Sokushinbutsu new burial trend?

Self mummification is a death practice that is a few hundred years old and is no longer used on a general basis, but whose to say this won't be the new death trend for the self- righteous? The ritual of Sokushinbutsu originated in ancient Japan. It was practiced by Buddhist monks, they would basically starve themselves for three years restricting their diets to only eating nuts, seeds, bark and roots along with a toxic tea concoction that would strip them from their body fat. Drinking tea from the sap of urushi tree would cause the monks to vomit and lose bodily fluids at a rapid rate, this tea also killed off maggots that would cause their bodies to decay after they had died. Months would pass and once the was ready he would submerse himself into a stone tomb that was so small he could only sit in the lotus position. The tomb would be sealed and the only connection to the outside world was a tube that would allow him breathable air and a bell. He would ring the bell everyday he remained alive while in the tomb, once the bell fell silent the tomb would then be sealed shut. Once the tombs were opened they would reveal a mummified preserved corpse or a rotten decaying one. If bodies were mummified they were considered to be one with Buddha and were celebrated for being godlike and would be put on display. Others that were not so successful would be resealed in their tombs, no celebration was had but they would be respected for their endurance.

Self mummification was outlawed by the Japanese government in the 19th century but was said to still be practiced into the 20th century. There are only around 28 of these mummies left but only 16 can still be visited and worshiped. The most famous monk can be seen at the Dainichi Boo Temple on holy Mount Yudono. Many of the monks that under went this process had success in this location, this may be due to recent findings of arsenic in local spring waters. The arsenic may have helped with the overall mummification process. 

Can or will this practice of self mummification recirculate into current culture? Or is this ritual too time consuming and painful for our population as a whole.  These days most people don't even have time to make a phone call, would anyone really set aside months of devotion to complete this process? This practice could be the next celebrity trend, it could give fading celebrity stars reason for the public to watch their every move even after death (New reality TV show?) . Once death fell upon them they could be worshiped for their "sacrifice" never allowing for their star to diminish in the world of hollywood.

Heres the link to the website where I found out about Sokushinbutsu.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sokushinbutsu-dainichi-temple
Image link: http://blog.blix0r.de/2012/06/22/selbst-mumifizierung-bei-japanischen-monchen-19-jh/

Death Identity

I picture myself to be found in a little ceramic pot deep in the ground surrounded by my favourite things: something comfy to rest on, a mountain of what I loved to eat and objects form past hobbies that I took part in while still living.  Being cremated is the way I would want to buried, my whole life contained into a little pot leaving behind nothing but ash. Items that I would like to be found with would be my guitar, my painting supplies, a soccer ball, pickles and pictures of my life's exploits  and adventures. I take a lot of photos and if I were to be found with these pictures archaeologists would get a crystal clear image of how I lived my life.
If someone else were to burry me I would hope that they knew me well enough as a person to know what I should be buried with. I proposed this question to my mother she looked at me like I had just smoked something... After she thought about it for a few minutes she said she would burry me with, chips/ salsa, my dog, my soccer cleats, a pair of comfy pyjamas so I'd be comfortable in the afterlife and pictures. My mother wanted me to be buried with items that would make comfortable well fed and with things that made me happy while I was still living. The items she selected were very similar to what I would have picked. My identity of who I was in my living life would still be intact if my mother were to bury me. Anyone who really knows me for me would be able to compile a pretty similar list to what is listed above. And if I were to die I would hope that someone who did know me well would burry me  with my belongings, not some random stranger who could care less on how I was buried and what I was buried with.

Tombs Discovered at Maya Site of Xtojil

I found this article to be pretty interesting! Its a pretty recent find so theres not much on it yet but I intend to follow it and see what else they uncover. Archaeologists have found a set of twelve Mayan burials  dating back more than 1,200 years at the Xtojil site. These tombs were unearthed while road construction was taking place. Human remains were found in lithic tombs referred to as "cistas" which are rectangular caskets protected and covered in stone slabs. In their findings they also found 30 pieces of ceramic pieces in which a hieroglyph was found to be inscribed. They also found bowls, pots pans and cups, obsidian razors, jade beads and shell earrings. Archaeologists believe that the earrings acquired by trading with near by Mesoamerican people.  The tombs that have been recovered were dated to between 600-800 A.D. These remains were found just outside the ancient city of Chichen Itza. These findings have led to greater understanding in Mayan burial sites and have shed more light on possible trade routes during this time period. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post it is a recent find with limited research so this is all I really have to report for now!
If your interested in this story here are the links I found on this topic.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=662627&CategoryId=13936
http://www.archaeology.org/news/453-130117-maya-tombs-xtojil

Little bit about me

Hello there, my name is Tegan Lang and I am a 3rd year anthropology student. I was born and raised on Vancouver Island and decided to stay on this beautiful little rock to do my schooling. Anthropology first caught my eye when I randomly decided to take the introductory course back in first year. After that I was hooked. Learning about past cultures rituals and ways of living fascinated me and I was drawn to learn more! 
I would say cultural and archaeology are areas that I'm interested most. Archaeology for its aspects in uncovering past cultures and learning how they functioned and survived in unknown terrains. Cultural supplies a deeper connection and allows people to understand how past and current cultures operate within an always changing environment and world. The combination of these two fields paints a clearer picture for past societies and how they have evolved into their modern forms. 
I was drawn to this course because it focuses on death and rituals surrounding what happens after death, which is something that has always interested me ever since I saw Brendan Fraser in the Mummy.