The Creepy Truth Behind 10 Urban Myths

The Legend

It was a beautiful service, sad but, in many ways, uplifting - the perfect send off. As mourners file past the casket to say one last goodbye, they remark on what a good job the mortician has done, they look as though they could just be sleeping. 

It is at this point that the coffin's occupant suddenly sits up and screams, very much alive and kicking, scaring the bejesus out of everyone present.

The Truth

As miraculous as this story sounds, the number of people that wake up at their own funeral is actually alarmingly high. Oftentimes this is during times of war or disease, when the dead are more likely to be buried in a rush. This is actually the reason behind the many customs that appear in lots of different cultures wherein the body will be displayed somewhere for a few days before disposal, it is to make sure your dear Granny is actually dead before you bury her.

There was one story of a South African man who actually woke up in the a locked, refrigerated drawer in the morgue. This led to the South African government to issue public service announcements, urging the public to make absolutely sure that their loved ones are dead before sending them off to the morgue.

There have also been accounts of people simply getting up and walking out of a funeral home, only to be found pottering about their kitchen as though nothing has happened by their shocked family.