The idea that the soul remains in the body for three days after death is an ancient belief found in various cultures and religions.

Some spiritual traditions say that during this time, the soul adjusts to its departure, observes what’s happening around it, and says goodbye to loved ones. But what does science have to say about this? Is there any evidence of consciousness after death?

Let’s take a look at both the spiritual perspective and the latest scientific findings on what happens in the moments following death.

The “3 Days” Belief: A Spiritual Transition

Many traditions believe the soul needs a transition period to fully detach from the physical body:

• In Tibetan Buddhism, there’s the concept of the bardo, an intermediate state that can last up to 49 days, with the first few days being crucial for the soul to realize it has died.
• In Judaism, it’s believed that the soul stays near the body for three days before beginning its journey to the afterlife.
• In some Latin American folk beliefs, people say “the soul doesn’t know it has died” and lingers near the living for a short time, especially after sudden deaths.

Though symbolic, these interpretations share a common theme: the soul needs time to detach and accept its new state.

What Does Science Say About Consciousness After Death?

Science doesn’t address the “soul” as a spiritual entity, but it has begun to explore what happens to consciousness and brain activity after cardiac arrest. And the findings are surprising:

1. Consciousness Can Linger for Minutes After Clinical Death

Recent studies have shown that some people who experienced cardiac arrest and were later revived could clearly recall what happened during those moments. They describe watching their bodies from above, hearing voices, or feeling a profound sense of peace. Scientists now refer to these as near-death experiences (NDEs).

2. Brain Activity After Death

In hospital-based studies, researchers have detected flashes of brain activity even minutes after the heart has stopped. This suggests that consciousness—or at least some form of perception—might continue beyond the point at which a person is considered clinically dead.

A 2023 study published in Resuscitation examined cardiac arrest cases and found that some patients displayed a “brain signature associated with conscious perception,” suggesting that something is still happening in the brain that we don’t yet fully understand.

How Does This Connect to the Idea of the Soul?

While science can’t confirm the existence of a “soul,” these findings open the door to reflection: maybe consciousness doesn’t simply shut off the moment the body dies. This fits—at least symbolically—with the belief that the soul takes time to leave.

The three-day idea could be seen as a cultural or spiritual expression of a real, though still mysterious, process of disconnecting between body and consciousness.

Between Faith and Science

The belief that the soul takes three days to depart is part of ancient wisdom aimed at making sense of what happens after death. Science, meanwhile, is beginning to discover that human consciousness is far more complex than previously thought—and perhaps doesn’t vanish instantly.

While there are still no definitive answers, the conversation between spirituality and science remains open. Rather than contradicting one another, these two perspectives may be observing the same phenomenon through different lenses.