X-Message-Number: 2249
Date: 15 May 93 01:19:44 EDT
From: Michael Riskin <>
Subject: CRYONICS: Neuro/Wholebody Suspension

     Every suspension member obviously believes that the brain contains
something they want to come back with...if for no other reason than no one
(as far as I know) signs up for for a brainless body suspension.( As an
irrelevant but interesting to me aside, I am acquainted with a woman who
essentially claims to experience life solely through her body. We
regulary have a conversation about our own worst fears. Mine is that my
mind is gone , and I have  knowledge of that. Hers is that she has become
irreversibly ugly, and incapable of experiencing bodily sensations. She
keeps trying to talk me into making the arrangement to freeze my head and
her body if both are essentially ok, and then, ultimately joining my head
to her body. She is aware of the fact that if given the possibility, I
would like to be able to experience life with a female body at least on
an optional part time basis. One of her more compelling arguments is that
I would be inheriting world class genitalia. This is quite interesting to
me as I could conceive of being alive with only a functional brain and no
body whatsoever as a preferable alternative to being dead. She on the
other hand would prefer to be dead under those circumstances. This also
happens to be quite an intelligent woman, with a doctorate in health
psychology, a successful business woman, and although raised very
Catholic is of atheist persuasion).                                      
         So, to continue on from that digression  Whole body members
believe one or more of the following: The body possibly contains useful
additional data worth saving; there is less possibility
a neuro will be reanimated than a WB for technical or aesthetic or other
unpredictable reasons; if a new body proves to be possible and desireable
then that decision can be made at the other end instead of up front where
it is irreversible; and possibly others some of the whole body members
may care to share ...I am interested in your reasons.
    Now, IF, just as good a suspension of the brain can take place with a
WB as with a neuro, and IF the cost of performing and maintaining a WB is
manageable, and there is at least a same likelihood of reanimation, why
wouldnt one opt for the WB?  Now, those are certainly big ifs, but to the
small degree I understand  vitrification, certainly not impossible or
even unlikely.
   To me , the decision to go WB is the the same reason as the decision to
go cryonic...that is...traditional disposal means dead forever, whereas
suspension is possible alive for a long time. Similarly, disposal of my
body is disposal forever, unless It is an option to sever my head and then
suspend both parts independantly.  


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