Cryonics FAQ

Q. What famous people have been cryogenically frozen?

A.

There have been a lot of rumors about Walt Disney being frozen, but as far as I know, this is not true. Very few famous people have actually been cryogenically frozen to date. Probably the most famous person in suspended animation today is baseball great Ted Williams, who's head was removed and frozen.

Q. What is cryonics?

A.

Cryonics is a technique that involves freezing the body of a deceased person with to the point where physical decay stops. The body is then held in a state of frozen 'cryonic suspension' in hopes that eventually the technology will exist to revive them and cure them of the condition that caused their death.

Q. What is cryogenics?

A.

Cryogenics refers to the production of extremely low temperatures or the branch of Physics that studies low-temperature phenomena. Cryogenics is the technology that is used for Cryonics.

Q. Can cryonics be performed on living people?

A.

I guess if you want to be frozen to death. Seriously, cryonics cannot legally be preformed on a living person. The process of cryonic preservation cannot begin until a patient is pronounced legally dead. Perhaps one day once successful revival from cryonic suspension can be proved, the laws may change.

Q. What is reanimation?

A.

Besides being a really bad movie theme a few years back, Reanimation is the act of bringing a body that has been cryogenically frozen back to a living state that functions normally. So far, modern science has not been able to achieve successful reanimation of any human being.

Q. Has Walt Disney been cryogenically frozen?

A.

Is Disney on ice? Not to our knowledge! While it is true that most facilities that house frozen individuals have strict confidentially agreements, there is no record or evidence that Walt Disney was ever frozen.

Q. Who was the first person to be frozen using cryonics?

A.

On April 22, 1966, an unidentified elderly woman became the first person to be straight-frozen. However, she had been dead for some time before reaching the cryonics facility and had already been embalmed. Because of the length of time that had lapsed between her death and cryonic freezing, little hope was given to the possibility of her ever being successfully reanimated. She was later removed from cryonic suspension.

Dr James Bedford became the first person to be frozen using cryonics with hope for resurrection on January 12, 1967. Bedford was a 73-year old retired psychology professor and member of the family that founded Bedford, Massachusetts. He is commonly thought of as the first person to be frozen using cryonics, since the first attempt with the elderly woman had many flaws and was finally aborted.

Q. How many people have been cryogenically frozen in the U.S.?

A.

Approximately 90 people are reported as cryogenically frozen in the United States as of 2003. A few dozen pets are also frozen. Most organizations that provide Cryonic services keep their member records strictly confidential, so these numbers may not be very accurate.

Why Do We Celebrate Memorial Day?

What is Memorial Day? Why do we celebrate it? Learn about the history of Memorial Day and how we commonly celebrate the holiday in the United States.

Learn the Meaning Behind the Holiday

Memorial Day is a patriotic part of our American culture. Every year, on the last Monday in May, we get a day off work or school to get together with our families. We often have a cookout, visit a lake or beach, or go on a trip. Children relish this first long weekend away from school at the beginning of summer and look forward to the outdoor fun, food and frolic that comes with it. Most of us rush to parties, get deals at all the department store sales and make our plans without ever stopping to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about. In fact, many people do not fully understand why we celebrate Memorial Day or how this holiday came into being. The answer may surprise you. Memorial Day is a special day for us to honor America’s members of the armed forces that have lost their life during time of war.

It is a time for us to mark the graves of the brave soldiers that gave their lives for our country, pay our respects and give thanks for their sacrifice.

Memorial Day has been around since the end of the Civil War, where it was originally called Decoration Day. The first Decoration Day took place on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery under the order of General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at the cemetery. New York State recognized the holiday in 1873 and by 1890 the entire North celebrated it. Although Decoration Day honored all soldiers, regardless of whether they fought for the North or the South, it took awhile for the South to accept the holiday. They rejected the holiday outright, in lieu of their own individual state celebrates to honor only the confederate dead. It wasn’t until after the First World War that the Southern states began to recognize the holiday. It was at this time that the holiday changed to include soldiers that had died during any war. Congress officially made the day a holiday with the National Holiday Act, P.L. 90 - 363, in 1971. Some Southern states adopted another Confederate Memorial Day holiday to honor just the Southern soldiers. This Confederate holiday is still celebrated in Texas on January 19, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi on April 26, in South Carolina on May 10, and in Louisiana and Tennessee on June 3.

