is placed within reach. The monk rings the bell daily to signal that he is still alive. When the bell stops ringing, the tomb is sealed completely. The primary goal of Sokushinbutsu is to exponentially prolong the precise moment of death in order to facilitate the transfer of consciousness and avoid undue time in the Bardo.