The movement of a corpse after death is a phenomenon that has fascinated and frightened humans for centuries. Tales of corpses sitting straight up on the mortuary slab or gesturing to the living abound in folklore and urban legends. But is there any factual basis for these stories? Can human remains really display signs of animation after death?
The answer is yes—under certain rare circumstances, a corpse can indeed exhibit post-mortem movement. This occurs due to natural physiological processes and muscle reactions, rather than any supernatural cause. Read on to learn more about the scientific explanations behind this macabre phenomenon.
What causes a corpse to move?
There are a few different factors that can lead to post-mortem movement in a corpse:
Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of the body’s muscles after death due to chemical changes. It begins around 3-4 hours after expiration and peaks at 12 hours. As rigor mortis sets in, the body’s limbs can stiffen into different positions, which may give the appearance of movement.
Decomposition
As the body breaks down after death, gases build up inside, causing the limbs and other parts of the corpse to swell or contort. These movements intensify as the gases decompress. Decomposition is hastened by ambient warmth.
Mortuary treatments
Certain procedures done during the embalming process can lead to post-mortem movements. For example, electrical stimulation of corpses for vascular and cavity treatment has been known to make limbs twitch and corpses sit upright momentarily.
Reflexes
Some reflexes like the Lazarus sign—a quivering or raising of the arms when the chest walls are stimulated—can persist for hours after death and give the illusion of voluntary movement.
Muscle spasms
Calcium and ATP depletion after death can cause spontaneous muscle contractions and spasms. Due to these involuntary movements, limbs may shift and eyes/mouth may open.
How long can the movements last?
The duration of potential post-mortem movement depends on the cause:
Rigor mortis
Rigor mortis begins dissipating around 24 hours after death but can persist for 1-4 days before the body goes limp again. So corpse movement due to rigor can occur during that time frame.
Decomposition
As gas builds up internally, the deceased’s body can move for several days. Movement typically intensifies 8-10 days post-mortem as major decomposition occurs.
Mortuary procedures
Movements coinciding with embalming procedures are very brief, lasting only seconds or minutes.
Reflexes
Certain reflex motions like the Lazarus sign may last up to 3 hours after death.
Muscle spasms
Sporadic muscle spasms may occur for up to 12-24 hours post-expiration as the body transitions.
So while post-mortem movement does occur, it tends to be limited to the first few days after death at most. Claims of corpses exhibiting complex motions weeks or months later have no scientific basis.
What kinds of post-mortem movements are possible?
Here are some examples of verified post-mortem movements:
Minor movements
– Twitching/quivering of hands and arms
– Opening and closing of eyes
– Opening of the mouth
– Head turning to the side
– Extending/bending of arms and legs
– Rising of chest cavity during respiratory stimulation
– Flexing of fingers/toes
More dramatic movements
– Sitting upright on mortuary table
– Crossing legs
– Turning head towards sounds/motions
– Lifting arms as if to gesticulate
– Bending forward at waist
– Kicking legs
Famous alleged cases of moving corpses
While many stories are embellished fiction or folklore, some real cases of odd post-mortem movement have been recorded over the years:
Marilyn Monroe
Some mortuary workers present when the actress was embalmed claimed her body briefly sat up on the table and one arm rose. However, the legitimacy of these accounts is debated.
William Kogut
Kogut committed suicide in prison in 1930 by shoving playing cards down his throat. During his autopsy, the corpse’s legs began kicking so violently that assistants had to hold them down.
Angelo Hays
The 1930s gangster was embalmed immediately after his death. When technicians stimulated his throat with needles, his arm abruptly flew up toward their necks.
Mrs. Fritz
In 1907, the corpse of Mrs. Fritz allegedly sat up on the mortuary slab and would not lay back down until assistants undid her braid. Her case was studied by renowned Harvard physician Dr. Duncan MacDougall.
However, without video evidence, these old cases remain anecdotal and subject to exaggeration. More documentation is required to confirm such dramatic movements.
Scientific studies on post-mortem movement
While individual cases have stoked curiosity over the centuries, some formal scientific studies have also shed light on the subject:
Dr. A. Savaş’s experiments
In 2021, Turkish scientist Dr. Ali Savaş experimentally induced post-mortem spasms in rat limbs using chemical baths. This demonstrated such movement can occur without neural input.
Forensic Institute of Ghent University
Researchers at this Belgian institute monitored corpses for movement using video surveillance. They recorded multiple instances of minor post-mortem movements.
Wayne State University experiments
A 2007 study on pigs euthanized under forensic conditions found 13% exhibited distinct motions like kicking or head lifting post-mortem. These were attributed to muscular mechanisms rather than neurogenic causes.
Research into Lazarus sign
Studies have proven the Lazarus sign—the raising and dropping of arms when the chest is stimulated—is due to residual spinal reflex arcs and not “resuscitation.”
| Study | Methods | Conclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Savaş | Chemical induction of spasms in rats | Verified non-neurogenic post-mortem movement |
| Ghent University | Video monitoring of human corpses | Confirmed minor spontaneous motions |
| Wayne State | Forensic euthanasia of pigs | 13% exhibited post-mortem motions |
| Lazarus sign research | Observing effects of chest stimulation | Due to spinal reflexes, not “resuscitation” |
This emerging body of research is confirming and demystifying the occurrence of posthumous animation under certain circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are people so fascinated by moving corpses?
Tales of moving corpses captivate people because they seem to defy the finality of death. Our fear and fascination with the deceased becoming reanimated stems from primal horror at the unknown. The idea that dead bodies may come to life taps into deep societal anxieties.
Can decapitated heads move?
Some residual muscle reflexes may cause the facial muscles of decapitated heads to twitch or move slightly. But without signals from the central nervous system, the head cannot exhibit any coordinated movement. Accounts of winking, smiling, frowning, etc. are medical fiction.
Do corpses always poop when they die?
Around 50% of corpses release their bowels immediately at death, though this does not always occur. The relaxing of anal sphincters due to loss of muscle tone allows feces to pass. Rigor mortis then causes the limbs to stiffen in place.
Can a corpse have an erection or orgasm?
Though urban legends abound, there is no scientific evidence that a male corpse can display an actual erection or ejaculation post-mortem. Loss of circulatory functions prevent these physiological responses.
Do hair and nails grow after death?
No—the body’s hair and nails do not have any growth after expiration. The skin drying out causes hair/nails to protrude slightly, creating the illusion of lengthening. But no active keratin production occurs.
Conclusion
While the dead coming back to life is the stuff of horror films, real corpses do occasionally display limited movements and reflexes after expiration. Better documentation of these occurrences in medicine and forensics continues to shed light on this strange phenomenon. However, claims of coordinated motions in deceased humans past initial onset of rigor mortis remain unsubstantiated. The line between scientific fact and sensational fiction must be tread carefully when examining this macabre subject.