One thing that happens to all bodies naturally is that they decompose when the cells are deprived of oxygen. A body left at room temperature for a few days will start to putrefy. The associated smell and body discolouration, as blood settles in the lower parts of the body, are clear signs the body has died. In some cultures, this is just the start of a process of dying.

The Torajan people of Indonesia delay the process of decay by embalming their dead and placing them in special houses for many months, even years. During this time the dead person is still considered to be alive, but ill, and requires food and clothing.

Many different societies have practiced 'sky burial' where bodies are left on platforms to be eaten by birds such as vultures. Only after the flesh has gone can the remains be properly buried and set free from the world of the living.