The Spirit Catches You closes with a neeb ceremony—a Hmong religious ritual meant to bring Lia's soul back to her body after a big seizure leaves her officially brain-dead.
As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings. Fadiman is skeptical at first: the txiv neeb (shaman) is kinda goofy, and the whole solemnity of the thing is diminished a bit because of the cartoonish '80s wrestling bumping from the TV at the same time. As the preparations continue, however, she realizes that "there had been a sea change" due to an "unaccountable feat of sorcery" (19.3). Suddenly this humble apartment has become a temple.
The ritual itself is loaded with symbolism. A pig is sacrificed in Lia's honor after being given "spirit money" symbolizing "Lia's expired life-visa" (19.16). The txiv neeb then falls into a trance, navigating the spirit world to free Lia's soul from her prison. It's some trippy stuff.
Ultimately, this scene shows us what Nao Kao and Foua would've done all along if they'd had their way. Now that we've learned about their religious beliefs—as well as the details of Lia's case—we're able to appreciate this scene without judging it on its scientific merit (yes, we mean lack thereof).
Sure, we don't see what happens to Lia afterwards, and that could make the ending kind of unsatisfying or sad for some readers. After all, we've been following this kid through tons of episodes of the spirit catching her and her falling down—so is she gonna get up again?
But wait. That's not the point. The point is that rituals like the neeb ceremony can have a powerful effect on its participants, whether the magic is "real" or not. So regardless of what happens to Lia, the symbolism of this moment for her family is real, and the healing effect—emotionally, if not physically—is not to be denied. And that's what makes it a temple.