[Polaris]

In 1927, the 12th Pandito Hambo Lama of the Ivolginsky Datsan, Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov, told his students and fellow monks to bury his body after his death and to check on it again in 30 years. According to the story, Itigelov then sat in the lotus position, began chanting the prayer of death, and died, mid-meditation. The monks followed Itigilov's directions, but when they exhumed his body 30 years later, they were amazed to find none of the usual signs of decay and decomposition. On the contrary, Itigilov looked as if he had been dead only a few hours, rather than three decades. Fearful of the Soviet response to their "miracle", the monks reburied Itigilov's body in an unmarked grave.

Itigelov's story was not forgotten over the years and on September 11, 2002 the body was finally exhumed and transferred to Ivolginsky Datsan where it was closely examined by monks and, which is now more important, by scientists and pathologists. The official statement was issued about the body – very well preserved, without any signs of decay, whole muscles and inner tissue, soft joints and skin. The interesting thing is that the body was never embalmed or mummified.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/picture/upload/hambo-lama.jpg

Anyone got any more stories like this one? Or explanations?

[Countess]

The catholic church calls them "Incorruptables." There are a few saints whose bodies have never shown decay or have had drastically slow decomp rates which allowed their bodies to stay pristine for decades or more.

[KubeSix]

And now I'm thinking... body unharmed by time + scientific progress = possible reanimation in the near future? That would be awesome

[Polaris]

There would be a lot more devout saints running around at least...

And the 'Incorruptibles' are really interesting Countess, thanks for bringing them up.

While only a small number of devout Catholics have been given the gift of incorruptibility, it does appear that some Saints have been specifically chosen to have this miraculous phenomena so as to help confirm significant events involved with them. For example, the supernatural preservation of Jacinta Marto helps confirm the authenticity of the Miracle at Fatima, the incorrupt state of Saint Bernadette Soubirous gives credence to the Miracles at Lourdes, and the incorruptibility of Venerable Mary of Agreda gives credence to her revelations she wrote in the "Mystical City of God". Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's revelations about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also given credence along with Saint Catherine Laboure's apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Other examples are below.

I think these examples are probably some of the most interesting and could help prove or disprove some scientific claims as to how this could happen;

St. Andrew Bobola - He was severely tortured and intentionally killed in 1657, and was thereafter buried beneath a Jesuit church at Pinsk. After 40 years his body was discovered incorrupt, despite the body's proximity to other decaying corpses and the excessive wounds on his body that normally would have fostered corruption. His body is still as flexible as a live body and is on display under the main altar in the Church of St. Andrew Bobola in Warsaw, Poland.

St. Francis Xavier - Died 1552 and was discovered incorrupt, despite the fact that lime was placed in his casket to expedite decomposition. His body was also said to have bled normally one and a half years after death during an examination by a physician. The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on December 2, 1637.

Blessed Imelda Lambertini - Known better as Blessed Imelda, she died as a young girl in 1333 and was later found incorrupt. She was beatified in 1826 and her incorrupt body is on display in the Church of San Sigismondo in Bologna, Italy.

St. Clare of Montefalco - Died in 1308 and though her body was embalmed, her body has still remained perfectly incorrupt (beyond what embalming can provide in over 7 centuries). Her body is still normally flexible and displayed in the church of the Augustinian nuns of Montefalco, Italy.

St. Agnes of Montepulciano - Died in Italy in 1317 and was later found incorrupt. She remained whole and incorrupt until the 16th century when, due to excessive humidity in her tomb, some of her body decomposed. Much of her body has still remained intact for 7 centuries now, including limbs and bones, which are now enclosed in a figure of the Saint on display at the Sanctuary of St. Agnes in Montepulciano, Italy.

[Dodsengler_17]

I heard of a man that lived for 256 years. He was from china. His name was Li ching-yun. Can't find much more about him.

[KubeSix]

I heard of a man that lived for 256 years. He was from china. His name was Li ching-yun. Can't find much more about him.

In those cases, wikipedia is my best friend. "He claimed to be born in 1734, while disputed records suggest 1677. Both alleged lifespans of 199 and 256 years far exceed the longest confirmed lifespan of 122 years and 164 days."

The article "Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog", from the May 15, 1933 issue of Time reports on his history, since it included Li Ching-Yuen's answer to his secret of a long life:

    * Tranquility mind
    * Sit like a tortoise
    * Walk sprightly like a pigeon
    * Sleep like a dog

and

After Li's death, General Yang Sen investigated the truth about his claimed background and age. He wrote a report that was later published. In 1933, people interviewed from his home province remembered seeing him when they were children, and that he hadn't aged much during their lifetime. Others reported that he had been friends with their grandfathers.

It's decided. I want to be him. :]

[DARKLORD64]

another strange prospect is "the ungodly", these are people that by the eastern orthodox tradition are banished from the church or excommunicated. The traditions demanded they be nailed into the coffin when they died with an iron spike because when the died neither the earth nor heaven would accept their soul and they would be made to wander the earth for all time "incorrupt and entire". I'm not saying this holy man was one such entity, but it certainly means there are two sides to the coin as it were