X-Message-Number: 14328 Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 04:07:05 -0400 From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: Effects of Perfected Suspended Animation on Society A number of people have expressed both on CryoNet previously and to me personally, their doubt that even fully perfected suspended animation (FPSA), having passed clinical trials with a success rate (full restoration with no mental or physical deficits) of over 95%, will cause a major change in the view of the medical establishment and, thus, the populace toward its use. This note is written in an attempt to allay that doubt and argue against that position. Clinical Trials for FPSA 1. As is normal, these will occur only after appropriate positive results have been obtained with regard to short and long-term safety and efficacy on mammals and, in particular for such an invasive procedure, on primates as similar as possible to humans. These experiments should also take place on animals of several kinds, especially dogs, which are well domesticated and well "known" to humans so that both objective and subjective testing can be done before and after. There can even be a certain amount of placebo controlled, double blindedness involved if necessary. For example, a pair of similar dogs both well known to their owner may be put through two different procedures which are unknown both to the owner and the person testing the dogs afterwards. One dog would have the whole suspended animation procedure and the other dog would simply have a sham operation of the same kind without blood washout, perfusion of CPA and lowering of temperature. In addition, the animal tests should be both of short and long-term duration. A group of longer term animals should be kept in suspension with one of the group being restored every so often to see that no long term damage is occurring. 2. The human clinical trials will be on otherwise healthy volunteers from among those who have something to gain and little to lose from the experimental procedure (not yet classified as "fully perfected" of course). An example of such persons from today's medical situation would be those who cannot obtain a transplant and will soon die without one. If we can arrange for these people to be assured of a transplant if they agree to take this experimental procedure (which might be as simple as allowing the necessary amount of time for their name to come to the top of the queue, but might also mean waiting for a donor organ of the correct type), then I think that they will both have little too lose (possibly only a few months of life) and, potentially, many years of life to gain. 3. The clinical trials are likely to take several years with some people stored for shorter and some for longer periods of time. As should always be the case when dealing with patients in any setting, the primary goal should be the welfare of the patient and all other considerations should be secondary. Parts of the trial may also be proceeding in parallel a different medical centers which will all have to be set up for these procedures. After a certain length of time with sufficient numbers of patients having been restored to life, received a transplant or whatever other curative therapy they needed which was not available at the time they began the procedure, and returned to their former family and work life, the results of the trials while still ongoing will be presented to the scientific world and to the media. Implementation into Established Medicine 1. It is my contention, that as soon as the very first person successfully emerges from the clinical trials, the media and public clamor (by terminal patients and there loved ones) for the use of this life saving procedure will be so large that the establishment will be force to provide. This may well happen through some medical centers which break ranks through a desire to be early providers of this service. 2. However, even if this early adoption does not happen, there will only be a slight delay. Once the trials have satisfactory published statistics, the medical centers which are doing the trials will open them to all those terminal patients for whom it is reasonable to think that a cure for their health problem may be available within a "few years". As this happens medical centers not engage in the clinical trials will be under increasing pressure to also provide the SA procedure and they will bow to the demand and do so. 3. There will be enormous medical/ethical debate about the use of the procedure from beginning to end. However, in the end the clear and now obvious life-saving nature of the procedure will prevail over all objections. The "few years" mentioned above will be constantly stretched and many, many people (but possibly never a majority) of those who are terminal will elect to take this procedure rather than to die, even though they cannot be at all certain when a cure for their health problem will be available in the future. 4. Finally, some medical centers will rebel from the establishment/ethical position, to even allow the elective use of the procedure for those suffering an enormous quality of life reduction from what is possible for them. An current example of this might be quadriplegics who are not near-terminal, but at some time in the future might be completely restorable to human normalcy and a far happier existence. Examples of Similar Previous Medical Paradigm Changes 1. While the nature of FPSA (an effective end to death) is unprecedented in the history of science and medicine, there are examples of major breakthroughs the events of which bear on the understanding of how FPSA will interface with society. 2. One example which I can think of is organ transplantation, specifically heart transplantation since that organ is, in our lore and mythology, so intimately related with our persona. The whole idea of heart transplantation was at first look at with revulsion and foreboding, that "medicine was going to far", "there comes a time to give up and go to ones maker" (always said by others about the one receiving the transplant, of course), and other such standard "wisdom". However, as we all know this nonsense did not carry the day and heart transplantation is well accept by most everyone and without any revulsion. 3. Similar, objections and revulsion accompanied the first human artificial inseminations, in vitro fertilizations, and embryo cryopreservations. Most all of these have been swept away or in the process of doing so. I could go on but the above it a good starting basis for my ideas and arguments. Please let me have your questions and comments on this important topic with may be upon us within 15-20 year if we get sufficient funding for the initial research needed. Paul Wakfer Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14328