X-Message-Number: 15274 Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 17:18:05 -0600 From: Trent Condellone <> Subject: Public Perceptions & Cryonics I was setting at home not feeling to well, so I turned on the TV - "Beyond Bizarre" was on. Among other things, there was going to be a segment on mummies. A more accurate synopsis would have been "disposal of remains after death, alternate ways." They did mention Cryonics, briefly, to mention that Trans Time is doing it, and they showed a clip of what I assume was a Cryonics process. Then then went on, at length, to discuss modern mummification. This expensive process is being done by several groups, including a nice classroom of normal, mainstream morticians in Florida. Some kind of other organization (it is in a pyramid, and the members are legally named things like "Ra", so I assume it is some kind of religious thing, not just a burial service, although this was not mentioned). The narration went on the explain how the mummies were "perfectly preserved, even muscle tissue". Obviously a slanted article - mummies were OK because they aren't new, and they preserve you perfectly with modern science and pyramids, and secrets of the pharohs. Cryonics dump people in a freezer. This got me to thinking about.... A show I saw a little while back, about some paranormal investigators..... a woman was haunted by her dead husband going "Help me!'". Turns out he was Cronically frozen... only thing that could save his soul was thawing him out and burying him! From the files of a paranormal investigator, dramatized for TV, so it must be true.... Ah, and what about the "Outer Limits" or "Twilight Zone"? Has anybody here ever seen an episode where someone was revived after being frozen and was happy? Even the episodes where people try to live through a disaster in a shelter turns out to be a living hell... it almost seems like any life preservation is evil, or stupid... And the movies... isn't the villain, the evil genius, always trying to extended his life, or be revived from the dead? And when the brilliant doctor on the spaceship finds a way to revive to dead crew member, it is almost always with some cursed alien object that does something awful to someone else. Has anyone ever seen (products by Cryonics supporters don't count! I'm talking about "popular" culture only!) very many good portrayals (the recent book, I think titled "The First Immortal", is a great step!)? even the Beyond Bizarre guy wasn't very interested - I say get them interested! This is something we need to change.... and I think you'll find funding will come easier with better public perception. This will mean doing things you don't always agree with, but are necessary to stay in business. The 1st house I ever gutted and re-built, I spent on the things I, as a builder, would want right - wiring, plumbing, structure, roof, insulation. People weren't very interested - then a couple I had been trying to sell bought the very poorly constructed house down the street - it had brass faucets, black toilet, chandlers, etc. People want the eyewash. While I am not suggesting anybody cheat anyone else, perhaps some more attention should be paid to "marketing". You have a unique product, insofar as it could be perceived as costly (it is very costly... while driving in the BMW, yuppies can explain "WE are going to be cryopreserved... ya a whole TEAM of people will..."), elite (only the smart will buy our product - your a smart consumer if you buy our way!!), yet affordable (who doesn't have life insurance? It isn't too expensive, anyway...). Perhaps a little more user friendly approach, with a one stop systems (a "mall" if you will - life agent, cyro facility, trust attorney) in one location, but not necessarily working under the same people (we have the same things in RE - "malls" where there is a mortgage broker, RE brokerage, title company and lawyer in one building, who rent space from the owner) or web based. Ever see those shows that comes to town and sell electronics, or those get rich quick seminars they advertise in the paper, usually held at a hotel expo center? Has anyone ever tried to get a bunch of Cryo info and people together, rent some space in a demographically "average" area, and hold a "Modern Pre-Paid Burial Seminar" (or perhaps a "Sceintific Pre-Paid Burial Expo, where you can take the burden off of your loved ones. Providers from many different organizations will be on hand, along with estate planners..."). I am a good example of "good" publicity. When I was very young (7 or so) I watched an "In Search Of..." about Cryonics. I never ever forgot that, after all those years, it so captured my interest. No one else in my family has any interest in Cryonics, to my knowledge. Now, because of that, here I am years later contributing to Cryonet (for better or worse heh heh), and adding to my knowledge. Although my case is not average, it shows that preaching to other than the converted can help. The biggest stumbling block, of course, is religion. Many will perceive their religion as "forbidding" Cryonics, and in many cases would not be correct. Since drugs, prostitution, etc. thrive, I think I can safely assume people will do as they please... but that would be another post I'm not up to composing right now.... I do not pretend to have studied the underlying science enough, at this stage, to comment on it, or to be knowledgeable enough about the various organizations to comment on them. Please don't take this as criticism of the aforementioned. I am merely trying to state that there is more to this issue than the scientific. I feel that this is one of the most important issues facing Cryonics. Bear in mind there is right, wrong, and what people think is right! Trent Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15274