An expert has helped explain how reports of people coming back to life can happen in real life - and it’s not because of a zombie apocalypse.
The first mention of the living dead is said to come from 17th century Haiti when it was described as a monster.
Their coming back from the dead to feast on the living was only added in the 20th century in popular culture, such as George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series.
Further popularised through the likes of TV’s The Walking Dead and Simon Pegg’s Shaun of the Dead, some people are so terrified of the idea they have prepped underground bunkers to escape the resulting apocalypse.
Now an expert has explained how some instances of people seemingly returning from the dead can happen, without people starting to hunt for brains to munch on.
Stephen Hughes, senior lecturer in medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, told the Metro: “An absence of heart and breath sounds over a period of time, the presence of fixed, dilated pupils, and a failure to respond to any stimulus should mean that the person is deceased. All doctors are taught how to do this and all are aware of their duties.
“Unfortunately, there have been instances where death has been confirmed by this process, yet the patient has shown signs of life afterwards.
“Failure to perform the confirmation-of-death procedure properly explains some instances of people being incorrectly declared dead. A cursory examination while distracted could easily lead to a failure to hear heart sounds and spot shallow, infrequent breaths. It pays to be thorough.”
He added during his career he has experienced people seemingly returning back to life, although the instances were explained.
He said one cause can be an overdose of sedatives which reduces responsiveness, while some toxins can also have a similar effect.
The lecturer’s comments came after a woman, 82, was found to be alive by funeral home staff in New York after being declared dead.
A similar incident earlier happened in Iowa.
Earlier this month is was reported dogs will be aware of a zombie apocalypse before humans.
Dr Cameron Carlson of the Zombie Research Society says people should listen to their pet pooches if they're to stand a chance in an undead uprising.
He said that if your dog starts acting a little strange, then you better follow their lead and get suspicious yourself, as the Daily Star reports .
He said: “The one animal we would see giving us signs about what to do would be dogs.
"Dogs are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment and changes in the physiological state around them.
"Since we are in contact with dogs so much of the time, any change in any environment is going to set them off."
