Get ready to see 10 unbelievable freaks of nature. From freaky body parts to freak minds, you will surely meet some of the most incredible people that have ever lived. This post will consist of 5 rare and freaky body parts. The second part will cover 5 people who have freaky minds and amazing capabilities. Some are from the past and are long gone. However, some of the freaks are still alive.

It is unfortunate that people are occasionally born with a condition that can ruin their ability to live a normal life. However, for some, this is not the case. Even though they may be limited in some areas in their life, they will surprise you with their freakish talents in other areas. They may possess a talent that even the talented people without their condition, can never compete with. They may even become famous and be a part of the sideshow business. Here are 10 human freaks of nature.

Freaky Body Parts

#1 Count Orloff

Ivannow Wladislaus von Dziarski-Orloff (1864 – 1904) was believed to be transparent and ossified. According to Wikia.com, you could actually see through him. You can even see his blood circulating. If you put a newspaper with a flashlight behind him, you would be able to see it through him. Although he was believed to be ossified, it unclear if the claim is true. Even though he was born with no abnormalities, at the age of 14, he started to lose his strength. He lived a painful life and was eventually unable to stand. To help treat his pain, he was said to have used an opium pipe.

Dziarski-Orloff was given several names including Count Orloff, The Only Living Transparent and Ossified Man and The Human Window Pane. Later in his life, he used his rare and unfortunate deformity to his advantage. He owned his own sideshow business that became very successful.

#2 Craniopagus Parasiticus

Craniopagus Parasiticus is a very rare form of parasitic twinning (unequal conjoined twin). In fact, it is so rare that it only occurs in approximately 4 to 6 of 10,000,000 births. There have only been 10 documented cases in literature. The parasitic twin head with an undeveloped body is actually attached to the head of a developed twin. Unfortunately, the majority of infants are stillborn. Even if the child is not stillborn, they will die shortly after their birth. There are only 3 cases where the child actually survives birth. The first recorded case is of Everard Home’s Two Headed Boy of Bengal. His head is currently preserved at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal Society of Surgeons.

To treat the exceedingly rare condition Craniopagus Parasiticus (for the few that have survived birth), the only possible option is surgery. A team of surgeons will attempt to remove the parasitic twin. Interestingly, the surgical treatment for this condition has only been successful one time.

#3 Prince Randian: The Human Caterpillar

Prince Randian (October 12, 1874 – December 19, 1934) was a Guyanese American performer. He had various names such as The Human Caterpillar, The Snake Man and The Living Torso. Randian suffered with a rare condition called Tetra-amelia syndrome (an autosomal recessive congenital disorder where all four limbs are absent). Despite his condition, he became a successful performer.

In 1889, P. T. Barnum (founder of Barnum & Bailey Circus) brought Randian to the United States for employment. In the early 1900s, Randian was a famous limbless sideshow performer. Amazingly, he was able to roll and light cigarettes with just his lips. He could also paint and write by holding a brush with his lips. Of course, Randian’s lips had clearly played a vital role to his employment success. For a whopping 45 years, he was a popular carnival and circus attraction. He was also featured in the 1932 film Freaks. The film shows Randian’s famous cigarette-lighting routine.

Randian was a proud father of five children. He passed away at the age of 60. On December 19, 1934, he died not long after his very last performance at Sam Wagner’s 14th Street Museum.

#4 Child With The Appearance Of A Chicken

The image above shows a child that has the appearance of a chicken. This is surely a very bizarre birth defect case. The child was born in Taucha (a town in the district of Nordsachsen) back in 1735. The picture was taken at the Heimat Museum & Nature Cabinet Museum in Waldenburg, Saxony.

#5 Ectodermal Dysplasia

Ectodermal dysplasia is a group of syndromes that derive from abnormalities of the ectodermal structures. There have been over 150 different syndromes identified. One with this condition can suffer with abnormal development of the skin, hair, nails, teeth, or sweat glands. There have been 7,000 people diagnosed worldwide. The disorder is inherited, but can also be caused by a change in DNA or a genetic mutation. Although there are no cures, there are many different treatments available (such as dental treatment). Research is currently being done to find better treatments.

Although ectodermal dysplasias can occur in any race, it is more prevalent with Caucasians. A notable case of ectodermal dysplasias is actor Michael Berryman (an American actor that appeared in several different horror movies). The below picture shows a little boy that is suffering with the ectodermal dysplasia condition. You can clearly see peg shaped teeth with thin and rough hair.

