X-Message-Number: 1601 Date: 12 Jan 93 19:56:32 EST From: MICHAEL RISKIN <> Subject: Why do you want extended life? I spend as much of my life in the here and now as is possible.Although the past experienced as hindsight can of course be an invaluable learning aide, dwelling on the same often produces depression or addictions to glories past. The future offers us the possibility of exercising foresight and having positive control over our lives, with the downside being that continued focus on the existential contingencies that await us often produces anxiety and panic attacks. It is in the here and now that I experience the fullness of my life....a flow of being, flavored with the spice of a hearty insight. Since life for me is a sequence of here and nows, when asked about cryonics, that is my perspective.I have found myself saying "I enjoy conversations with inquisitive and intelligent people.....do you?" If the answer is "yes" I've said "we have something in common" or some such thought as stikes me at the moment, and "I look forward to many such more moments." Of course people will reply "no" and I genuinely inquire as to what it is they do value or enjoy and would like to have a lot more of. You know, if you give people a chance to express themselves without sensing negative judgment, they will often find their own reasons for wanting extended life. Michael Riskin Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1601