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150 years ago premature burial was one of the greatest fears of many people. George Washington famously feared premature burial. While on his deathbed in 1799,

150 years ago premature burial was one of the greatest fears of many people. George Washington famously feared premature burial. While on his deathbed in 1799, he instructed his personal secretary Tobias Lear to make sure he was dead before he was buried: “Have me decently buried; and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.” Washington ushered in an era of taphophobia, or fear of premature burial. During the 19th century, popular books and magazines promoted the idea that many people were buried alive. They reported tales of bloody shrouds, gnawed fingers and horribly contorted bodies inside their coffins. “Less than 150 years ago many medical practitioners freely admitted to being uncertain whether their patients were dead or alive,” wrote Jan Bondeson in Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear, published in 2002. https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/when-fears-of-premature-burial-stalked-the-land/ https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/when-fears-of-pr...

lisper 4y ago
Safety coffins, which had various mechanisms for signaling if you woke up inside of one, were in vogue for quite a while. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin
smeej 4y ago
Popes are still hit on the head with a hammer to make sure they're dead, though it's mostly just ritual at this point. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/3515/ancient-tradition-for-confirming-popes-death https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/3515/ancient-traditi...
- devoutsalsa 4y ago
  smack “If he wasn’t dead before, he is now!”
- tomcam 4y ago
  It’s actually a silver hammer. A certain Beatles tune comes to mind
- francisofascii 4y ago
  Jesus was pierced with a spear.
  - TEP_Kim_Il_Sung 4y ago
    Vampires have to get their hearts pierced, lest they rise from their graves. Did it work?
    - propogandist 4y ago
      The Roman emperor at the time wrote “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum“ as the reason for his crucifixion and although he was confirmed to be dead with a spear, he rose again on the 3rd day and still lives. Jesus is (and was) the greatest Jew that walked this earth. His life, death and resurrection is foundational to the world having unrestricted access to the God of the Israelites.
- Eleison23 4y ago
  It's the same principle your doctor uses when he taps your knees with his rubber mallet. They're looking for a reflex action.
meken 4y ago
Premature burial wouldn’t even be that bad… wouldn’t you be dead in a like a minute due to lack of oxygen? I’m firmly in the camp of being vastly more terrified of being stuck or trapped somewhere for an indefinite amount of time.
- orangepurple 4y ago
  For some reason I feel more comfortable watching an ISIS beheading video than discovering the answer to this question
- llanowarelves 4y ago
  Looks like it's anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 days.[1] [1]https://www.popsci.com/article/science/how-long-could-you-survive-coffin-if-you-were-buried-alive/ https://www.popsci.com/article/science/how-long-could-you-su...
- tluyben2 4y ago
  I stumbled upon some cave exploring video where a guy got stuck and died as they could not get him out in time; think he was there for a few days before dying. Edit; found [0] ; 28 hours it was. Cave exploring is my worst nightmare (I am claustrophobic) but actually seeing videos of people enjoying that and saying ‘now I cannot move my arms and I only can wriggle part of a inch forward or backward at a time’ [1] while smiling is just the stuff of nightmares to me (this guy does many narrow cave videos that trigger angst in me). [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Putty_Cave https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Putty_Cave [1] https://youtu.be/FAg8EkDiIXk https://youtu.be/FAg8EkDiIXk
  - Maursault 4y ago
    This played out in the news. The rescue lasted 28 hours, but he would have been stuck a few hours longer. I was horrified by it, but also remember being angry about the whole thing. John Edward Jones was 6' tall, 200lbs. (slightly above average weight), 26yo medical student with a wife and child. iirc, his being left in the cave was his final wish, his family negotiated for it, the local Sheriff's dept. was probably relieved about the idea, weary of spending resources rescuing people in trouble. They left his remains where stuck and sealed the cave. It was a popular cave, attracting thousands of tourists annually, but they made a special case for this one reckless thrill-seeker, likely highly intelligent who had amateur experience caving, but not much skill or common sense. The one thing that is nearly always done is bringing the victim home, but here they did something so bazaar that I still can't quite get my head around it, his widow and child left with the thought that his final resting place was upside down and contorted. By the time he gave up and made his final wish, I do not think he was in his right mind, with support for this by his family in horror and grief, likely also not thinking clearly. Maybe it is for the best that they closed and sealed the cave, but leaving him in there was questionable and grotesque. I realize the circumstances were incredibly difficult, but when the rescue failed, all involved quickly took the path of least resistance rather than in consideration of how time changes things for the survivors. I don't know how one would come to terms with that; the tragedy seems left unresolved.
TimonKnigge 4y ago
A harrowing story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Blunden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Blunden

