X-Message-Number: 1006
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 92 18:08:22 PDT
From: Lola McCrary <>
Subject: Alcor growth

Kevin:  Please do not post to [sci.cryonics] newsgroup.

Thanks to Charles for his efforts to promote cryonics.  I have a few comments
on growth.

Since I've become interested in cryonics and signed up with Alcor, I've thought
a great deal about spreading the word about cryonics and getting more people
interested in signing up.

Much to my surprise, I discovered when I mentioned cryonics to people that a
frequent response was "Do this again?  Are you kidding?  Once was more than
enough!"  A real surprise to me since I can't imagine exisiting on a day to day
basis with that attitude toward life.

After a few of these responses, as well as the usual "It's unnatural."  Or "I
don't think anyone should live forever" (yes, I tried the usual counter
arguments, with a few variations of my own), I have come to believe that we may
never have to worry about the number of people who will want to be frozen.

Then, when I hear various people in cryonics expounding on how to convince
people they shouldn't give up and just die, or on how no one should *have* to
die, with overtones of "We should bring all these poor misguided people to
their senses"  I have to wonder about the value of that.

People have always found creative ways to make real the fact that life is not
worth living:  Addictions, reckless and dangerous behaviors, and overwork to
name a few.  It is clearly documented that people can simply die because they
no longer chose to live.  Health care workers can pick out those who have given
up.

Can we change these people's minds about dying?  Probably only if we can change
their present life.  The possible promise of a future "better life", be it

heaven or cryonics isn't likely to appeal to the chronically depressed agnostic.

My hit on it:  
 
Have the information available.  Offer it to those we know, those we love and
those who are interested.  Do not try to convert people.  Those who already
have a pre-dispostion to be survivors and lovers of life will respond.  The
others we probably can't help much and will just become frustrated over.  If
they are important enough to us that we are trying already to deal with their
depression, closedmindedness or ignorance about what living is about, then
possibly as these other issues are addressed, their attitude towards cryonics
will change as well.

Some people don't want to believe.  It messes too much with their worldview.  

If we are asking our culture and governments to let us chose when to be
cryonically suspended (legally die), and to refuse other more "conventional"
lifesaving procedures in favor of the gamble that cryonics is, then if others
choose to refuse cryonics *for whatever reason* we should respect that, even if
we don't understand and don't agree.  Some people will simply die.  While we
mourn that, and them, being fanatical about trying to change their minds will
only annoy them and give cryonics a bad name.

Personally I think it may take as long to change our culture's attitudes toward
living and dying as it will to bring people back.  If that turns out to be the
case then great numbers of suspended people will not be an immediate problem.

Lola

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