We tend to imagine
only two states: life and death. You are either here, or you are
gone. But modern medicine has opened a strange liminal space
between the two.
Deep within coma, the patient lies inert, intubated and
unreachable; seemingly dead to the world. And yet, for those who
return, the experience is often far from a blank. Survivors recount
vivid realms and realities, worlds of abject terror or astounding
beauty, and alternate lives spanning decades while mere days or
weeks pass in this world.
In this unsettling and deeply human session, journalist Alan Pearce
explores the extraordinary testimony of coma survivors who
experienced coherent and life-changing events that modern medicine
is swift to dismiss as no more than false memory, hallucination or
delirium.
Pearce asks what we lose when such testimony is ignored — and what
these strange return stories may reveal about consciousness,
trauma, medicine and the fragile border between life and death.
The session will begin with a brief introduction by the host,
followed by a 15-minute talk from Alan Pearce, a seated Q&A
discussion, and questions from the audience.
Tickets £12.50 including a 20% donation to Abney Park Cemetery.
Alan Pearce
Alan Pearce is a British journalist and author whose work has examined conflict, terrorism, the Dark Web and other hidden or difficult-to-access worlds. He brings an investigative reporter’s eye to subjects often pushed to the margins, combining first-hand testimony, expert insight and clear narrative storytelling. His latest work explores the experiences of coma survivors and the troubling gap between what patients report and what medicine is prepared to hear.
| Ticket | Event time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
The Living Dead of Intensive Care
What Coma Survivors Bring Back |
19:00 - 20:35 | £13.75 |
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