X-Message-Number: 8780
From: Theo Richel <>
Subject: death guru
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 14:02:38 +0100

It is certainly no news that will shock the world but I discovered today 
that Scottsdale Arizona shares two extremes: not only is it the hometown of 
Alcor, but is also the place where death guru Elisabeth Kubler Ross (73) 
lives. For those of you who do not know: she is the founder of a large 
world wide movement of people who see death as something to look forward 
to. On october 8 1997 she is quoted to have said:'Death is nothing to be 
affraid of'. After working with dying patients for half a century, i cant 
wait', she said as she stretched out in a reclining chair, chain smoking 
dunhill sigarettes between sips of black tea. 'When i die i'm going to 
dance first in all the galaxies.... i'm going to play and dance and sing'. 
At 73 EKR believes she is at the end of her life.
EKR is much more successfull in convincing people to accept death than the 
Cryonics movement is in convincing people that death should be fought 
against. EKR is not interested in science, certainly not in technology and 
she is full of spiritual nonsense, but she has a lot of warmth and 
consolation to offer to people. That makes our lonely existence on this 
planet bearable and death acceptable.

The cryonics movement is a very cold opposite. cryonicists, transhumans, 
extropians seem to enjoy emphasizing our fundamental loneliness, are not 
affraid of endorsing egoism, and allthough I agree with them, I also think 
that a lot of sheep prefer the warmth of the flock instead of confronting 
the cold loneliness. The cryonics movement could grow if the members would 
emphasdzize more that they were social beings, that they want their whole 
family to be complete again in ???? years.  I feel I am starting to repeat 
Steven Harris's valuable remarks (#8776) now so i'll stop.

Theo Richel, Holland

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