X-Message-Number: 10545
From: 
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 01:43:43 EDT
Subject: Where is the rush?

   I hope, that I am not posting something, already posted to the point of
nausea. But perhaps the principle reasons that the great rush to sign on to
cryonics has not happened are profound philosophical conflicts and strong
emotional conflicts.

1. The fundamental philosophical conflict is that if one believes in an
afterlife (as most people do), then being returned back to life would be
having oneself suddenly yanked from heaven, and deposited back into the real
world. This is a daunting prospect - of course most people would consider
themselves worthy of the best that their religious beliefs have in store for
them after life. And thus to suddenly be returned to present reality would be
a form of damnation. "Unnatural" would probably be a word that would be used.
"In conflict with God's purpose" might be another. 
2. The attraction for athiests becomes obvious.
3. The attraction for agnostics is wonderful - you are get to hedge your bet
both ways!
4. The attraction for the followers of the major religions is greatly
diminished. 

On a seperate note:

 The large costs involved is a daunting figure. Even if it is arrived at from
a life insurance policy it is money being taken from future generations. The
support of future generations is a profound emotional motivator. Honestly
thought,  I would consider this a very minor area of conflict.
  If it is simply paid for in cash, it is still a rather sizeable amount, for
something that is by most people considered a fool's gamble.  It would be like
playing a lottery with the cost of the tickets being $50000+. Perhaps the odds
realistically are quite removed from the 1 in 30million but the odds are still
quite high.

On another note:
   Social and scientific advancement is a complex system, and even at the
present could be entering a new dark age.One can take an optimistic pespective
and hope for social stability and continued scientific advancement. But there
is the opposite side. That social forces will result in science being
ostracized,demonized, or governmentalized to death, and advancement coming to
a gradual halt.  

And going on :
 Even if science continues at a high pace, present day methods of freezing may
destroy the patterns of personality to the point of no return.  And until
experiments begin on reviving humans we have no way of knowing which method of
freezing is best. 
   In summary - a lot of unknowns and a lot of theory, but few facts.



On another note.

 To sign up is to realize one's mortality. This is extremely difficult for a
lot of people. Note the difficulty of selling life insurance to young people
or even more so the difficulty of selling burial plots to young people.  For
an older person realizing one's mortality and accepting it is a standard of
wisdom. There is a tremendous conflict with the sudden ray of hope that
cryonics might provide. During this time of turmoil, the elderly flock to
their religiuos roots,. They return to the fundamental conditioning of their
youth.
 I begin to believe that religion is the fundamental obstacle to mass
popularity of the cryonics movement. We are in direct conflict with the
principle function of religion, being the emotional comfort of providing
purpose during life and continuity of self after life. 


And another note.


 There is a serious lack of famous people being signed up. A large majority of
the population are followers. The need for famous, public, respectable people
to sign up is obvious. 
I think this is a large factor. 

And last, on a similar note.

 There is a social ostracism to being a member of a group that is extremely
small, with ideas that conflict with the common sense of the masses. No one
wants to be alone. Obviously the attraction of very independantly minded
people to cryonics, understandable.  A funny note is that all of Heinlein's
heroes were independant and had a high sense of ego.  If not at the beginning
of the story but certainly by the end. 



I hope I have not repeated that which has been said too many times.

My conclusions from all this are 

focus on atheists and agnostics

focus on the wealthy

get some big names

let the independant minded find their own way to cryonics by having the
information out there.

With utmost respect,



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