8. Self-Mummification (Sokushinbutsu, Japan)
Sokushinbutsu was a remarkable and grueling death ritual practiced by certain Buddhist monks in Japan. Through years of strict fasting, meditation, and consuming preservative-rich diets, monks would ultimately mummify themselves alive in pursuit of enlightenment and veneration. Though now banned, these self-mummified monks are revered as spiritual icons and their legacy endures as a unique chapter in Japanese religious history. Learn more
