The Strange Story Of Essie Dunbar, The Woman Who Was Allegedly Buried Alive In 1915

Documented cases of near-premature burial, and in some instances apparent actual premature burial, did occur.

Taphophilia societies — organizations dedicated to studying and preventing premature burial — accumulated case reports and statistics during the nineteenth century.

Some of these reports are well-documented; others are secondhand or embellished.

The challenge of distinguishing genuine cases from exaggeration is persistent, because the fear itself tends to generate stories, and stories tend to grow in the telling.

Edgar Allan Poe’s 1844 story “The Premature Burial” is the most famous literary treatment of the fear, but it was one of many.

Poe’s story draws explicitly on real case reports, several of which he names, blending documented cases with the psychological portrait of his narrator’s terror.