So much of what we celebrate today – whether Halloween, Solstice-based wintertime celebrations, birthdays, or weddings, many of the traditions associated with these served the purpose of protection and banishing evil spirits from this realm. However, what if the unwanted spirit which you sought to protect yourself from and drive away was yourself? What if the thing which haunted you, which caused you to spend your nights frozen in fear was none other than you?

Who speaks for the dead?  Who helps solve murders long since forgotten, or avenges a death that has gone undiscovered?  Sometimes when life is so suddenly taken, it prevents a spirit from moving on – until they can find ghostly justice.

Taphophobia is a severe form of claustrophobia that is triggered by the fear of being buried alive. It’s a psychological phenomenon that is as old as human history itself. A fear that has been encoded in us since ancient times, when the possibility of premature burial was very real. These are some legends of those from history who suffered this fate, and whose spirits attempted to contact those closest to them for help.