Monk claims he has stood for 12 years: fake or miracle?
A monk claims he has spent 12 years standing without ever sitting down. Doctors call it impossible: blood pools and tissue dies. Is it a hoax or a miracle?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Monk claims he has stood for 12 years: antiestéticat or hoax?
An anonymous monk has once again been circulating on social media for claiming that he has gone twelve years without sitting or lying down, always standing. The figure sounds like an inhuman record, and specialists are clear that the human body cannot tolerate it: blood pools in the limbs, tissue dies and the risk of thrombosis is lethal. From a medical standpoint, remaining perpetually upright is simply impossible.
The medical explanation that debunks the myth
Standing without moving your legs causes venous stagnation that leads to oedema, ulcers and necrosis. Sleeping lying down is not a whim: it is the only posture that allows blood to return efficiently to the heart. Anyone who tries to stand for more than 48 hours straight will suffer irreversible damage. Twelve years is a biological absurdity.
The economic background to the story
Although it may seem like a folk anecdote, this kind of story has a tangible economic impact. They attract tourists to remote monasteries, fuel the sale of "miracles" and sustain a spirituality industry worth millions. In India, for example, several sadhus have spent years standing —or at least have claimed to— and pilgrims pay to see them. The question is whether credulity comes at a high price.
How much truth is there to it?
Most likely it is an exaggeration or a recycled urban legend. There is no documentary evidence or medical monitoring to back up the claim. The few documented cases of prolonged immobility —such as Hindu holy men— usually involve tricks: hidden supports, stand-ins or undeclared rest periods.
Predictably, the story will deflate within days, like so many other viral ones. But as long as it generates clicks and visits, it will keep resurfacing. The prediction is that the next "record-breaking monk" is just around the corner.
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An anonymous monk has once again been circulating on social media for claiming that he has gone twelve years without sitting or lying down, always standing. The figure sounds like an inhuman record, and specialists are clear that the human body cannot tolerate it: blood pools in the limbs, tissue dies and the risk of thrombosis is lethal. From a medical standpoint, remaining perpetually upright is simply impossible.
The medical explanation that debunks the myth
Standing without moving your legs causes venous stagnation that leads to oedema, ulcers and necrosis. Sleeping lying down is not a whim: it is the only posture that allows blood to return efficiently to the heart. Anyone who tries to stand for more than 48 hours straight will suffer irreversible damage. Twelve years is a biological absurdity.
The economic background to the story
Although it may seem like a folk anecdote, this kind of story has a tangible economic impact. They attract tourists to remote monasteries, fuel the sale of "miracles" and sustain a spirituality industry worth millions. In India, for example, several sadhus have spent years standing —or at least have claimed to— and pilgrims pay to see them. The question is whether credulity comes at a high price.
How much truth is there to it?
Most likely it is an exaggeration or a recycled urban legend. There is no documentary evidence or medical monitoring to back up the claim. The few documented cases of prolonged immobility —such as Hindu holy men— usually involve tricks: hidden supports, stand-ins or undeclared rest periods.
Predictably, the story will deflate within days, like so many other viral ones. But as long as it generates clicks and visits, it will keep resurfacing. The prediction is that the next "record-breaking monk" is just around the corner.
Most shared
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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