TIL of 'Sokushinbutsu', ascetic Japanese buddhist monks who practiced self-mummification; they would prepare for death by eating a diet rich in pine needles and resin, paired with severe dehydration, until they 'hardened' in place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokushinbutsu
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https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1gojuub/til_of_sokushinbutsu_ascetic_japanese_buddhist/