X-Message-Number: 17787 Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 11:00:02 -0400 From: Keith Henson <> Subject: Re: Re: Science/Religion Religion and cryonics is a recycled discussion. Here is a recycled snip from an article Arel Lucas and I wrote in 1992. The whole can be found at http://keithlynch.net/cryonet/00/06.104.html How (at long last!) does this relate to the difficulty of selling cryonics? We submit that the long term mental changes that happen to people who make cryonics arrangements have a lot in common with religious conversions. Logically, cryonics should be considered a low tech way to reach high tech medicine, no more exciting than iron lungs, or pacemakers. Alcor, of course, is *not* a religion; it doesn't aspire even to be a cult. However, the mental "agents" the cryonics idea constructs in people's minds have the same "deflect or modify thoughts about death" effect as some of the mental agents most religious memes build. The cryonics memes seem to "fit" into the "mental space" in people that is often occupied by a religion. As a result people class it as one, or something closely related. Unfortunately, this is a hotly contested spot in the mind! Memes of this class usually include a submeme, "this is the only true belief, listen to no others." Religious memes (including such beliefs as reincarnation) build lasting, often lifelong, agents in human minds. This part of human minds where these agents are located seems to be particularly resistant to change, perhaps because the "function" of these memes is not much related to the way "this world" operates. That is, one belief in this category is about as good for you (and your genes) as the next. If this is the case, switching holds little advantage, and the process of modifying anything close to this area may be dangerous to mental stability. Cryonics (if it works) is very much of an exception to the rule. . . . . Keith Henson (There are other related articles of mine out there, my name and memetics should get most of them on Google.) Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17787