Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Ignatius of Loyola deeply regretted his extreme fasting
After extreme fasting and neglecting his health during his conversion, Ignatius of Loyola developed lasting digestive problems. He later warned followers…
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Isaac Luria claimed souls reincarnate directly into rocks
In Luria’s system, a flawed soul could be punished by rebirth in a stone—not even an animal, but something inanimate.
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Thomas Müntzer led a chaotic religious rebellion
He believed a radical inner light gave him authority to overthrow governments, and led peasants armed with pitchforks against professional armies.
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Digambara ascetics aggressively refuse to wear clothing
In this ascetic tradition, the most advanced practitioners give up every possession, including a loincloth, and wander naked as a rejection of material…
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Charles de Foucauld moved to the Sahara to be nobody
He gave up his wealth and lived in a remote desert shack, hoping to serve others unnoticed rather than be admired.
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Mary of Egypt survived on limited loaves of dry bread
According to the account, she took only a small stash of bread into the desert, where she reportedly lived for more than 40 years as her clothes wore away.
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Early hermits intentionally lived in infested swamps
Some ascetics chose marshes swarming with insects and endured bites day and night as a test of their ability to withstand physical pain.
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Plotinus was deeply embarrassed to be entirely physical
He reportedly refused to sit for a portrait or celebrate his birthday because he saw the body as an obstacle to the intellect.
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Nachman of Breslov heavily commanded isolated screaming
He urged followers to withdraw somewhere isolated, such as the woods, and shout their frustrations to God rather than keep them bottled up.
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Richard Rolle claimed to feel a literal internal fire
Rolle described a heat in his chest so intense he compared it to flames, interpreting it as the physical effect of divine love. He spent decades trying to…
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Zusya of Hanipol only feared not being his authentic self
He said he feared being asked why he had not been Zusya, rather than why he had not been Moses—a defense of living out one’s own identity.
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Early ascetics actively sought out harsh public insults
Some late antique ascetics deliberately behaved foolishly in crowded marketplaces to invite ridicule and humble themselves. The more insults they endured, the…
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Anandamayi Ma officially stopped feeding herself
Her followers said she became so absorbed in ecstatic states that she could no longer feed herself. Disciples had to hand-feed her for decades.
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Russian holy fools intentionally walked naked in winter
These Russian holy fools sometimes walked unclothed through freezing streets, rejecting social norms while shouting uncomfortable truths at powerful…
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Syncletica of Alexandria equated salvation with misery
Syncletica taught that spiritual progress required enduring suffering, comparing salvation to a severe toothache; comfort, she warned, meant a person was…
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Macarius discarded a woven basket because he liked it
He treated even a small spark of pride in his own handiwork as an attachment worth resisting.
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Catherine of Siena survived exclusively on dry wafers
Accounts say Catherine of Siena lived almost entirely on communion wafers; after fasting so intensely, she could no longer swallow ordinary food.
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Baal Shem Tov meditated in freezing winter rivers
He sought out frozen streams in winter storms to meditate and focus his spiritual energy.
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Thomas Aquinas quit writing forever after a single vision
After an ecstatic experience during Mass, Aquinas reportedly called his writings “straw” and stopped writing. He died not long afterward.
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Early Quakers absolutely refused to remove their hats
Early Quakers refused to tip their hats to anyone, even judges and kings, because they believed all people were equal. Some chose jail rather than conform to…
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Sabbatai Zevi claimed messiahship before converting
The Ottoman sultan threatened him with execution, and Zevi converted to save his life.
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Prahlad Jani claimed he went decades without any water
He claimed to have gone more than 70 years without a drop of liquid, saying he survived on divine sustenance; medical professionals scrutinized the claim.
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Dendrite ascetics chose to live inside hollow trees
They carved small shelters into massive hollow trunks to live in isolation, enduring harsh weather and cramped quarters.
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Brother Lawrence found enlightenment by washing dirty pots
He said he felt the divine presence more strongly amid kitchen chores than during formal prayer, turning dishwashing into a spiritual practice.
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