The Lazarus Syndrome: Burial Alive and Other Horrors of the Undead

by Rodney Davies

Evoking the unimaginable horror of premature burial, The Lazarus Syndrome traces the history of this grisly phenomenon---as well as premature dissection, untimely cremation, and the embalming of the living. Rodney Davies recounts unseemly cases, both literal and literary, of misdiagnosis and miraculous escapes from premature interment.

Explaining the generally accepted ways of determining death---lack of pulse and visible respiration---Davis shows how misleading these indicators can be. Immobilized by trance, coma, or catalepsy, thousands have suffered the chilling consequences of misdiagnosis. While the discovery of unwarranted cremations and premature burials has most often come too late to save the unfortunates, accounts astonished grave robbers who, pulling the rings off the near-dead, have roused them back to life. Treading the fine line that separates this world from the next, The Lazarus Syndrome is replete with stories of life after death---but of a completely different kind.

Genres: Death, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not done with it yet, but close enough to give my opinion. This is a true account of burial and dissection alive, amongst other things. Obviously it's a bit morbid but there are so many things that are shocking to read in this book. Things like this still happen today. I'm really into this book just because it's able to teach me about things that I was previously unaware of happening.

There are a couple annoying typos in the book; bad editing bothers me. But really this book is too amazing to care that much.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever had the fear of being buried alive? Well this book will not put you at ease. Not only does it look at the history of being alive, but is also includes being cremated alive and being dissected alive. Bibliography is included to see where the author got his sources. And if its something you though could only happen hundreds of years ago, check this book out and you will be surprised. Lots of interesting hard to believe facts are between the pages of this book.

[Selkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lazarus Syndrome explores examples of apparent death syndrome from history, urban legends, & tales of premature burials from the past, as well as how it is still something that occurs even in this day & time.