X-Message-Number: 7105
From:  (Randy)

Newsgroups: 
sci.life-extension,alt.extropians,sci.cryonics,misc.health.alternative
Subject: Re: Is there an AFTERLIFE???
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 07:34:32 GMT
Message-ID: <55bvbf$>
References: <> <55boft$>

Cathy LeFevre <> wrote:

>I find it emotionally necessary to believe there is an afterlife - or a 
>continuation of life.  I have experienced many losses of people close to 
>me in the past two years, emotionally I need to believe that those people 
>have continued to exist in some other form.  That doesn't say there is an 
>"afterlife" or a "continuation of life".  

This is probably one of the reasons why the idea of cryonics has so
much trouble finding mainstream acceptance: This strong emotional need
mentioned above and a belief in an afterlife is felt by an estimated
95% of Americans. If people cannot give up this idea, and if
acceptance of cryonics means they must so, then there's the problem.

>Both of these schools of thought are attractive because it means that I 
>don't end when this body dies, that my parents and friends and still 
>out there somewhere, still learning and doing.  I personally believe that 
>life - defined as self-awareness and consciousness in some form - 
>continues in some form after this body dies.  Maybe I believe this 
>because it is emotionally necessary for me to do so, but maybe because I 
>do believe that humans are much more complex and powerful (spiritually 
>and mentally) than anybody knows.

But your is belief rational? With major improvements in
freezing/cryonic methods achievable in the next 10 years, and the
consequent vast improvements in the odds of cryonics working, would
your beliefs and emotional need keep you from accepting the possiblity
that that could save your life?

Randy


>Why limit our thinking to corporeal existence?


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