10 Famous Preserved Corpses

Dashi Dorzho Itigilov was a Buddhist lama from Buryat (a region of modern day Siberia). In layman's terms, lamas are traditionally very well thought of dudes from the Tibetan doctrine of Buddhism. These guys tend to be really good at thinking. Really deep, internal, long stretches of thinking.

Dashi was born in 1852, and was appointed the twelfth Pandido Khambo Lama in 1911. Essentially he was considered the definitive expert on Buddhist matters in Russia during his lifetime.

Sensing his imminent death in 1927, he began long periods of lone meditation. Itigilov asked to be buried as he was found and his wish was granted as he was buried sitting in the lotus position. Curiously he also ordered his body to be inspected by Buddhist disciples after several years.

In both 1955 and 1973 Itigilov's body was exhumed and amazingly showed little decay after several decades of being dead. His body was permanently exhumed in 2002, and in 2003 it was officially recognised by the Buddhist conference as one of the sacred Buddhist objects of Russia.

Certain believers consider Itigilov to be in a state of hibernation due to his 'uncorrupted' body, and will even talk to the corpse. Whether he is in fact dead or just really into the meditation is not clear: Itigilov has never replied to conversations.