X-Message-Number: 12134
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 23:31:38 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: "Soul" and cryonics, flexibility

David King, #12126, writes

>
>Many people believe we have a "soul" and that when we die we move on to
>another plane of existence.  Whether it's called heaven, hell, or just another
>dimension, most people believe we go "somewhere" better.
>
>So, how do we reconcile this with Cryonics?  Does everyone who signs up for
>cryonic suspension not believe in an afterlife? Do you believe that this life
>is all there is?
>
You will find different points of view within cryonics just as outside the
movement. But I think it's safe to say that most serious cryonicists doubt
the existence of any mystical essence or "soul" as traditionally understood,
and also the possibility of an afterlife or any form of survival after
clinical death, except (possibly) through being frozen.

There are exceptions however--I'm one of them. I don't believe in any
mystical reality (as usually understood, if "understood" is the right word).
But I do think it is possible, and likely, that somewhere in the far future
or in some part of the multiverse (consisting of many universes besides our
own) a replica of any given deceased individual will come into being. This
seems inevitable given the randomizing nature of events--sooner or later it
has to happen, and over and over, and it may well involve the purposeful
actions of an intelligent civilization, which is also something that comes
into being from time to time. This then, is a sort of "afterlife" for those
who died without being frozen. But I think there are good reasons for
choosing the cryonics option where possible, and I've gone into some detail
on this in my book, *Forever for All,* recently completed in draft form. (As
it happens, I am right now at work on a revision of the text to bring out
more clearly reasons for preferring cryonics.)  

On another topic, I find Bob Ettinger's remarks on "flexibility"
encouraging--I hope that CI and other organizations too can offer lower-cost
preservative options to increase the chances of saving more people.

Mike Perry

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