There is a tale of a man who fell gravely ill and then appeared to have died. His body was gathered up, washed, and placed in a coffin, all the funeral preparations were made, and the priest invited.

The coffin was being carried to the graveyard when there came a knocking from inside. It was put on the ground, the lid was opened.

As people stood around he spoke up, “I am not dead, I have not died – you must take me out of here.”

But the priest in charge of carrying the coffin said “I’m sorry sir, you can’t be alive. The doctor has certified your death and the priest has also agreed upon it.”

Whereupon the lid was closed back down and the man was buried as planned.

~Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart