There is a centuries-old ritual where monks volunteer to mummify themselves while they are still alive. It’s as fascinating as it is creepy!

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IN THIS EPISODE: One of the greatest monsters ever to be brought to the screen was The Mummy, portrayed by Boris Karloff. We have, of course, seen numerous recreations of the creature since the original Universal film, but still, the image is grotesque and frightening no matter the incarnation. To see a mummy in real-life is that much more shocking. But real fear… real terror… would be if you yourself were to be mummified… while still alive. (To Be Mummified Alive) *** In the days that followed the rescue of 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault from the wreckage of the yacht called the Bluebelle, it would became clear that a storm hadn’t destroyed the ship, as the previously-rescued captain, Julian A. Harvey, had said earlier. A storm hadn’t killed everyone aboard… Harvey himself had. (The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle) *** When a loved one passes away, we sometimes wish we could speak to them one last time. Some people report they received phone calls or voicemails they believe are from their deceased loved ones. Sometimes they come through as eerie otherworldly static, while other times the ghostly caller is able to communicate one last message. We’ll share a few true stories from people who have received phone calls from the beyond. (Phone Calls From Beyond The Grave) *** If you buy a furnished home and move the furniture to clean the floor – and the furniture moves back on its own – you can be pretty sure you’ve just moved into a haunted house. That’s exactly what one family in Rockford, Illinois found out. (A Haunting on School Street) *** And I’ll end the episode with the story that I began it with – a short story by Louisa May Alcott called “Lost in a Pyramid”… or “The Mummy’s Curse”. A story that went pretty much unnoticed when it was originally published in 1869, but has had somewhat become undead since 1998 when it was rediscovered and is now considered an influential example of early “mummy’s curse” narratives.

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open
00:01:37.790 = Show Intro
00:05:01.001 = The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle
00:20:11.534 = Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave
00:39:14.307 = A Haunting On School Street
00:46:01.709 = To Be Mummified Alive
00:54:14.718 = The Mummy’s Curse (Lost in a Pyramid) – fictional story
01:19:26.675 = Show Outro
SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle” by Lucia for The Ghost In My Machine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/23utyhja
“Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave” by Amanda Ashley for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7bw36uh4
“A Haunting on School Street” by Kathi Kresol for Haunted Rockford: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/s3c76yeb
“To Be Mummified Alive’ by Bipin Dimri for Historic Mysteries: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/j89cukfe
“The Mummy’s Curse/Lost In a Pyramid” by Louisa May Alcott: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pwd9h3cb
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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Originally aired: August 03, 2021
SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/MummifiedAlive
TRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/22wcbmaz