Mary Shelley, Taphophobia and Life-Preserving Coffins

We’re all afraid of something. Many people live with significant anxiety due to their fear of things such as heights, flying, public speaking, the number 8 for example (Octophobia - it’s a real thing). But one fear puts disproportionately more heebies in our jeebies: taphophobia, or the fear of being buried alive as a result of being incorrectly pronounced dead. To a mad few, it may seem a genuine irrational fear (like omphalophobia - the fear of belly buttons) but at least some solace can be taken in the fact that it is exceedingly rare… right? There wouldn’t be an episode if that was the case!   Perhaps being trapped 6 feet under is more reality than nightmare. This was certainly the case in centuries past.   In the early 19th century, when Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, it was remarkably common for people to be accidentally buried alive. It happened so frequently in fact, that some clever people came up with innovative escape coffins to help the poor buried people get out.    CHAPTERS: 00:00 Taphophobia: The fear of being buried alive 01:00 Resuscitation Techniques in the 1700s 03:26 The Story of Mary Wollstonecraft 07:01 The Influence of Contemporary Science on Frankenstein 10:20 What differentiates the living from the dead 15:50 The Language of Life and Death in Frankenstein 17:15 Historical Methods of Determining Death 18:01 The Distinction Between Absolute and Apparent Death 21:22 Historical Cases of Premature Burial 27:39 Innovative Solutions to Avoid Premature Burial 29:46 The Life Preserving Coffin: A Solution to Premature Burial 37:01 The Modern Perception of Death   PREVIOUS EPISODES MENTIONED: World's Most Kissed Face: Why CPR Doll Resusci-Anne Looks Like A French Girl The Resurrectionists! The Vague Silver Lining of Tobacco   SOURCES: The Science of Life and Death in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – The Public Domain Review By Sharon Ruston What are life-preserving coffins? – How It Works Taphophobia and ‘life preserving coffins’ in the nineteenth century - Marco Cascella, 2016 Life-preserving Coffin in Doubtful Cases of Death | Hagley Digital Archives Mary Shelley - Wikipedia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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