Anchorite
anchorites were subject to a religious rite of consecration that closely resembled the funeral rite, following which they would be considered dead to the world, a type of living saint.
I had heard this word before, but had never explored its actual meaning. This idea of being “dead to the world” is kind of fascinating, as is the idea that you have to be the living dead to become a living saint. But the idea of being given food and shelter and being left alone–well, for some people, that has some appeal. John Elder Robison hypothesized that many of our kin where probably monks or priests. I could see “anchorite” as an occupation as well.