X-Message-Number: 1006 Date: Wed, 15 Jul 92 18:08:22 PDT From: Lola McCrary <> Subject: Alcor growth Kevin: Please do not post to [sci.cryonics] newsgroup. Thanks to Charles for his efforts to promote cryonics. I have a few comments on growth. Since I've become interested in cryonics and signed up with Alcor, I've thought a great deal about spreading the word about cryonics and getting more people interested in signing up. Much to my surprise, I discovered when I mentioned cryonics to people that a frequent response was "Do this again? Are you kidding? Once was more than enough!" A real surprise to me since I can't imagine exisiting on a day to day basis with that attitude toward life. After a few of these responses, as well as the usual "It's unnatural." Or "I don't think anyone should live forever" (yes, I tried the usual counter arguments, with a few variations of my own), I have come to believe that we may never have to worry about the number of people who will want to be frozen. Then, when I hear various people in cryonics expounding on how to convince people they shouldn't give up and just die, or on how no one should *have* to die, with overtones of "We should bring all these poor misguided people to their senses" I have to wonder about the value of that. People have always found creative ways to make real the fact that life is not worth living: Addictions, reckless and dangerous behaviors, and overwork to name a few. It is clearly documented that people can simply die because they no longer chose to live. Health care workers can pick out those who have given up. Can we change these people's minds about dying? Probably only if we can change their present life. The possible promise of a future "better life", be it heaven or cryonics isn't likely to appeal to the chronically depressed agnostic. My hit on it: Have the information available. Offer it to those we know, those we love and those who are interested. Do not try to convert people. Those who already have a pre-dispostion to be survivors and lovers of life will respond. The others we probably can't help much and will just become frustrated over. If they are important enough to us that we are trying already to deal with their depression, closedmindedness or ignorance about what living is about, then possibly as these other issues are addressed, their attitude towards cryonics will change as well. Some people don't want to believe. It messes too much with their worldview. If we are asking our culture and governments to let us chose when to be cryonically suspended (legally die), and to refuse other more "conventional" lifesaving procedures in favor of the gamble that cryonics is, then if others choose to refuse cryonics *for whatever reason* we should respect that, even if we don't understand and don't agree. Some people will simply die. While we mourn that, and them, being fanatical about trying to change their minds will only annoy them and give cryonics a bad name. Personally I think it may take as long to change our culture's attitudes toward living and dying as it will to bring people back. If that turns out to be the case then great numbers of suspended people will not be an immediate problem. Lola Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1006