The ritual depended on the naturally occurring subspace vacuoles on the Vhnori homeworld, which the Vhnori believed could would transport them to their afterlife, referred to as the Next Emanation. The dying Vhnori were wrapped completely in a ceremonial death shroud and placed in a device known as a cenotaph that would kill them just before a vacuole opened. As part of the ceremonial aspect of the ritual, the soon-to-be deceased's loved ones' would hold their hands against the cenotaph while a speech was given.