X-Message-Number: 17111
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
Subject: Why?
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 11:55:47 +0100

Thomas R Mazanec asks why people do not sign up, despite the fact they many
must know about cryonics.

The possibilities are endless, but high on the list is probably that they
have false ideas about many aspects of it.

Another one is probably the same reason as why people do not make wills or
think more than so much into the future.

Hatred or mistrust of the legal profession may have something to do with it.
Most people only use lawyers if they are forced to, voluntary users are I
would suspect quite few - the lack of will making amongst the general
population in the UK is a prime example. I know that you don't have to get
involved with lawyers if you want to sign up, but there are plenty of
undercurrents from both sides that suggest that you should. At present in
the ECSG mailing list (join it from http://www.cryonics-europe.org ) there
is a discussion about all sorts of extra legal documents and expense.

Some of those enthusiastic about cryopreservation think you can improve your
chances if you commission various legal documents. Those against cryonics
try and dissuade others by suggesting that they get their lawyers to check
it out first, as it must be a scam really.

Cryonics, (even if funded by a trust or pre-payment), is really a sort of
insurance policy. No one wants to be cryopreserved, it is just the second
worse thing that can happen to you. There is also quite a current of
hostility rising against insurance companies, with several failures and
frauds in the Uk recently. People are noticing that the things they really
worry about are being excluded from policies, or charged at extortionate
rates. A lot of people don't insure their house contents, and take out the
minimum legal requirement on their cars and building structure (required if
there is a mortgage). With contents policies, no one wants their house to be
burgled, but if you are covered it is the lesser of two evils. Many may
prefer to just hope it doesn't happen. They know if they, for example, take
a discount for having a theft alarm, the one time they are burgled they will
have forgotten to set it. Or they may discover that their policy only allows
for a two week unattended absence and they were away 15 days - and so on.

--
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:      http://www.deRivaz.com
my homepage links to Longevity Report, Fractal Report, music, Inventors'
report, an autobio and various other projects:
http://www.geocities.com/longevityrpt
http://www.autopsychoice.com - http://www.cryonics-europe.org -
http://www.porthtowan.com

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