The Lazarus Effect or Lazarus Phenomenon is a person's return to life after they were declared dead.
According to the Smithsonian, perhaps one third of those who return to life make a complete recovery.
The effect is named for Lazarus of Bethany brought back to life in response to a command from his friend Jesus (John 11).
Researchers have found published reports of the phenomenon, which is also called spontaneous resuscitation. Physician surveys have documented the Lazarus Effect at a fairly high level of frequency but others are sceptical.
From the perspective of clinical psychology, it is easy to see why people were so afraid of being buried alive in the past and arranged for "safety coffins" that allowed for air intake and ways to notify people if they were trapped inside such as bells and flags. The fear is called taphophobia.
From the perspective of moral psychology, emotional responses can influence decisions about how long people wait until allowing a perceived dead person to be maintained on life support. Another consideration is the time frame for removing donated organs.
References
Adhiyaman, V., Adhiyaman, S., & Sundaram, R. (2007). The Lazarus phenomenon. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 100(12), 552–557. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076807100012013
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2013.07.030.
Hornby, K., Hornby, L., & Shemie, S. D. (2010). A systematic review of autoresuscitation after cardiac arrest. Critical care medicine, 38(5), 1246–1253. https://doi.org/10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181d8caaa
Image: The Resurrection of Lazarus by Duccio di Buoninsegna (1308 - 1311)
Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is www.suttong.com
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