Over time people began to forget or confuse what the holiday was meant to do. Most people began to use the day to honor any person that had died, not just soldiers, like the original intent of the holiday. It became a time for you to place flowers and clean up the graves of any family member or friend that had died. A few organizations like the 3d U.S. Infantry, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, still used the day to place flags at soldier’s graves or light candles in their honor. However, most of America had forgotten what Memorial Day was all about. The graves of the soldier’s that had given their lives for our country became neglected. Finally in 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance Act was passed to help re-educate the public to the meaning of Memorial Day. A statement from The White House was released which asked all Americans to observe a moment of silence to reflect of the sacrifice of the soldiers that have died in service to our country and to honor their memory. 

Electronic Voice Phenomenon Continued: Describing the Experience

Nov 25 2005

A Personal E.V.P. Experience

Time:12:08 am
Date: 10/18/05
Location: Disclosed for privacy

My partner and I were investigating an abandoned house, out in a remote country area in Texas. We had planned a week before to do so. The night was cold and whispered of another form of life. Armed with a digital recorder, two flashlights and warm clothes we headed into our suspected haunted area.

The house was in shambles, from the outside you could see all the way down the hall to the back door. This house was a pale white structure with sheets for windows and numerous missing steps, which led to the front door. Uncut grass, weeds and a barn surrounded it, which was in worse condition than the house. We had seen no foreclosure signs; no private property signs - nothing from this suspicious place.

My senses were crawling rapidly inside my head; I could sense the mere drip of my adrenaline inside myself as we made our footsteps towards a side door. We valiantly swung the door open, which replied with a desperate creaking and then softly humming to a deathly silence. The inside had been breached.

I began the voice activation mode on my recorder (a mode that sets the recorder to record only upon hearing noise) and began the walk through. Pausing to ask the first question, “Does anyone here wish to speak to us?” My eyes hastily shot to the red light to see if it lit up. A faint blink began and faded. We continued on down the hall. The smell of the house was faint and musty; you could tell no one had lived here in years. A tattered red carpet lined the house, which was still occupied by numerous items of furniture and electronics. The first thing that stuck out to me was a wrecked television that was still plugged in and turned to the “on” position. I recorded the image mentally. The walls were which appeared to be thin cheap wood, lined with a few pictures that had faded so badly, nothing could be made out. We descended farther into the darkness of the house and peered into an opening where a door appeared to have used to be. It was a bathroom. First we saw a broken medicine cabinet lay clinging to its remaining reinforcement to the wall, followed by a toilet that was half disjointed from the wall. Next was another image that startled me to see. A bathtub, still full with what appeared to be brown murky water. A faint form of hand-prints appeared on the rimming of it also. This is when we heard the loud crash.

Remaining calm, we cautiously followed the sound to the source. It was an empty room. Considering it could be a possible warning I asked yet another question. “Is there someone here that does not wish my presence at the moment?” Again, me eyes zoomed into the red light. It lit up. For what appeared to be 10 to 15 seconds the light remained on. Taking note of the time in the recording I then exited the room. Almost to the front door of the house I decided to ask the final question along with a statement meant to help most lingering spirits. “This is your final chance to contact us, we know you’re here, we mean you no harm. We only wish to tell you that you have passed away and if there is anything you left unsaid to someone, tell us now and we will inform the living one of your message” Again, back to the red light. Silence nestled into our ears for a brief moment. The light flickered, and then went off.

We then took one last look around at the decaying house and left from the front door. Turning to look at the house is when I felt a sense of sadness sweep over me mixed with a sense of caution. We walked backed to the car and set aside our accessories. We then headed home for the analysis.

