The mystery of the monastic tugdam: scientists have come closer to solving "immortality"

Irina Mishina

Almost 30 years ago, scientists, having examined the remains of the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, unexpectedly found that the relics of hermits who died in caves contain highly refined oils that do not have either fatty acids or inorganic phosphates that promote decomposition.

During a visit to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, one of the abbots of the distant cave opened the shrines of several saints in front of the film crew. The smell of decomposition really did not come from them, the dried up body did not resemble a corpse. In this breath of eternity, mysticism was felt, capable of leading a person beyond the limits of his reason.

It soon turned out that the phenomenon of continuing life after death extended not only to religious leaders.

... The heart of Chuck Petanzin from India stopped beating when she was 90 years old. The relatives surrounding her called an ambulance, but it was not possible to revive the woman. The body was left at home for 3 days before cremation, as it happens in the South Indian slums. But despite the heat and humidity, the corpse of my grandmother did not change. He was not touched by decay and decay. It looked like Chuck Petanzin was not dying, but simply fell asleep deeply. Relatives called Buddhist monks, and they told that this phenomenon is called "tugdam": this happens not only with religious leaders, but also with "enlightened" people.

Tlen did not touch Lama Itigelov either at the Ivolginsky Datsan in Buryatia. Scholars differ in their assessment of the condition of this religious leader, who officially died in 1927. A couple of years after being removed from the earth, the body of Lama Itigelov was examined by scientists, taking samples of some tissues. Their conclusion: a person who died in 1927 is in a state unknown to science. Here is what S. Fetisov said about this: "Itigelov is another form of life." This means that consciousness is stronger than matter, and it is this that creates miracles in our material world.

How exactly do “enlightened” people come to this state? The Pushka YouTube channel cites the versions of scientists.

To date, 7 cases of "tugdam" have been described among monks aged 43 to 91 years. The studies were carried out 3-5 days after the physical death was declared. Studies have shown that the brain of a person in a state of "tugdam" does not differ from the brain of a deceased person. That is, the "enlightened monks" have no brain activity after death. But one fact remains a mystery: why the body of those who entered the "tugdam" decomposes abnormally slowly. Scientists have put forward a hypothesis: it is possible that some substances are released in the body that prevent decay.

Part of the clue to this phenomenon came from studying the lives of Buddhist monks who practiced voluntary mummification. The preparation took about 3 years, or a thousand days. The monks left the people in the mountains, adhered to a strict diet - it was called woody. It was necessary to eat only fruits and roots, tree shoots. The rest of the time I had to meditate. From a religious point of view, the spirit was so strengthened. In addition, with such a diet, the body was deprived of fat and muscle. The monks also drank tea from the leaves of the lacquer tree: it contains toxins that, on the one hand, bring death closer, and on the other hand, make the existence of other organisms and bacteria inside the body impossible. After a thousand days, the monk sat down to meditate in a box, he was immersed in the ground and covered with charcoal. For breathing, a bamboo tube remained, through which air entered. When the monk stopped giving signals, they took him out and watched how his body was preserved. If it was not subject to decay, it was carried to the temple and worshiped as a saint. The oldest of these mummies is 238 years old. It is stored in the north of Japan in the city of Tsuruoka.

Of course, the phenomenon of incorruptibility and transition to another state after death still needs to be studied. But the riddle of "tugdama" is a way to understand the potential capabilities of our body and the characteristics of the brain. Perhaps this will help to discover new things in understanding the nature of man and his capabilities.