Insane Things People Have Done Through History to Achieve Eternal Youth

Man is in an endless pursuit to achieve immortality. For as far as mankind’s written history allows us to recall, humanity has always been fascinated in finding ways to extend our lifespan in the hopes of slowing, if not putting a permanent stop, to our body’s inevitable biological aging process. For some, our attempts at prolonging life is limited to the more conventional method of leading a healthy lifestyle by eating nourishing food, exercising and maintaining a positive and tranquil state of mind. 

However, at several points in our past, we find people who have pushed the boundaries of human creativity and imagination in their attempt to gain eternal youth. From a more scientific standpoint that we have today, some of the lengths these individuals had taken during their lifetime to become immortal are not only deemed as completely misguided but could also be regarded as bordering on insanity.  

And so, for this video, let’s enumerate the insane things people have done throughout history to achieve immortality or eternal youth. 

 

#1 —  Bathing in Sour Donkey Milk

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Cleopatra came to be known in history as the last Ptolemaic queen of Egypt and is arguably the most famous member of the Ptolemaic dynasty’s royal line. But other than her role in the Roman political conflicts that eventually led to the downfall of the last dynasty of ancient Egypt, she also gained renown for her striking beauty and irresistible allure. As to how she managed to retain her youthful and brilliant glow, Cleopatra regularly bathed in sour donkey milk. In the ancient times, the donkey’s milk was used as some kind of chemical peel, as the lactic acid it contains peels off the topmost layer of the human skin. The queen was also believed to be fascinated with using other means to maintain and enhance her physical appearance such as utilizing crocodile feces as a rudimentary form of makeup foundation. 

 

#2 — Drinking the Blood of Gladiators

The Romans were very creative when it came to coming up with various and sometimes revolting concoctions in an attempt to improve their health or extend their lifespan. One example of an unpleasant habit that the Romans largely practiced for centuries is drinking the blood of gladiators. As people who fought to the death for a living, gladiators were highly-regarded for their bravery, strength and vitality. And it was believed that those who would want to inherit a gladiator’s power must drink the warrior’s warm blood in order to consume his essence and soul. In fact, some people who suffered from epilepsy at the time considered the blood of gladiators as an effective cure for their affliction. Their blood was such a hot commodity during this era that people would rush down into the arena and sip a vanquished fighter’s blood straight from his arm or throat to absorb his power. There were also concession stands that made a lucrative living by selling the blood of these gladiators while the blood servings were still warm. 

 

#3 — Consumption of Immortality Pills & Elixirs of Life

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The Western world was not the only civilization interested in finding the answer to attaining eternal youth. Imperial China’s history is also filled with tales of men or groups of people who have dedicated much of their life in concocting immortality pills and elixirs of life that would grant ceaseless existence, be it physical or spiritual. Many Chinese alchemists have dared to make their own formulas of pills and elixirs that could supposedly cease and potentially even reverse the process of human aging. These efforts were largely supported by several emperors as well as members of the noble bloodline who hoped death would not be able to take away their power, influence and legacy. 

The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang, for example, was not just known for being the first ruler to unify China; he was also known for his obsession in finding the key to immortality. He sent people away to look in different parts of his vast empire for a “real” Elixir of Life that would grant him eternal life. He even took immortality pills which were formulated by his alchemists. In the end, the emperor died young at 39 years of age and the most likely cause of his demise was mercury poisoning, perhaps from all the immortality pills he, consumed during his brief life. 

Unfortunately, the dream of living forever was not exclusive to Qin Shi Huang. Many other emperors of China that came after him also regularly consumed immortality pills and drank elixirs which contained toxic substances, and instead of extending their lives, these pills and elixirs only shortened the duration of their respective reigns.

 

#4 — Self-Mummification

Mummification is the process which involves the intentional or incidental preservation of a deceased’s skin, flesh and organs. But not all mummified bodies were preserved after their death; some people in the past deliberately commenced the preservation of their corporeal body while they were still alive in order to achieve a superior and more enlightened state of being.  

“Sokushinbutsu” is an ascetic practice of Buddhist monks largely performed in Japan which is believed to have started sometime in the 11th century. This extreme Buddhist practice of asceticism involved the shunning of all worldly pleasures to the point that the monks would enter a process of self-mummification even while they were still alive. The Sokushinbutsu requires a period of around 3,000 days up to ten years before the entire process is completed by devoted monks. They would have to follow a very strict diet referred to as “mokujikigyo,” which literally translates to “eating a tree.” This means that the monk could not eat anything more than the seeds and resins that could be gathered in the mountains, and must abstain from eating cereals. Eventually, these monks would fast and meditate for longer periods of time until they completely starve themselves, denying themselves even the consumption of liquids. Even in this weakened condition, they would continue to be in a state of “jhana” or meditation until they die. Their dehydrated bodies would become naturally preserved mummies that are still revered and venerated by many followers of Buddhism. Some people today even still regard these mummified monks as very much alive although their bodies are said to be in a deep meditative trance. 

Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Japan attempted to achieve this extreme form of meditative state, but only 24 monks so far were granted the status of being the “Living Buddha.” Eventually, the practice of Sokushinbutsu was outlawed by the government of Japan in the late 19th century although self-mummification in their culture still endured until the 20th century. At present, however, Sokushinbutsu is no longer an advocated Buddhist practice in the country. 

 

#5 — Drinking Gold Chloride

Among the most notable cases of people who have pursued eternal youth is that of Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of King Henry II of France. The king’s official wife was Catherine de’ Medici but he found much comfort in having the widow Diane de Poitiers as his companion even though she was 20 years older than him. History books wrote of her youthful appearance and her porcelain-like skin that never seemed to fade even as she grew older. 

King Henry II’s mistress took great lengths to ensure that she maintained her physique. She kept in shape by swimming daily, horseback riding and hunting. However, her beauty secret that ensured permanence of her great white skin is her regular consumption of an elixir which contained a mixture of gold chloride and diethyl ether. This concoction was very popular at French court and was believed at the time to be an effective anti-aging treatment for its ability to harness the power of the sun and transfer it to its drinker. 

However, Diane de Poitiers’s obsession with keeping her youthful beauty came at a great cost, as her desire to look forever young and the remedy she resorted to in order to preserve her appearance was the one that slowly and eventually killed her. At age 66, her daily dose of gold chloride indeed made her look half her actual age, but she is also thought to have succumbed to the secondary effect of the concoction – that is, chronic gold poisoning. 

 

Even in modern times, man remains engrossed in its quest for eternal youth and prolonging human life. Most people have chosen to stick with more conventional methods such as maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, while others have turned to the breakthroughs of medical science for more radical options that would allow them to enhance their beauty and cling onto their youth for as long as possible. The priorities of modern science, of course, are beyond maintaining a person’s young and beautiful aesthetics. The field of medical science is also fixated with making the human body impervious to deterioration by finding a way to permanently suppress cell death and consequently achieve actual physical immortality. 

There’s no certainty when humanity may successfully unlock the secret to eternal life and perpetual youth, but should the time come that we do become immortals, what do you think would life mean for us then if we consciously know that we can never die? Perhaps that is the bigger mystery we should try and answer first.


SOURCES:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4577860/Man-s-craziest-attempts-history-cheat-death.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaic_dynasty
http://hippocratescode.com/epilepsy/
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5917027/powdered-mummy-gladiator-blood-and-other-historical-medicines-made-from-human-corpses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12953616
http://www.allday.com/these-real-people-actually-tried-to-achieve-immortality-2180824159.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pill_of_Immortality
http://io9.gizmodo.com/7-ways-that-people-died-trying-to-become-immortal-1691947345
http://nifymag.com/the-craziest-things-people-have-ever-done-throughout-history-to-try-and-cheat-death/#.WVcLKoiGPb0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokushinbutsu
http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-gruesome-and-excruciating-practice-of-mummifying-yo-1515905564
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6865939/French-kings-mistress-poisoned-by-gold-elixir.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1236916/Dying-look-good-French-kings-mistress-killed-gold-elixir-youth.html

Perfectly Preserved Body Found of 1,000-year-old Buddhist Master Ci Xian

Something mysterious has been discovered at the Dinghui Temple in Wu'an in the Hubei province of China. A golden mummy, the preserved remains of Master Ci Xian that is over 1,000 years old, underwent a CT scan on July 8, 2017, that was witnessed by monks, media and prayers . To everyone's surprise, researchers found that he still had a complete brain and that his bones were also really healthy.

According to Dr. Wu Yongqing who conducted the scan:

"We can see his bones are as healthy as a normal person's...The upper jaw, the upper teeth, the ribs, the spine and all the joints are all complete...It's incredible to see this."

According to historical records, Master Ci Xian was a well-respected monk from India who had translated 10 major sutras into Chinese and traveled from India to the Kingdom of Khitan (which is in modern day northeastern China) in an effort to promote Buddhism. Some of his translations were carved into stone tablets that can still be seen today. After his death, Master Ci Xian’s disciples preserved his body well. But over the years, the body was somehow lost, never to be found until it was rediscovered in a cave in the 1970s. 