Arriving home we headed up to a quiet location in my house and began listening to the recording, this is what we made out. From the part at the beginning when asked, “Does anyone wish to speak to us” you hear a loud static sound but a very faint muffled what appears to be a “yes.” The next voice heard was after we heard the loud crash, which led us to an empty room. I asked “Is there someone here that does not wish my presence at the moment?” Almost suddenly a deeper but hoarse voice replies “We do not desire visitors” this took awhile to understand, we had numerous ideas what it could have been but this one best fitted.

Finally we have the closing statement meant to help the spirits when I asked “This is your final chance to contact us, we know you’re here, we mean you no harm. We only wish to tell you that you have passed away and if there is anything you left unsaid to someone, tell us now and we will inform the living one of your message.” This was the most hard to understand response and we could not fully make out the statement. The only words we could accurately recover were “we”, “the”, and “love”. Thus logically telling me to assume there was more then one spirit and that they had loved someone in a past life.

Overall it was concluded that the area was indeed a home for a troubled spirit or two but these were not evil. Lost is a better word to describe it. We have not returned to this location only because it had mentioned “We do not desire visitors.” It was not telling us to leave but this was a situation the spirit would have to learn on its own and eventually it would. This was one of the better successes I’ve had with E.V.P. Helping people is one thing but helping a past person from our world move on to a better place, is an accomplishing and extreme sense of serenity to the human mind.

End recording: 12:34 am
Conclusion: Spirit(s) occupy area


Jeff Jones is a freelance writer based out of McKinney, Texas. He is also an investigator with the North Dallas Paranormal Society.

The Importance of Having a Will in a Non-traditional Relationship

People in non-traditional relationships often end up with a double whammy when a death occurs. There is the expected grief and sense of loss coupled with a realization that your relationship may not be recognized. This means if there's no will, you probably will be excluded from asset distribution. It's not just same sex couples we're talking about here either. An unmarried heterosexual couple living together can have problems as well. Each state has its own definition of who is your heir should you fail to appoint one in a will.

When someone dies without a will, their property and assets are divided up by the state and distributed to the deceased's legal heirs by a court-appointed administrator. This process is called intestate succession. Most states define legal heir as a spouse or blood relative. Everything you own will be split among these heirs. Without a will stating otherwise a domestic partner, boyfriend or girlfriend will not be considered a legal heir and will not be included in the distribution of assets.

A will is an important tool you can use to protect your partner. Another good option may be a living trust. A trust can be setup to manage the distribution of your assets to the heirs of your choice. All will appreciate whatever you can do to help your survivors get through the initial period after your death. Bank accounts can easily have a POD designation added to them. Your partner's name with POD after it will be added to the account. This simply means that the balance of the account would go to the person designated, paid on death of the primary account holder.

Remember that your non-spouse is very vulnerable in the event of your death. If there are children in the relationship it is even more vital that proper measures be taken to safeguard your family. Proper planning for non-traditional families should include a will, Power of Attorney, living will, and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. This will not only protect your family; it protects you.

Why is a Eulogy so Difficult to Write?

Have you ever heard that most people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death? What happens when we mix death and public speaking? We get the infamous eulogy. The very thought of writing and delivering a eulogy is enough to send shivers down some people's backs. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said that most people would rather be the one in the casket than the one giving the eulogy. Why do we dread writing the eulogy? What makes it so hard to get up and give a memorial speech about someone's life? Why is the eulogy any harder than any other speech to give? Although the reasoning behind the fear of the eulogy will differ which each individual, there are many reasons why a eulogy is so hard to prepare for. Let's take a look at a few of these reasons and see how the fears associated with them can be overcome.

You are delivering a speech while grieving
Just speaking in public is hard.

When you add the stress of grief it gets harder. You may find it hard to collect your thoughts or you may have difficulty expressing them. A funeral is an emotional event and this can compound the anxieties that you already feel. Grief can make you feel numb. You may find it hard to say anything at all. Each person will grieve and express that grief in their special way. Do not be afraid to ask for help if you are finding it hard to write or deliver the eulogy. Most funeral homes will have someone there that can help you through the eulogy process. If you think you will have difficulties remembering what to say, write key points on index cards. Someone from the church or funeral home where the eulogy is given can stand by to read your eulogy if you are unable to continue.

