Paperwork, insurance, kin, friends, and ethics

Hi Bill,

You have mentioned before that you tried to enrol with a cryonics provider and had a problem with insurance, and switched cryonics providers. That makes no sense. Life insurance is totally separate from cryonics providers. Old policies, existing policies, new policies - all can be used with any cryonics provider. I don't understand that part of your problem at all.

You go on to mention family support issues. I am generally familiar with both Alcor and CI and their application processes. Neither, to my knowledge, requires your family to do anything. One or both have forms that your family can sign off on, pledging their support if you deanimate (sorry Jon!), but I don't think either org requires them before they approve your application. You most certainly do not have to have family members sign as witnesses to your documents. Just go to a notary public and call in advance to see if they have enough people on hand to also sign as witnesses. The better ones do, so a friend tells me who has gone thru all this paperwork hassle. Some people have friends who will do it too; some don't; no biggie. Some people live near cryonics support groups where there are people who will help as witnesses; some don't; again no biggie.

If you have former friends who don't like you any more because of cryonics, I'd say good riddance.

In your state is your father, or your siblings, your "next of kin"? Or do you have a spouse or children? Find out who your next of kin is - they are the ones who you need to get advance statements of support from, for they are the ones who can determine the disposition of your body after death pronouncement. Your don't want them holding up your cryonics provider by way of court battles.

Meanwhile, take your time. Unless you have some urgent health problem, you have plenty of time. As I covered in my other post and I think you did not "get," the current cryonics providers are quite ill-equipped to get you any timely life-saving help should you suffer a fatal accident. I assume that is all you are trying to prepare so far in advance for, right?

Having said that, I will reiterate that cryonics companies do need your support, and if it doesn't cost you much or anything to sign up now with insurance, sure, go ahead. In doing so though, you are giving your tacit approval of their current standby/stabilization capabilities, which are piss-poor, and you are giving them no reason to question their status quo or to make needed changes. It's your decision what to do on that, and I do not criticize anyone for theirs, as I expect them not to do so for mine.

Best wishes,

FD