Do you know what happens when you burn a corpse? The curiosities about death They take us on a journey through the most absolute mystery. There are those who think that with physical death, our path has come to an end. Others believe that this is just one of the many lives through which our soul transits. Until a few years ago, when someone died, they were accompanied to the cemetery and buried. It could be in a niche, in a vault or in an open tomb in the ground, but the tradition was followed. Perhaps thinking about the resurrection of the bodies, people did not even want to hear about the cremation of a body.
In other cultures it is normal to burn the dead on funeral pyres, but in the Judeo-Christian tradition this is not the case. This has changed a lot today and the cremation of a body is no longer a taboo subject, or at least not so much. Today in Supercurioso we have encouraged ourselves to delve into this process and tell you what happens when a corpse is about to be burned. Can you come with us?
Shocking things that happen when burning a corpse
1. Oven temperature
The process of burning a corpse requires taking the body of the deceased, in its coffin, to a crematory oven. But it is not just any one, but a device specially designed for this purpose.
For the human body to be completely reduced to ashes, the temperature of the oven must be approximately 900 ° centigrade. It is only with that level of heat that the body is disintegrated in its entirety.
2. The processes of cremation of a body
When the cremation of a body takes place, the corpse goes through two processes: first, the retort, in which organs are vaporized and oxidized by heat until only entire skeletal remains remain. And the second is the cremulator, which crushes the remains until they become tiny fragments like grains of sand. In a cremation, the body with the heat dehydrates, dries up and naturally catches fire and burns.
3. The skull remains when the body is burned
Perhaps you have heard of the rare phenomenon of uncorrupted bodies, those that even having been buried, remain pristine, bodies that do not decompose. Well, in the process of burning a corpse, although this, of course, does not happen, if there is an area of the body that remains at least during the first cremation.
This is the skull in the first waves of heat, in which all the rest of the body disappears, it usually still retains its shape and density. Sometimes it is even necessary to use a special roller to spray it.
4. The corpse moves
Around the cremation of a body there are many myths and urban legends. There are even some who defend that the corpse, inside the oven, moves. Well, experts confirm that there are movements. The bodies do not sit down, but due to the thermal differences between the refrigerator where they were and the heat of the oven, there are movements of knees, hands or fingers.
5. How much do ashes weigh?
One of the most impressive moments of the cremation of a body is the delivery to the relatives of the remains of the deceased. It is very hard to see how a person who was standing, is reduced to a small box. Well, the ashes and dry bone fragments weigh only 3.5% of what the original body weighed.
6. What happens to the pacemaker?
When burning a corpse, this is one of the most important facts to know. If the deceased wears a pacemaker, it can explode inside the crematorium oven. So much so, that in many places dedicated to cremating bodies, they demand its removal.
7. The maximum weight allowed
And to burn a corpse, the weight is also an important issue. In fact, if the deceased is morbidly obese, in most cities they will not be able to cremate him because he will not fit in the oven. The maximum weight they usually admit is 200 Kg.
8. Loss of DNA
Another important fact about the cremation process of a human body is that at the time of cremation, the DNA is permanently lost. However, the professionals who are at the forefront of this class of services guarantee that the processes comply with legal regulations, and that the ashes cannot be mixed or confused.
How is the process of burning a human corpse?
Burning a corpse is a decision to which the family of the deceased must agree, since it departs completely from the burial tradition.
However, before making a decision, it is advisable to find out how the process unfolds. The first step in the cremation of a body is to remove the jewelry and other materials that the deceased is carrying, and deliver them to the family. The usual removal of pacemakers, if appropriate.
During the process, the body is placed in a chamber and exposed to extreme temperatures (up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit), leaving behind only ashes. All the ceremonies of burning a corpse are performed individually, and last between one and three hours., according to the physical volume of the deceased. After the body has been burned to ashes, a cool down period is recommended before handling. In general, they are deposited in an urn or container, and delivered to the family.
And you, Have you ever heard about these weird things that happen when burning a corpse? Did you have any idea what the steps were for the cremation of a body? Do you find it an acceptable method, or do you prefer the more traditional ones? Dare to leave us your opinions on this sensitive topic in a comment.
On video: What happens when you burn a corpse?
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And if what you want is to continue in this line of investigation, we leave you with the article in which we tell you about the terrible stories of the body snatchers.