You may be afraid of saying the wrong thing
How do you summarize the entirety of a person's life in just a few minutes? Will you do justice to the deceased? This is a common fear when giving the eulogy. A lot of times we are just as concerned about saying the wrong thing as we are about not saying enough. A good way to overcome this is to make a list of the important qualities of the individual you are speaking about. Ask others that were close to the deceased which aspects of their life is important to convey for them. Try to touch on different aspects of their life - work, family, friendships, hobbies etc. Try reading your eulogy to a friend or family member first. Ask their honest opinion about what, if anything, you should change.

You are afraid of breaking down or not being able to finish
It is perfectly normal to cry at a funeral. People in attendance will understand if you do need to stop and collect yourself. Many people in the audience may be visually upset as well. Having a backup eulogizer to finish your speech if you cannot is a good way to ensure that your thoughts are expressed even if you cannot do it yourself. If you are having a hard time giving your eulogy it is perfectly acceptable to truncate it or simply tell the audience "This is difficult for me and I just can't finish. I love Dad and miss him very much." Nobody is there to judge you or your speech-giving abilities. Do not feel obligated to continue if you feel that you can't. Someone else can say a few words in your place if necessary.

You are worried about your writing abilities
You do not have to be a great writer to write a eulogy. You will not be graded or judged. Some of the most poignant eulogies are short and simple. In fact, you do not have to write down anything at all if you don't want to. Many eulogies are given straight from the heart without forethought. There is nothing wrong with spontaneity. If you just dread sitting down to write, don't. You can simply say a few words as they come to you.

The most important thing to keep in mind when giving a eulogy is why you are there in the first place. You are there to celebrate and remember someone's life. Most everyone in attendance will share some kind of bond with the deceased, be it family, friend or even acquaintance. Do not be afraid to ask for help. You do not have to do it alone. Remember that the eulogy is not about the eulogy giver or their abilities. It is about the deceased and why they were special. Remembering this can ease the pressure. It is natural to have fear but it can be overcome.

Tips for Writing a Eulogy

Writing a eulogy is a difficult task. It is hard to condense a lifetime of experiences into a short speech to be delivered at a memorial service. Eulogies don’t have to be depressing and formal. A eulogy can include favorite poems, meaningful reminiscences, war stories, or even jokes. Here are some quick tips on how to put together a thoughtful eulogy.

1. What do you want to say?

The first you'll need to do is decide what you want to say. Collect all the basic facts about the deceased: their age, names of children or survivors, marriages, places they've called home or loved to visit, and their career or educational information. Now think about the person you’re remembering. What kinds of stories about them or quotes capture your loved one's personality? Did they have a favorite poem or author? What was important to them? Did they have a favorite charity or cause? Talk with their survivors for inspiration and ideas.

2. Decide on a tone or theme

Whether you decide to give a solemn speech, a light account of their life with comical musing, or somewhere in between, a theme gives purpose to the eulogy. It helps the attendees see what the deceased’s life stood for. For example, if you’re writing a eulogy for your Grandfather, your theme could be his confidence or his great story telling ability. With your theme in place, you can collect stories that he told to other survivors and yourself. If your theme was his important work or career you might speak with coworkers to get stories and remembrances of his work life or contributions made to his field or place of business. Knowing how you'd like to deliver the eulogy gives you a base to work from when you decide which stories to use.

3. Organize your notes into segments

If you are doing your work on a computer, type all of your notes in a document with a return between the different topics. This will make it easier to move your ideas around on the document and you can fine-tune the order until you have it perfect. If you'd rather write it by hand try the old essay trick from school and write your notes onto index cards or sheets of paper. This way you can shuffle around and work with the statements until you get them how you want them. Once you have organized your notes into an order than flows well, jot the information into a rough outline.

4. Write your first draft

Using the outline, write out a draft of your speech. Fill in any gaps in information and make sure each idea flows into the next. Try not to let the speech get too stiff; you don’t want a long fact sheet on your loved one’s life. Try to incorporate real life experiences or anecdotes between the facts. Use bits of humor if you think it is appropriate. This is also a good time to decide where natural pauses will fit into your speech so you can note that on your final draft.

