X-Message-Number: 15274
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 17:18:05 -0600
From: Trent Condellone <>
Subject: Public Perceptions & Cryonics

I was setting at home not feeling to well, so I turned on the TV - "Beyond 
Bizarre" was on. Among other things, there was going to be a segment on 
mummies. A more accurate synopsis would have been "disposal of remains 
after death, alternate ways." They did mention Cryonics, briefly, to 
mention that Trans Time is doing it, and they showed a clip of what I 
assume was a Cryonics process.

Then then went on, at length, to discuss modern mummification. This 
expensive process is being done by several groups, including a nice 
classroom of normal, mainstream morticians in Florida. Some kind of other 
organization  (it is in a pyramid, and the members are legally named things 
like "Ra", so I assume it is some kind of religious thing, not just a 
burial service, although this was not mentioned). The narration went on the 
explain how the mummies were "perfectly preserved, even muscle tissue".

Obviously a slanted article - mummies were OK because they aren't new, and 
they preserve you perfectly with modern science and pyramids, and secrets 
of the pharohs. Cryonics dump people in a freezer.

This got me to thinking about....

A show I saw a little while back, about some paranormal investigators..... 
a woman was haunted by her dead husband going "Help me!'". Turns out he was 
Cronically frozen... only thing that could save his soul was thawing him 
out and burying him! From the files of a paranormal investigator, 
dramatized for TV, so it must be true....

Ah, and what about the "Outer Limits" or "Twilight Zone"? Has anybody here 
ever seen an episode where someone was revived after being frozen and was 
happy? Even the episodes where people try to live through a disaster in a 
shelter turns out to be a living hell... it almost seems like any life 
preservation is evil, or stupid...

And the movies... isn't the villain, the evil genius, always trying to 
extended his life, or be revived from the dead?

And when the brilliant doctor on the spaceship finds a way to revive to 
dead crew member, it is almost always with some cursed alien object that 
does something awful to someone else.

Has anyone ever seen (products by Cryonics supporters don't count! I'm 
talking about "popular" culture only!) very many good portrayals (the 
recent book, I think titled "The First Immortal", is a great step!)? even 
the Beyond Bizarre guy wasn't very interested - I say get them interested!

This is something we need to change.... and I think you'll find funding 
will come easier with better public perception. This will mean doing things 
you don't always agree with, but are necessary to stay in business. The 1st 
house I ever gutted and re-built, I spent on the things I, as a builder, 
would want right - wiring, plumbing, structure, roof, insulation. People 
weren't very interested - then a couple I had been trying to sell bought 
the very poorly constructed house down the street - it had brass faucets, 
black toilet, chandlers, etc. People want the eyewash. While I am not 
suggesting anybody cheat anyone else, perhaps some more attention should be 
paid to "marketing". You have a unique product, insofar as it could be 
perceived as costly (it is very costly... while driving in the BMW, yuppies 
can explain "WE are going to be cryopreserved... ya a whole TEAM of people 
will..."), elite (only the smart will buy our product - your a smart 
consumer if you buy our way!!), yet affordable (who doesn't have life 
insurance? It isn't too expensive, anyway...).

Perhaps a little more user friendly approach, with a one stop systems (a 
"mall" if you will - life agent, cyro facility, trust attorney) in one 
location, but not necessarily working under the same people (we have the 
same things in RE - "malls" where there is a mortgage broker, RE brokerage, 
title company and lawyer in one building, who rent space from the owner) or 
web based.

Ever see those shows that comes to town and sell electronics, or those get 
rich quick seminars they advertise in the paper, usually held at a hotel 
expo center? Has anyone ever tried to get a bunch of Cryo info and people 
together, rent some space in a demographically "average" area, and hold a 
"Modern Pre-Paid Burial Seminar" (or perhaps a  "Sceintific Pre-Paid Burial 
Expo, where you can take the burden off of your loved ones. Providers from 
many different organizations will be on hand, along with estate planners...").

I am a good example of "good" publicity. When I was very young (7 or so) I 
watched an "In Search Of..." about Cryonics. I never ever forgot that, 
after all those years, it so captured my interest. No one else in my family 
has any interest in Cryonics, to my knowledge. Now, because of that, here I 
am years later contributing to Cryonet (for better or worse heh heh), and 
adding to my knowledge. Although my case is not average, it shows that 
preaching to other than the converted can help.

The biggest stumbling block, of course, is religion. Many will perceive 
their religion as "forbidding" Cryonics, and in many cases would not be 
correct. Since drugs, prostitution, etc. thrive, I think I can safely 
assume people will do as they please... but that would be another post I'm 
not up to composing right now....

I do not pretend to have studied the underlying science enough, at this 
stage, to comment on it, or to be knowledgeable enough about the various 
organizations to comment on them. Please don't take this as criticism of 
the aforementioned. I am merely trying to state that there is more to this 
issue than the scientific.  I feel that this is one of the most important 
issues facing Cryonics. Bear in mind there is right, wrong, and what people 
think is right!



Trent

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