Freaky Minds & Abilities

#6 Thai Ngoc: The Man Who Has Been Awake For Over 40 Years

Thái Ng?c was born in the year 1942. He is a Vietnamese insomniac and according to a Vietnamese news organization Thanh Niên (Vietnamese “Youth Newspaper”), he is best known for his unbelievable claim. Ng?c says he has been awake for over 41 years! Although Thanh Niên also made a claim that he acquired the ability to go without sleep after a bout of fever in 1973, the Vietnam Investment Review stated there was no apparent cause. So what does it feel like to not get sleep for several decades? In October of 2006, Ng?c said he was starting to feel like a plant without water. You would think that Mr. Ng?c would have said that after missing just a day or two of sleep.

The video on Ngoc is not in the English language. Unfortunately, we could not find any other options.

#7 Zulima Rodriguez Sanguino: Unbelievable Abilities Despite Her Abnormalities

Meet Zulima Rodriguez Sanguino. She was born without arms and legs. Despite her condition, she has three occupations. She is a professional lecturer, singer and a successful painter. Sanguino is employed by the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World (AMFPA). She also likes to help her family clean up trash. The amazing talent of this woman shows that although you can have a serious condition that limits your abilities, you can still live a happy and very successful life.

#8 Howard Engel: The Man That Can Write But Can’t Read

Howard Engel (born April 2, 1931) is a CBC producer, Canadian mystery writer and a founder of Crime Writers of Canada. Back in 2000, he suffered with a stroke that gave him a condition that prevents him from having the ability to read written words without a major struggle. However, the condition did not affect his ability to write. Although Engel cannot read, he can write. In fact, he can write very well. In 2005, (just a few years after his stroke) he wrote a novel called Memory Book based on his personal experience. He also had published a memoir and another novel in 2008.

Despite Engel’s inability to make sense of the words, he still found a way to write books. So how is this possible? Engel would transfer his writings from his visual memory to his motor memory. Here is how it was done: After a word was identified for him, he would then trace the letters over and over again. Then he would use repetition to form the motor memory of what motions created the letters that spelled the word. Engel realized that he could solidify his memories. His clever and successful plan was to trace the words along the roof of his mouth by using the tip of his tongue. For example, when Engel’s was exposed to writing, he would trace the shapes in his mouth. This brilliant plan of action was used to help unlock the motor memory and tell him what words he was actually looking at. So how does Engel actually write words? When he needs to write a word for one of his popular novels, he will draw the word from his memory and then recreate it.

#9 11-Year-Old Boy With IQ Higher Than Hawking & Einstein

You may have heard about this extraordinary little boy in recent news. Ramarni Wilfred is just 11-years-old. He scored higher on his IQ test than Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Ramarni had a whopping score of 162!  As a toddler, Ramarni had already started showing signs of genius. Believe it or not, as a toddler, his favorite book was an encyclopedia. At the beginning of his school years, he was already capable of reading and writing. At the young age of just 10, he wrote a philosophy paper on fairness. The paper earned him a 2:1 and a mock Oxford graduation.

Although Ramarni is very excited about his exceptionally high IQ score, he still remains humble and believes that he is incomparable to the greatest minds that have just a little bit lower IQ. Professor Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Albert Einstein all have an IQ of 160. Although today Ramarni still reads his preferred comics and watches the Disney Channel like most children do, he dreams of eventually studying at Oxford. He has plans to eventually becoming an astrophysicist.

#10 Laurence Kim Peek: The American Savant With An Exceptional Memory

Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951 – December 19, 2009) was a man with an exceptional memory, to say the least. Peek was born with several conditions which include macrocephaly, damage to the cerebellum and agenesis of the corpus callosum (a rare birth defect where there is a complete or partial absence of the corpus callosum). Although he had suffered with congenital brain abnormalities and social difficulties, he had a memory that was certainly a freak of nature.

Peek was not even able to button up his shirt. Although Peek’s childhood doctor said he was basically a worthless kid and needed to be put in an institution, luckily, his father did not take his advice. He may not have had ordinary motor skills, but he could sure read. At the age of only 16-20 months, he was already capable of memorizing things. He eventually went on to read books and memorize them. In just one hour, he could finish an entire book. Interestingly, he was not only a very fast reader, but he was able to retain almost everything he read. Here is how he did it: When Peek would read, he would scan the left page with his left eye, and then scan the right page with his right eye. On top of everything else, he was even able to remember every song he ever heard.

An article in The Times newspaper had claimed that Peek was able to accurately recall the contents of at least 12,000 books. You have probably seen or heard of the successful 1988 movie called Rain Man. Mr. Peek was the inspiration for the character that was played by actor Dustin Hoffman.

The Conclusion

Although things can go wrong in the stages of human development, time and time again, people will surprise you with their resilience to move on despite their limitations. They also get to show off their unique talents that many wish they had. These are true examples of extraordinary people.

What do you think about the people with unbelievably freaky minds? Did their stories seem like pure science fiction? You may have read about some of their stories in disbelief, but nevertheless, they are all true. If you want to share some more freaks of nature, feel free to leave your comment.