When someone dies among the Toraja, an ethnic group in Indonesia, the body is conserved with formaldehyde and kept at home, where it will be fed and tended by the family. The deceased is not considered to be dead: they are “ill” or “asleep” and are believed to sense their surroundings.<sup>1</sup><br><br>Although death itself is universally understood, the point where life ends and death begins is not as equally well-defined. Even medical and legal classifications of those who are brain-dead can differ markedly.<sup>2</sup><br><br>Amongst the Toraja, life continues to extend beyond conventional death. This in-between status of “feverish illness” will last until the funeral ceremony is performed. The soul of the dead remains in the area until the ceremony is completed, when it will progress to the afterworld. The preparations for these elaborate rites can be lengthy and expensive, depending on the family’s economic circumstances, the need for relatives to arrive from afar or the awaiting of an auspicious time. Consequently, the deceased remains a part of the living community in this conserved state for weeks, months, and sometimes even years, after their “death”.<sup>3</sup><br><br>Torajan beliefs about the boundaries between life and death show how death is culturally defined.<sup>4</sup> Whilst in many cultures clinical death is the defining boundary, in their case it is the performing of the funeral ceremony that helps them transition to death. In the meanwhile, the dead will be kept at home, well conserved, receiving visitors bearing gifts, while their soul remains in the vicinity. <br><br>