Holy anorexia (anorexia mirabilis) was common during the 13th-15th centuries among nuns who fasted to the point of death to prove their love of God, framing starvation as devotion; one nun consumed only leper scabs and pus for the final month of her life, claiming it was the most delicious nectar she had ever eaten.

normativepending

Speaker

Robert Sapolsky

Evidence Quote

She subsisted on that for the final month of her life and claimed that this was the most delicious nectar she had ever eaten. She starved to death eating leper scabs and their pus.

Source

31. Religious Belief by Robert SapolskyStanford School of Humanities and Sciences
Created: 8/12/2026, 5:59:56 PM

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