Ge Hong literally swallowed burning paper talismans to weaponize his internal organs against demonic forces

A closer look

Forget kale smoothies—ancient Daoist masters believed the best way to detox was by ingesting flaming magical calligraphy. The 4th-century alchemist Ge Hong famously documented the use of "fu" talismans, which were esoteric characters representing celestial decrees. Instead of just wearing them, practitioners would burn these divine warrants, mix the ash with water, and chug the concoction to summon literal starry deities into the organs to evict disease-causing demons.