News Forum - Revered Thai monk’s body defies decomposition 20 years after death

[Thaiger]

More than 20 years after revered Thai monk Luang Phu Woraphon Thawitan passed away, his body remains displayed in a glass case at his temple in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand. Not only has the deceased monk’s body not decomposed – defying science – but his skin has turned emerald green, reports Sanook. Yesterday, Phra …

The story Revered Thai monk’s body defies decomposition 20 years after death as seen on Thaiger News.

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[kalyan]

Is it a sort of Mummification process?

from the news i am hearing that the fellow monks tried to burn the body and it could not burn, again they put in an glass box, seems to be little bit not reliable.

[Chatogaster]

2 hours ago, kalyan said:

Is it a sort of Mummification process?

Copper mummification, almost surely. To be 100% sure, samples would have to be taken and analyzed, but that would spoil the mystery and take away the blanket of superstition (which is being commercially exploited). For the same reasons, no parts will be donated to science in their quest for fireproof materials.

[Guest1]

The green on the body, I think that is copper in the leaf "gold". Someone saved a lot of money with it, methinks.

[Ramanathan.P]

Whatever the case...it is the belief in faith that keeps life going on earth. 

[Chaimai]

21 minutes ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Whatever the case...it is the belief in faith that keeps life going on earth. 

 

Nothing to do with faith. Procreation keeps life going.

[Augratin]

Quote

The only things inside the glass coffin are tea leaves, anti-moisture pills and camphor tree bark. There’s nothing special inside, insisted the abbot.

 

Camphor is germicidal.  That's the preservative here.  Dichlorobenzene or Naphthalene (moth balls) will also work.  I keep a single moth ball in the lid of my kitchen compost bin.  Result: the food scraps I dump in there don't rot and no fruit flies are attracted to it.  No rot means no decomposition and no odors. 

Arthur C. Clarke is famous for saying that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  I guess basic science is advanced technology to these monks.

[edit]: The 'anti-moisture pills' helps too. Desiccation is another form of preservation.  Bacteria doesn't grow where there is no moisture.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Augratin
additional info

[TheDirtyDurian]

3 hours ago, Chaimai said:

Nothing to do with faith. Procreation keeps life going.

Belief makes people want to procreate. It gives a meaning to the whole thing. 

[Chaimai]

3 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Belief makes people want to procreate. It gives a meaning to the whole thing. 

 

I have no beliefs but I have been content to procreate.

[Smiler]

2 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Belief makes people want to procreate. It gives a meaning to the whole thing. 

Belief in what? God? There is no supernatural beings so no need to believe in religious nonsense this is the 21st century not the Middle Ages, people procreate because it is a basic evolutionary urge and is a rather pleasant pastime. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

24 minutes ago, Smiler said:

Belief in what? God? There is no supernatural beings so no need to believe in religious nonsense this is the 21st century not the Middle Ages, people procreate because it is a basic evolutionary urge and is a rather pleasant pastime. 

Do you have any proof of that?

[Smiler]

2 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Do you have any proof of that?

Evolution is a fact proof exists all around once you understand how it works, modern science explains these facts, watch any nature documentary you will hear the commentary say “this animal has evolved to cope with this environment etc” you never hear “god created this animal so it can do this or that”? Simplistic answer I know but I remember someone asking David Attenborough if he believed in god he replied “ I have seen many wonderful things which people may think they must have been created and not evolved but then I was walking along a river in Africa where a young 7 year old boy was sitting, I was told he had a worm infection in his eyes which were slowly causing him to go blind and I thought why would god create such things? He knew then that god didn’t exist. I’m reminded of the terrible earthquake in turkey where over 40,000 people died, when they find someone alive “it’s a miracle god is great” nobody thinks how great he is regarding the 40 odd thousand people who were crushed! But of course he moves in mysterious ways? Give me a break it’s time mankind grew up and we stopped respecting people’s religious beliefs and see them for what they are. 

[Faz]

Off topic post deflecting from the title and reply removed.

Moderator.

[Eagle]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:57 AM, Thaiger said:

More than 20 years after revered Thai monk Luang Phu Woraphon Thawitan passed away, his body remains displayed in a glass case at his temple in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand. Not only has the deceased monk’s body not decomposed – defying science – but his skin has turned emerald green, reports Sanook. Yesterday, Phra …

The story Revered Thai monk’s body defies decomposition 20 years after death as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

I am reminded of the famous Carl Sagan quote when reading this 'story'....." extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".  It seems that there won't be any scientific investigation of the body, so I think we can also make use of the other quote from the late Christopher Hitchens...." what can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."