X-Message-Number: 2249 Date: 15 May 93 01:19:44 EDT From: Michael Riskin <> Subject: CRYONICS: Neuro/Wholebody Suspension Every suspension member obviously believes that the brain contains something they want to come back with...if for no other reason than no one (as far as I know) signs up for for a brainless body suspension.( As an irrelevant but interesting to me aside, I am acquainted with a woman who essentially claims to experience life solely through her body. We regulary have a conversation about our own worst fears. Mine is that my mind is gone , and I have knowledge of that. Hers is that she has become irreversibly ugly, and incapable of experiencing bodily sensations. She keeps trying to talk me into making the arrangement to freeze my head and her body if both are essentially ok, and then, ultimately joining my head to her body. She is aware of the fact that if given the possibility, I would like to be able to experience life with a female body at least on an optional part time basis. One of her more compelling arguments is that I would be inheriting world class genitalia. This is quite interesting to me as I could conceive of being alive with only a functional brain and no body whatsoever as a preferable alternative to being dead. She on the other hand would prefer to be dead under those circumstances. This also happens to be quite an intelligent woman, with a doctorate in health psychology, a successful business woman, and although raised very Catholic is of atheist persuasion). So, to continue on from that digression Whole body members believe one or more of the following: The body possibly contains useful additional data worth saving; there is less possibility a neuro will be reanimated than a WB for technical or aesthetic or other unpredictable reasons; if a new body proves to be possible and desireable then that decision can be made at the other end instead of up front where it is irreversible; and possibly others some of the whole body members may care to share ...I am interested in your reasons. Now, IF, just as good a suspension of the brain can take place with a WB as with a neuro, and IF the cost of performing and maintaining a WB is manageable, and there is at least a same likelihood of reanimation, why wouldnt one opt for the WB? Now, those are certainly big ifs, but to the small degree I understand vitrification, certainly not impossible or even unlikely. To me , the decision to go WB is the the same reason as the decision to go cryonic...that is...traditional disposal means dead forever, whereas suspension is possible alive for a long time. Similarly, disposal of my body is disposal forever, unless It is an option to sever my head and then suspend both parts independantly. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2249