Fear can take all shapes and sizes. Fear can become a phobia and/or an obsession if left unaddressed. Fears usually begin in childhood and will manifest itself in many ways – hysterical crying, freezing up, physical and emotional outbursts. But there are those rare instances when the fear will begin and manifest itself in adulthood because of a personal trauma. For instance, there was a woman in the United States who after a debilitating car accident could not make right hand turns. This fear became an obsessive phobia for her as she would study maps for hours just to find a way to reach her destination without having to make a right hand turn. During the late 1200’s humankind shared a common fear which for some became an obsessive phobia – the fear of being buried alive or most commonly known as premature burial. The fear of being prematurely buried alive is humankind’s oldest fear.

Those in the medical profession during these time periods were not as skilled or knowledgeable as they are today. Barbers and surgeons were frequently one and the same which aided in the misdiagnosis of death. However, it should be noted that evidence of “misdiagnosis” is difficult to document because there were very few details printed on death certificates, a doctor did not need to be present to declare someone deceased – they just needed to be told that someone died and that’s what they attested to on the death certificate, the pallbearers/funeral processions were not smooth frequently banging the coffins on a wall or hitting a pothole, and the bodily functions of the corpse can make it appear as if the person had awakened and struggled to get out of the coffin.

Although the fear of premature burial reached its height in the 19th century in Europe it stretches back to ancient times.

There are many other stories of men, women, and children suspected of being buried alive when their coffins were later opened and their fingers and hands had been chewed, faces distorted in fear, and their bodies not just lying spilled onto the floor but several feet away sitting in a corner huddled in fear. It is believed that these people were rare instances.

Another common factor of premature burial was plaques and epidemics of small pox and cholera to name a few. It has been reported that during the black plaque people who were pronounced deceased could be heard crying for help within the heap of dead bodies. Usually, these people were left as they were and buried in mass graves – no one had the stomach to dig them out and it would only delay work schedules which were already overwhelming.

Next Page