X-Message-Number: 15629 Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 22:13:04 +0000 From: Phil Rhoades <> Subject: Voluntary deanimation >Message #15625 >From: "Gary Tripp" <> >Subject: Re: Secret to a Long Life >Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 14:52:15 -0500 > >This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > >------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C095CC.8E047E20 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > >Mike Perry writes: > > >It may be that the secret to a long life is knowing when it's time to go > >into cryopreservation. > > >I think that is one of the most important points of this arena - the > >question is: how do we do it legally? Actually I made the second comment in response to Mike's comment. >I think this will be very bad council until we have established that >prevailing cryonic suspension methods afford the degree of confidence >required by such a voluntary act of deanimation. I personally think that >this is dangerous ground and that it might prove to be a most prolific source >of trouble. Nothing short of a proof of reversible suspension would >suffice in my book. I do not think that we should be encouraging this line >of thinking; rather, we should make every effort dissuade people from >contemplating such acts. The best bet for survival is to hew to a healthy >life style in the hope that one may live long enough to benefit from >developments in genetic engineering, organ transplants, stem cell research, >nanotechnology OR the perfection of cryonic suspension technology. >Given the exponential character of such developments and its current >pace, it really makes sense to cling to life as long as we possibly can in >the hope that a new day will bring us closer to the promised land of >extended life span. I suspect that well within this century mankind >will eventually find immortality in a post biological form enabled by >nanotechnology. I think you are missing the point - we are not saying "it's a nice day, why don't I deanimate?". The main problem (as I see it - and others obviously) is getting a nice, clean deanimation under very controlled circumstances - this is almost impossible if you wait for a "natural" death for all the reasons that are constantly discussed in this forum. If you are very close to the time, there is no use considering leading a healthy life etc - if you are close, you are close! - all the supplements, transplants etc in the world aren't going to help . . When it is time, you want a smooth exit and immediate suspension, _therefore_ we have to get to the situation where we can do it under controlled conditions, at a time of our own choosing. Therefore the law needs changing so that this is possible. All of this is not to say that the other things you recommend are not worth doing - of course they are but it is silly to wait until reversible suspended animation is proved before people can have control over their own lives . . rather than being "dangerous ground", it is a critical point of philosophy and law that should be discussed and debated. People should be _demanding_ this right to be able to control their own bodies! The whole of human history has been a continuous struggle to liberate people from the imposed theology/opression of others, you seem to be saying "I don't think people should be able to do this therefore I want to stop them from being able to". R&LL, Phil. - Philip Rhoades Pricom Pty Limited (ACN 003 252 275) GPO Box 3411 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia Mobile: +61:0411-185-652 Fax: +61:2:8923-5363 E-mail: Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15629