A common fear many people have about death is that they’ll be buried alive. Television shows, books and movies reinforce the false narrative that this occurs often. Story lines convince us that our chances of experiencing the living nightmare are much greater than reality confirms.
History of Vivisepulture
Known in the industry as “premature burial,” the first confirmed case of unintentional vivisepulture (the technical term) occurred sometime between 1266 and 1308 AD. Upon the reopening of his tomb, the philosopher John Duns Scotus was reportedly found outside his coffin with his hands torn and bloody after he presumably attempted to escape. Another incident is attributed to Alice Blunden of Basingstoke. She claims people buried her alive, not once but twice, in 1674. During the Victorian Era (between 1837 and 1901), body-snatching grew in popularity since fresh cadavers for medical advancement were so rare. Continue reading The 5 Best Buried Alive Movies