Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally. The victim may accidentally be buried by others in the mistaken assumption that they are dead. Intentional burial may occur as a form of torture, murder, or execution; it may also occur with consent of the victim as a part of a stunt (with the intention to escape). Fear of being buried alive is reported to be among the most common phobias.

Biology

Premature burial can lead to death through one or more of the following: asphyxiation, dehydration, starvation, or (in cold climates) hypothermia. A person trapped with fresh air to breathe can last a considerable time and burial has been used as a very cruel method of execution (as in cases of Vestal Virgins who violated the oath of celibacy), lasting sufficiently long for the victim to comprehend and imagine every stage of what is happening (being trapped in total darkness with very limited or no movement) and to experience great psychological and physical torment including extreme panic. The medical term for the fear of being buried alive is taphephobia.

Buried alive refers to a premature burial.

Buried Alive may also refer to:

Music

Buried Alive is the fourth and final single from American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold's fifth album Nightmare.

Background

In September 2011, the band announced plans for a music video for this single. They tried to get Rob Zombie to direct the video, but he declined due to being focused on another project. The band did not announce any other plan for a music video for the song.

The single was released the September 20, 2011, although the lyric video for it had been already released on July 17, 2010 in the official band's YouTube channel. The lyric video has gotten 8.6 million views as of March 21, 2015. The "Buried Alive tour" (the promotion tour for Nightmare) takes its name from this song.

In 2014, a demo for the song leaked. The demo features The Rev on lead vocals and some different lyrics, as well as some breaks where M. Shadows sang in the original. The demo was probably an early version of the song written by The Rev solely, before M. Shadows finished it for Nightmare.