5. Make your final draft

Go over your first draft and finalize what you are going to say. This is a great time to get input from other survivors or friends that will give you advise. Read the speech out loud at least once at this stage to be sure it sounds right to you. Once it is finalized, rewrite it neatly or type the speech so it will be easier to read at the funeral. You may also copy your speech to note cards if will make a more comfortable delivery for you. In other words, even if you plan to memorize the speech have a copy at the funeral. Funerals often are emotional and you may forget parts that aren't written down.

6. Practice delivery of the eulogy.

Read your speech to yourself aloud or even out loud to a third party. This will help you point out any areas that don’t sound right or are not appropriate. When you practice your speech in front of another person you can gain their input. You may want to deliver your speech in front of a mirror to get used to saying the words. Even delivering the speech to a trusted family pet, while imagining an audience, can help you work the kinks out. Easy delivery of the eulogy often relies on the ability to recall your eulogy.

7. Relax

While giving the speech, remember to relax and breathe normally. Remember that no one will be judging you; your audience are there to honor your loved one. Pay attention to the speed that you are speaking. We tend to speed up when we’re nervous so take it at a normal speaking pace. It’s good to add pauses to collect your thoughts or provide time for the audience to digest your information. You can even jot down places to break on your notes in case you forget to pause.

Always take a second copy of your speech and provide it to a backup speaker in case you can’t continue. It is common to get emotional during delivery, especially at a funeral. You may have to quit speaking to comfort someone or just may not be able to continue yourself. People will listen. Ironically, the softer you speak the more the audience will be enticed to listen.

Suicide

“And now, in keeping with Channel 40's policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you're about to see another first - an attempted suicide.

These are the last words of Chris Hubbock, a news anchor who shot herself on air in 1970. Suicide is presented and discussed in chapter 12. Suicide is a troubling concept in Western culture. I’m writing on this subject because I found this chapter to be the most informative for me. Before reading this chapter, I basically thought that suicide was suicide. I never imagined that it could be such a multi-faceted issue. There are just so many aspects to this: Elderly suicide, adolescence suicide, ritual suicide, suicide due to mental illness, child suicide, altruistic suicide, and depressive suicide. I think fully understanding this issue will help me tremendously in my career as a counselor.

Two basic classifications of suicide stand out in my mind: suicide as a means of escaping the current conditions of life and sacrificial or martyrdom type suicides. In American culture we are familiar first the first type, as a means to escape life or suffering. Suicide is often looked down upon in our society, especially in certain religions. Most Fundamental Christians believe that those who commit suicide damn themselves to eternal hell because of the act. Others believe it to be an act of cowardice or weakness. The loved ones that are left typically assign blame to themselves, thinking that they were responsible somehow. This sharply contrasts with Eastern Philosophy.

The tragedy of September 11^th has made Americans all to aware of another type of suicide: Suicide Bombers. In some parts of the world this is everyday life. Young men who give their lives in such a manner are revered in Middle Eastern culture. They are labeled as “martyred” and go on to become heroes and legends. This is a disturbing trend considering the increasingly frequent bombings in Israel and Spain. Some Middle Eastern governments have begun paying the families of the suicide bombers for their service to Allah and country. It is estimated that there are many thousands of young men waiting for the chance to take part in such a mission. Through this act suicide crosses a boundary and turns into murder as well. Taking other’s lives while taking your own is quite different from the more honor bound tradition in the Far East. Ancient Samurais would commit seppuku or hara-kiri upon the death of their Lords or when facing disgrace. The custom was widely seen as noble or honorable. Committing ritual suicide could even help your family’s social standing.

An excellent way to understand the motives behind suicide is by examining suicide notes. I typed “suicide notes” into my search engine and came up with several pages of famous notes. You can clearly tell if a person was depressed or angry. Some of the letters weren’t emotional at all like the note left by the late George Eastman, “To my friends: My work is done. Why wait?” This note conveys a lighthearted approach to death. Virginia Wolf’s last words sharply contrast; “I feel certain that I'm going mad again. I feel we can't go thru another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices…” I guess there as many reasons for suicide as there are people. However, in the end they all face the same fate which we do not know.