Master Ci Xian’s remains were worshiped at the Dinghui Temple since 2011, and in 2016 the temple covered his body in gold paint as a sign of respect. According to Master Du at the Ding Hui temple, elderly monks can feel when they are about to pass away and will instruct their disciples to either cremate or preserve their remains. If preserved, his remains would be placed in a massive ceramic jar filled with natural preservatives. If the spiritual level of the monk is high enough, or there is a lot of cultivated energy within the monk’s body, then it would be soaked in the liquid for about 3 years. After that, the body will be removed from the liquid and covered in rice paste.

This may seem really strange to a lot of people but it is believed that all monks are cultivators with the goal of reaching enlightenment. And as they are cultivating, they are generating energy within their bodies. As the energy grows, it will start to change the cultivator’s body from a fundamental level. Often times, when a monk cultivates to a high level, pearl-like substances are left behind his ashes when he is cremated. The pearls are called sarira and are considered sacred and precious. Throughout human history and its billions of cremations, it was only high level cultivators who were able to leave sariras behind.




 

Jesus Was a Shapeshifter According to Ancient Egyptian Texts

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The figure of Jesus Christ is undeniably a spiritual and cultural character of significant importance in human history. Jesus Christ is the pillar of one of the largest and most powerful religions of the world, which is probably why most people find it difficult to question the premise of the Christian faith.

For many of us, it remains a mystery how much of what we are taught about the “Son of God” is true to the original figure that lived over 2,000 years ago. Over the centuries that passed and even in the modern times, there are those who believe that the Jesus Christ we know now is not who he was in reality, but is instead only a version of him that was institutionally adapted by the Church to fit its ideals. Stories about him, his abilities and qualities which were up to the premise established by the Church were kept, while those that didn’t were allegedly deemed fraudulent or inaccurate and were heavily discredited.

Though the Bible had become canonized more than a millennium ago, many apocryphal stories have managed to survive and endure even up to now. More recently, a newly deciphered Egyptian text, which dates back almost 1,200 years, details a part of the crucifixion story of Jesus Christ with apocryphal plot twists, some of which have never been heard of before.

1,200-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Text with Controversial Data About the Crucifixion Story of Jesus

In March 2013, reports flooded the headlines about a 1,200-year-old Egyptian text that tells the story of the life and crucifixion of Jesus, while also supposedly providing conflicting data that could potentially change the story about Jesus Christ.

The text is written in the Coptic language, and is one of fifty-five Coptic manuscripts that were found in 1910 by villagers digging for fertilizer at the site of the destroyed Monastery of Archangel Michael of the Desert near Al Hamuli in Egypt. Apparently, the monk in the tenth century had buried the monastery’s manuscripts in a stone vat for safekeeping.

The monastery ceased its operations around the early 10th century, and the text wasn’t rediscovered until around the spring of 1910. Then, American financier J.P. Morgan purchased it along with other texts in December 1911. His collections, and the particular text about the crucifixion story of Jesus, are currently housed and protected in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. A second copy of the ancient text is also available at the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, but is mostly illegible.

The ancient Egyptian text was written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a distinguished theologian who lived during the fourth century. A translation of the text was carried out by Roelof van den Broek of Ultrecht University in the Netherlands, and he published the contents of the text in the book “Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem On the Life and the Passion of Christ: A Coptic Apocryphon.”

Based on van den Broek’s translation, not only does it describe Pilate as a faithful disciple and not a traitor, it also recounts a dinner with Jesus prior to his crucifixion in which Pilate offered to sacrifice his own son to spare the life of the Messiah. The text also controversially described Jesus as possessing the magical ability to change shape, which explains why Judas had used a kiss to positively identify Jesus. The ancient text also puts the day of Jesus’s arrest on Tuesday evening instead of Thursday evening, which contravenes the current Easter timeline observed by Christians.

Pontius Pilate’s Dinner with Jesus

While apocryphal stories about Pilate are known to exist from ancient times, van den Broek claimed that he has never seen one before in which Pilate had offered to sacrifice his own son in the place of Jesus.

According to this ancient Egyptian text, Pilate prepared a table and ate with Jesus prior to his crucifixion. Pilate later told Jesus that when the morning comes, he would give the people his only son so that they could kill him in Jesus’s place. However, Jesus comforted him and revealed that he had the ability to escape his fate if he chose to. Then, Pilate looked at Jesus and he saw the Messiah turn “incorporeal” and “did not see him for a long time.”

The text also mentioned that Pilate and his wife both had visions that night that show an eagle - which is a representation of Jesus – being killed.

