Immortality has long been admired by people in the same extent that death used to scare us.
To live forever, Japanese monks practiced mummification, and the European alchemists tried to create the elixir of life.
Even during the Second world war, at least, one ambitious scientist trying to find the key to eternal youth.
1. Japanese Buddhist monks
To prevent decomposition during mummification usually remove the internal organs. Because scientists were completely baffled to find in the province of Yamagata in Japan in the 1960-ies of the mummy completely in the same condition – their bodies began to shrivel up even before death.
To get rid of the illusion of the physical world, to earn more than a million years in heaven, and to attain enlightenment before the reincarnation, the most devoted Buddhists of the Shingon mummified himself in an act of salvation of mankind.
The monks ate only fruits and nuts for three years and then pine needles and bark for another three years. Some even drank poisoned tea to ward off insects from the body.
Finally, the monk was meditating through a breathing tube while in the grave. From time to time, he signaled with a bell that he is alive, and when stopped, the assistants sealed the grave. Three years later, they opened it, if his body is not corrupted, he was worshipped as a living Buddha. Even if his body was subjected to decomposition, it was buried with special honors. Of the hundreds of monks, only 24 reached the status of “living Buddha”.
In 1877 communitycare was cancelled by the Japanese Emperor Meiji.
2. Albert The Great
Albert the Great, who lived in 1200 years, reached 80 years, and perhaps his longevity is due to the rumors associated with his quest for immortality.
It was one of the great German philosophers and theologians in the Middle ages who also practiced alchemy. Many ascribe to him the discovery of arsenic and the first experiments with photosensitive substances.
According to legend, albert watched the turning other materials into gold. Then he discovered the philosopher’s stone and passed it to his pupil Thomas Aquinas.
3. Diane de Poitiers
In France 1500 years as drugs frequently used webs, earthworms, frogspawn and the oil of the Scorpion. However, the mistress of King Henry II tried to achieve eternal youth the other way – she drank the drink of gold, which, as was believed, used the energy of the Sun.
In fact, the beauty of Diana, which was legendary, was due to good genetics and an active life – she loved to ride horses, hunt and regularly sailed.
When Henry was seriously wounded during a jousting tournament, around his spear wrapped her ribbon. This meant that he fought in the name of Diana, and this caused such anger at his wife that she did not allow Diana to his funeral.
Diana died at the age of 66 years, 2 years after he broke his leg during a trip on horseback. The gold that she saw, left her imprint noble pallor and weak bones. After the reburial, when he studied her hair, was discovered a gold level exceeding the norm in 500 times, and mercury, which was one of the ingredients of the elixir.
4. Nicolas Flamel
Flamel is a scientist and writer lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He devoted his life to the translation of the mysterious book on alchemy of 21 pages, which was the recipe of the philosopher’s stone to turn metals into gold. According to legend, he and his wife, Perenelle reached immortality, revealing a secret book.
Although according to some he died in Paris in 1418, after opening his grave, it was empty. Later some people claimed to have seen Flamel, for example, at the Paris Opera in 1761.
5. Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang was the first leader of United China, and the first who used the term “Emperor” instead of “king”. Under his reign was built the Great wall of China, the national system of traffic and the Terracotta army.
The Emperor had survived many assassination attempts but he was ruined by his arrogance. Desperate to find immortality, he sent a servant with the ships, which was hundreds of people in search of the mythical island of Penglai – the place of immortality and the elixir of life.
While on a tour of the Eastern part of China, Qin Shi Huang died presumably from mercury poisoned pills of immortality made by alchemy. His grave was never opened, and it is believed that she is surrounded by a river of mercury.
Qin Shi Huang was the first of many Chinese emperors who tried to live forever.
6. Emperor Jiajing
Emperor Jiajing was the eleventh Emperor of the Ming dynasty, which was considered cruel ruler, have pushed China to the wave of corruption and chaos. In 1542, a few concubines of the Emperor plotted to kill him by suffocation. The attempt failed, and women along with their families were subjected to a slow and painful death.
It was a turning point for the Emperor, who left the Palace, hired a new young 13-year-old concubines and began to spend all the funds to build Taoist temples.
He also turned to alchemy in the pursuit of eternal life, calling on the best Chinese alchemists. He died from mercury poisoning in an attempt to create the elixir of life of rare metals.
7. Alexander Bogdanov
Alexander Bogdanov – Soviet physician, philosopher and scientist was a unique thinker. He is considered the inventor of tektologie precursor of systems theory.
In 1924, Bogdanov founded the Institute of Hematology and blood transfusion, suggesting that will be able to achieve eternal youth through the blood.
Bogdanov spent on himself, no less than 11 blood transfusions. Blood the last patient was infected with malaria and tuberculosis or were simply incompatible with the blood Bogdanova, and he died. There are suggestions that Bogdanov could have killed himself, as before his death, wrote a strange letter, and he had few political enemies.
8. Isaac Newton
One of the most influential scientists of all time lived in a world where science is closely intertwined with superstition and pseudoscience. Before the existence of chemistry as a science, Newton was engaged in alchemy and occult knowledge. He even tried to find science in the Bible, predicting that the world would end in 2060.
In addition, it was found the texts which indicate that he was also looking for the philosopher’s stone. Working on alchemy in the second half of his life, Newton suffered from a nervous breakdown, experiencing insomnia, lethargy, loss of appetite and paranoia, possibly due to poisoning by mercury, arsenic and lead.
Many believe that Newton was able to make an important discovery in alchemy, but he destroyed all evidence before he died.
9. Count Saint-Germain
No one knows exactly when he was born the count of St. Germain, and some claim that he never died. It was a gentleman, with black hair, who was known under dozens of different names, which was quite customary at the time.
Apparently, the Earl was very strange, perhaps just a conman. He was a ladies ‘ man who sold cosmetics and paint, and was very rich. He masterfully played the violin and the piano, painted, spoke 10 languages, studied philosophy and science. In addition, he barely slept or ate.
Count avoided questions about his past and claimed that he was hundreds of years old. He was familiar with Anton Mesmerism, Casanova, Madame de Pompadour, Voltaire, King Louis XV, Catherine the great and George Washington.
In 1779 Saint-Germain traveled to slesvig and met the patron of the alchemists of Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, claiming that he was 88 years old. Charles financed the alchemy of the graph that included new methods of fabric dyeing, mergers and diamonds create the precious stones
In 1784 it was that the count died and was buried. However, many of his personal belongings were never found.
10. Richard Chantre
Frenchman Richard Chantre was born in Lyon in 1940, claiming that he is the immortal count of St. Germain. He announced this in Paris in the 70-ies, appearing on French television, where he turned lead into gold on a camp stove.
From 1972 to 1981 Sanfre was the lover of the famous singer Dalida. Sanfre disappeared in 1983 in Saint-Tropez, allegedly committed suicide, choking exhaust fumes in the car. In 1987, Delilah has also imposed on himself, taking a large dose of antidepressants and leaving a note: “Life has become unbearable for me … Forgive me.”
According to legend, the count Saint-Germain has since been seen in different parts of the world .
