Psychology Wiki
(New page: {{ClinPsy}} thumb|Inventors addressed the fear of burial alive '''Fear of being buried alive''' is the fear of being [[premature burial|placed in a grave whi...)
 
m (Reverted edits by 153.107.97.155 (talk | block) to last version by AWeidman)
 
(7 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
 
[[Image:Coffin-bell.gif|thumb|Inventors addressed the fear of burial alive]]
 
[[Image:Coffin-bell.gif|thumb|Inventors addressed the fear of burial alive]]
   
'''Fear of being buried alive''' is the [[fear]] of being [[premature burial|placed in a grave while still alive]] as a result of being incorrectly pronounced [[dead]]. The abnormal, [[psychopathology|psychopathological]] version of this fear is referred to as '''taphophobia''' (from Greek ''taphos'', meaning "grave"), which is translated as "fear of graves".<ref>Dietrich H. "Taphophobia and resurrection mania"', ''Schweizer Arkiv für Neurologie, Neurochirurgie und Psychiatri''e. 1977;120(2):195-203 PMID 905788</ref>
+
'''Fear of being buried alive''' is the [[fear]] of being placed in a grave while still alive as a result of being incorrectly pronounced dead. The abnormal, [[psychopathology|psychopathological]] version of this fear is referred to as '''taphophobia''' (from Greek ''taphos'', meaning "grave"), which is translated as "fear of graves".<ref>Dietrich H. "Taphophobia and resurrection mania"', ''Schweizer Arkiv für Neurologie, Neurochirurgie und Psychiatri''e. 1977;120(2):195-203 PMID 905788</ref>
   
Before the advent of modern medicine the fear was not entirely irrational. Throughout history there have been numerous cases of people being accidentally buried alive. The 18th century had seen the development of [[Artificial respiration|mouth-to-mouth resuscitation]] and crude [[defibrillation]] techniques to revive persons considered dead, and the [[Royal Humane Society]] had been formed as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead''.<ref>{{cite journal
+
Before the advent of modern medicine the fear was not entirely irrational. Throughout history there have been numerous cases of people being accidentally buried alive. The 18th century had seen the development of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and crude defibrillation techniques to revive persons considered dead, and the Royal Humane Society had been formed as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead''.<ref>{{cite journal
 
|url=http://www.alcor.org/Library/html/PersonsApparentlyDead.htm
 
|url=http://www.alcor.org/Library/html/PersonsApparentlyDead.htm
 
|title=The Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead
 
|title=The Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead
Line 11: Line 11:
 
|month=September
 
|month=September
 
|year=1990
 
|year=1990
|accessdate=2006-12-06}}</ref> In 1896 an American funeral director, T.M. Montgomery, reported that "nearly 2% of those exhumed were no doubt victims of suspended animation."<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/buried.asp "Just Dying to Get Out"], from [[snopes.com]]</ref>
+
|accessdate=2006-12-06}}</ref> In 1896 an American funeral director, T.M. Montgomery, reported that "nearly 2% of those exhumed were no doubt victims of suspended animation."<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/buried.asp "Just Dying to Get Out"]</ref>
   
There have been many [[urban legend]]s of people being accidentally buried alive. Legends included elements such as someone entering into the state of [[sopor]] only to wake up years later and die again a horrible death. Another legend tells of coffins opened to find a corpse with a long beard or corpses with the hands raised and palms turned upward. Of note is a legend about the premature burial of Ann Hill Carter Lee, the late wife of Henry Lee III.<ref>[http://www.lewrockwell.com/jarvis/jarvis81.html Robert E. Lee's Mother]</ref>
+
There have been many [[urban legend]]s of people being accidentally buried alive. Legends included elements such as someone entering into the state of sopor only to wake up years later and die again a horrible death. Another legend tells of coffins opened to find a corpse with a long beard or corpses with the hands raised and palms turned upward. Of note is a legend about the premature burial of Ann Hill Carter Lee, the late wife of Henry Lee III.<ref>[http://www.lewrockwell.com/jarvis/jarvis81.html Robert E. Lee's Mother]</ref>
   
Fear of being buried alive was elaborated to the extent that those who could afford it would make all sorts of arrangements for the construction of a "[[safety coffin]]"<ref>[http://p6.hostingprod.com/@www.kirchersociety.org/blog/?p=233 A Short History of Security Coffins]</ref> to ensure this would be avoided (e.g. glass lids for observation, ropes to bells for signaling, and breathing pipes for survival until rescued).<ref>[http://www.bpmlegal.com/wcoffin.html Improved burial case] </ref>
+
Fear of being buried alive was elaborated to the extent that those who could afford it would make all sorts of arrangements for the construction of a "safety coffin"<ref>[http://p6.hostingprod.com/@www.kirchersociety.org/blog/?p=233 A Short History of Security Coffins]</ref> to ensure this would be avoided (e.g. glass lids for observation, ropes to bells for signaling, and breathing pipes for survival until rescued).<ref>[http://www.bpmlegal.com/wcoffin.html Improved burial case] </ref>
   
An [[urban legend]] states that the sayings "Saved by the bell", and "Dead ringer" are both derived from the notion of having a rope attached to a bell outside the coffin, which could alert people that the recently buried person is not yet deceased, however they are both false.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/1500.htm "Language (Life in the 1500s)"], from [[snopes.com]]</ref>
+
An [[urban legend]] states that the sayings "Saved by the bell", and "Dead ringer" are both derived from the notion of having a rope attached to a bell outside the coffin, which could alert people that the recently buried person is not yet deceased, however they are both false.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/1500.htm "Language (Life in the 1500s)"]</ref>
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 24: Line 24:
 
[[Category:Phobias]]
 
[[Category:Phobias]]
 
[[Category:Death]]
 
[[Category:Death]]
 
<!--
 
[[de:Taphephobie]]
 
[[it:Tafofobia]]
 
[[pt:Tafofobia]]
 
-->
 
{{enWP|Fear of being buried alive}}
 

Latest revision as of 16:38, 30 May 2011

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Clinical: Approaches · Group therapy · Techniques · Types of problem · Areas of specialism · Taxonomies · Therapeutic issues · Modes of delivery · Model translation project · Personal experiences ·


Coffin-bell

Inventors addressed the fear of burial alive

Fear of being buried alive is the fear of being placed in a grave while still alive as a result of being incorrectly pronounced dead. The abnormal, psychopathological version of this fear is referred to as taphophobia (from Greek taphos, meaning "grave"), which is translated as "fear of graves".[1]

Before the advent of modern medicine the fear was not entirely irrational. Throughout history there have been numerous cases of people being accidentally buried alive. The 18th century had seen the development of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and crude defibrillation techniques to revive persons considered dead, and the Royal Humane Society had been formed as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead.[2] In 1896 an American funeral director, T.M. Montgomery, reported that "nearly 2% of those exhumed were no doubt victims of suspended animation."[3]

There have been many urban legends of people being accidentally buried alive. Legends included elements such as someone entering into the state of sopor only to wake up years later and die again a horrible death. Another legend tells of coffins opened to find a corpse with a long beard or corpses with the hands raised and palms turned upward. Of note is a legend about the premature burial of Ann Hill Carter Lee, the late wife of Henry Lee III.[4]

Fear of being buried alive was elaborated to the extent that those who could afford it would make all sorts of arrangements for the construction of a "safety coffin"[5] to ensure this would be avoided (e.g. glass lids for observation, ropes to bells for signaling, and breathing pipes for survival until rescued).[6]

An urban legend states that the sayings "Saved by the bell", and "Dead ringer" are both derived from the notion of having a rope attached to a bell outside the coffin, which could alert people that the recently buried person is not yet deceased, however they are both false.[7]

References

  1. Dietrich H. "Taphophobia and resurrection mania"', Schweizer Arkiv für Neurologie, Neurochirurgie und Psychiatrie. 1977;120(2):195-203 PMID 905788
  2. Steven B. Harris, M.D. (September 1990). The Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead. Cryonics.
  3. "Just Dying to Get Out"
  4. Robert E. Lee's Mother
  5. A Short History of Security Coffins
  6. Improved burial case
  7. "Language (Life in the 1500s)"