lisper 4y ago

Safety coffins, which had various mechanisms for signaling if you woke up inside of one, were in vogue for quite a while. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_coffin

smeej 4y ago

Popes are still hit on the head with a hammer to make sure they're dead, though it's mostly just ritual at this point. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/3515/ancient-tradition-for-confirming-popes-death https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/3515/ancient-traditi...

devoutsalsa 4y ago
smack “If he wasn’t dead before, he is now!”
tomcam 4y ago
It’s actually a silver hammer. A certain Beatles tune comes to mind
francisofascii 4y ago
Jesus was pierced with a spear.
- TEP_Kim_Il_Sung 4y ago
  Vampires have to get their hearts pierced, lest they rise from their graves. Did it work?
  - propogandist 4y ago
    The Roman emperor at the time wrote “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum“ as the reason for his crucifixion and although he was confirmed to be dead with a spear, he rose again on the 3rd day and still lives. Jesus is (and was) the greatest Jew that walked this earth. His life, death and resurrection is foundational to the world having unrestricted access to the God of the Israelites.
Eleison23 4y ago
It's the same principle your doctor uses when he taps your knees with his rubber mallet. They're looking for a reflex action.

meken 4y ago

Premature burial wouldn’t even be that bad… wouldn’t you be dead in a like a minute due to lack of oxygen? I’m firmly in the camp of being vastly more terrified of being stuck or trapped somewhere for an indefinite amount of time.

orangepurple 4y ago
For some reason I feel more comfortable watching an ISIS beheading video than discovering the answer to this question
llanowarelves 4y ago
Looks like it's anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 days.[1] [1]https://www.popsci.com/article/science/how-long-could-you-survive-coffin-if-you-were-buried-alive/ https://www.popsci.com/article/science/how-long-could-you-su...
tluyben2 4y ago
I stumbled upon some cave exploring video where a guy got stuck and died as they could not get him out in time; think he was there for a few days before dying. Edit; found [0] ; 28 hours it was. Cave exploring is my worst nightmare (I am claustrophobic) but actually seeing videos of people enjoying that and saying ‘now I cannot move my arms and I only can wriggle part of a inch forward or backward at a time’ [1] while smiling is just the stuff of nightmares to me (this guy does many narrow cave videos that trigger angst in me). [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Putty_Cave https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Putty_Cave [1] https://youtu.be/FAg8EkDiIXk https://youtu.be/FAg8EkDiIXk
- Maursault 4y ago
  This played out in the news. The rescue lasted 28 hours, but he would have been stuck a few hours longer. I was horrified by it, but also remember being angry about the whole thing. John Edward Jones was 6' tall, 200lbs. (slightly above average weight), 26yo medical student with a wife and child. iirc, his being left in the cave was his final wish, his family negotiated for it, the local Sheriff's dept. was probably relieved about the idea, weary of spending resources rescuing people in trouble. They left his remains where stuck and sealed the cave. It was a popular cave, attracting thousands of tourists annually, but they made a special case for this one reckless thrill-seeker, likely highly intelligent who had amateur experience caving, but not much skill or common sense. The one thing that is nearly always done is bringing the victim home, but here they did something so bazaar that I still can't quite get my head around it, his widow and child left with the thought that his final resting place was upside down and contorted. By the time he gave up and made his final wish, I do not think he was in his right mind, with support for this by his family in horror and grief, likely also not thinking clearly. Maybe it is for the best that they closed and sealed the cave, but leaving him in there was questionable and grotesque. I realize the circumstances were incredibly difficult, but when the rescue failed, all involved quickly took the path of least resistance rather than in consideration of how time changes things for the survivors. I don't know how one would come to terms with that; the tragedy seems left unresolved.

TimonKnigge 4y ago

A harrowing story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Blunden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Blunden