Earlier this year, a man was buried alive. It’s likely you didn’t hear about it on the news, and that’s probably because he did it himself. Confused? Let’s backtrack a little.
Decades ago, Irishman John Edwards was an alcoholic and a drug addict. He was homeless, suicidal, abused, and had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals. He had cancer twice, a liver transplant, battled hepatitis C and watched too many of his loved ones die from their addictions. That’s when he decided enough was enough.
Now 61, Edwards is 27 years sober and spends his life giving back to the community and helping others just like him overcome their addictions. Having set up a number of rehabilitation centres, he decided to take his cause one step further, burying himself alive to raise awareness of addiction and mental illness, and to prevent others ending up in “an early grave”.
He spent 72 hours in a coffin, which had been expanded and modified to provide fresh air, internet and supplies. Every few hours, he would “speak to [his followers] from the grave before they get there and show them hope,” as part of his regular “GraveChats”.
In an interview with The Sun after coming back from the dead, as it were, Edwards referred to the moment he was lowered into the ground as “surreal” and “freaky”. “When you’re actually in [a coffin] alive and the lid goes down on it and your wife and your friends are throwing down the soil on top of it – quite enthusiastically. I might add – it’s just freaky because your life flashes before you.”
Despite admitting to the BBC the live burial is a “bit of a gimmick,” Edwards says it’s all worth it if he can change the lives of those struggling with addiction. “I'm desperate to reach as many people as possible.”
Could you stand to be buried alive – even for a good cause and with every convenience at your fingertips – for three days? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Image credit: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker.