NEARLY SUFFOCATED

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 September 1938, Page 10

NEARLY SUFFOCATED

MAN WHO WAS BURIED LONDON, July 18. What was claimed to be an expert • meat in catalepsy nearly ended fatally for an Egyptian who yesterday allowed himself to be buried in a 6ft grave in a Surrey rose garden. The man, Rahmen Bey, whose gifts have been exhibited in many other countries, had.intended to remain interred tor an hour while in a self-in-duced trance. The experiment was conducted in the garden of Mrs. Alex Dribeli, under the direction of Mr. Harry Price,- honoiary secretary of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research.

When the experiment began Rahmen Bey stood with his hands pressed lo his neck and temples. He swayed slightly for more than a minute, then tell backwards apparently insensible, and was lowered into the pit. A door was placed on supports over him to prevent him from being crushed by the weight, of earth, and two men began to fill “the grave” with 2ft of soil.

Four minutes later Rabmen Bey I rang an electric bell near his hand. ( which indicated that he was in danger of sulfocation. His manager, Air. Richard Middleton, leapt into (he half-filled pit and began feverishly to dig away the earth. Some minutes later the bell rang again and soon afterwards air reached the buried man. [Jut it was a quarter of an hour before the door could be raised and Ralunen Bey released. He appeared to bo verv Later he explained that when his body was being lowered into the nit hr } KU a l knwketl -’’OH) Its head. I his uad cut short the catalepsy ami placed him in danger He claims that he is able reill;iin ; tinder tho earth lor six hours, if his ' trance is uninterrupted. A more elabo- j rate experiment, with self-recording medical instruments strapped to his , I’ody. js pkuHJod in the autumn