X-Message-Number: 32414
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:46:39 -0800 (PST)
From: david pizer <>
Subject: How to protect yourself


There has been some discussion about relatives causing suspensions to not take 
place as the cryonics member gets older and how we cryonicists can protect 
ourselves from this happening.


Suspension interference happens more then most cryonicists realize. As a retired
member of of Alcor management I have seen a lot of it.  Sometimes relatives 
cause the suspension to not take place by interfering at, afterwords or just 
before legal death.  When this happens, the cryonics community knows that a 
relative interference has taken place.


But much more often, the interference takes place long before legal death as the
suspension member grows old and mentally fragile.  Little by little over time, 
the relatives encourage the member to cancel his/her membership.  One day the 
dues quit coming into Alcor or CI and neither Alcor nor CI really know why the 
person is no longer paying dues.  They try to contact the member but often the 
relatives can block that from happening.  If they do make contact with the 
member, the member gives them an excuse that they think will cause Alcor or CI 
to drop the matter, at the relatives' urging or suggestion.  They rarely tell 
Alcor or CI the real reason, specifically that their relatives have talked them 
out of it.


Then after suspension arrangements have been canceled, the relatives talk the 
ex-member into changing the beneficiary on the insurance policy and that is the 
end of their chances for a successful suspension.


All one has to do is look at how many people have dropped their membership after
all the work and expense of signing up for cryonics to see that this is 
happening every month of every  year.

You say it won't happen to you!


Maybe so but maybe it will.  Because when you grow old you lose some of your 
ability to think clearly.  Little by little your relatives gain control of your 
thinking process.  They are their in your home or community working on you day 
and night to cancel your cryonics - or if you lose enough mental ability they 
simply take over your affairs.

You think your relatives will continue to honor your wishes as you grow old?


A lot of them will tall you to your face that they will, but in reality they 
believe that cryonics is a waste of your time and your money.  So they have no 
moral reservations about causing you to cancel your membership and have the 
money go to them if and when they get a chance to take over.

How can you protect yourself?


Make sure that your life insurance policy says that if you don't get suspended 
for any reason that the proceeds still go to your cryonics organization and not 
your relatives.  So there is no financial incentive for the relatives to cause 
you to cancel your arrangements.


Put a clause in your will that says that if you don't get suspended that all 
your estate goes to your cryonics company and not your relatives so that there 
is a financial incentive for your relatives to see that you do get suspended.



Maybe have two beneficiaries on your life insurance policy.  One is your 
suspension company and the other is your relatives.  If you get suspended Alcor 
or CI gets their money and your relatives get some too.  If you don't get 
suspended then Alcor or CI get all the money and your relatives get nothing.


Make a video of your wishes and send it to your cryonics organization to keep in
case there is trouble when you get old and infirm.


Help create a cryonics community where older  cryonicists can live until their 
suspension time.

David

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