According to van den Broek, this sympathetic portrayal of Pilate in this ancient text is unsurprising since Pilate is regarded as a saint in the Coptic as well as Ethiopian churches.

The Reason for Judas’s Kiss

In the canonical Bible, the apostle Judas betrayed Jesus in exchange for money and used a kiss to identify him leading to the Messiah’s arrest. While the text did not refute the apostle’s betrayal, this apocryphal tale did explain why Judas had to use a kiss to identify Jesus --- Jesus was allegedly a shape-shifter.

According to the 1,200-year-old ancient Egyptian text, arresting Jesus was not that simple since he did “not have a single shape” and “his appearance changes.” “Sometimes he is ruddy, sometimes he is white, sometimes he is red, sometimes he is wheat colored, sometimes he is pallid like ascetics, sometimes he is a youth,” and “sometimes an old man.”

This conundrum led Judas to suggest using a kiss as means to positively identify him. Had he simply given the arresters a description of Jesus’s appearance, the Messiah could have easily changed shape. But by kissing Jesus, Judas revealed to the people exactly who he is.

The controversial meaning behind the kiss of Judas goes way back. This “shape-shifting” explanation of Judas’s kiss is first found in the work of ancient writer Origen, a theologian who lived between 185-254 A.D. In his work, “Contra Celsum,” Origen stated that “to those who saw [Jesus], he did not appear alike to all.”

Jesus’s Arrest on Tuesday?

The ancient Egyptian text also mentions that the date of Jesus’s Last Supper with the apostles and subsequent arrest took place on a Tuesday. In fact, in this old text, Jesus’s actual Last Supper was not with his disciples but with Pontius Pilate. And in between his arrest and supper with Pilate, he was brought before Caiaphas and Herod.

This information is a significant deviation from what are written in the canonical texts. To present-day Christians, the Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus happened on a Thursday evening, and they observe the event every year as “Maundy Thursday” as part of the services of Holy Week.

However, the way the Egyptian text relates the story of Jesus’s arrest to have taken place on a Tuesday evening makes it seem as if the canonical story about his arrest on a Thursday evening did not actually exist.

So, with all these controversial and supposedly “earth-shattering” information about Jesus Christ, one very important question comes to mind: Is this 1,200-year-old ancient Egyptian text based on real life?

To van den Broek, the answer is “not exactly.” For him, the discovery of the text doesn’t mean that the events detailed in it have actually happened, but that some people who lived at the time of the tale’s existence appear to have believed in them.

In fact, according to van den Broek, the ancient text while written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem may not have actually been written by him. Near the beginning of the text, the writer claims that a book has been found in Jerusalem which contained the writings of the apostles on the life and crucifixion of Jesus.  However, it is very unlikely that such a book was found in real life. Instead, van den Broek theorized that a claim like this would have been used by the writer in an attempt "to enhance the credibility of the peculiar views and uncanonical facts” detailed in the text by means of “ascribing them to an apostolic source.”

Nevertheless, though the accuracy of the details written on this ancient Egyptian text is highly doubtful, the text itself is considered authentic. This meant that 1,200 years ago in Egypt – at a time in which the Bible had already become canonized – many still read and believed in various apocryphal stories to the point that books about them remained popular among Egyptian Christians, especially among monks.  

And so, this ancient Egyptian text, while not a reliable source of information about the real story of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, offers us a glimpse of what people people thought of and believed about the Christian messiah over a millennium ago, allowing us to understand how far the Christian faith has come and how much the religious institution evolved since then. 


Sources:

http://www.livescience.com/27840-shape-shifting-jesus-ancient-text.html
http://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/ancient-text-describes-jesus-shape-shifter-001361
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=343TrN9KehcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Pseudo-Cyril+of+Jerusalem+on+the+Life+and+the+passion+pilate&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8uBDUeeIHIGhqgGb0IDwAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Pseudo-Cyril%20of%20Jerusalem%20on%20the%20Life%20and%20the%20passion%20pilate&f=false
http://www.ancient-code.com/jesus-christ-was-a-shape-shifter-according-to-ancient-egyptian-text/
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http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/jesus-was-a-shapeshift-ancient-text-reveals-and-an-eagle/news-story/b8fafdd26477f40df7041bae4ff9e004
http://listverse.com/2013/12/28/10-mystical-facts-about-ancient-egypt/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_of_Jerusalem
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https://alinsuciu.com/2012/10/12/guest-post-roelof-van-den-broek-pseudo-cyril-of-jerusalem-on-the-life-and-the-passion-of-christ/
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