The Certainty of Death, or is It?

Death and Taxes

At one time or another, most of us have heard someone say that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes. Most of us have concluded this to be a fact of life and have resolved ourselves to live life without questioning the veracity of these so called certainties. Unfortunately, at this point in time, modern science and technology have not figured out how to prevent the human body from aging and ultimately the certainty of death, while most if not all governments insure the certainty of taxes, even upon death with a Death Tax, also called an Estate Tax.

A Different Point of View

There have been many who have argued against the I.R.S. and the Income Tax, questioning its constitutionality. These dissenters share a different point of view about taxes than most of us who readily accept Income Tax as a legitimate form of government taxation, or at least an unavoidable one. So to, there are those who question the certainty of Death. Their point of view is that the human body ceases to live when a vital part or parts break down and do not function properly. They do not consider death to be permanent, but rather a malfunction or mechanical breakdown of the human body causing the body to cease functioning or "die."

When a newer computer or car stops working due to a parts failure, the obvious is to repair it and fix it in order to have it working again. When a human being has vital body parts fail, it leads to what we normally call death. Unfortunately for the human body, and unlike a mechanical object, death leads to decay of the body making it permanent and unrepairable. Yet, there are those who view death not as permanent but rather as a temporary state.

Enter Cryonics and Life Extension

I have an uncle who actually has a signed Death certificate from the E.R. Doctor, except this uncle is currently still alive. Fortunately for my uncle who had gone into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated several times before finally flat lining, his time on Earth was not over yet. After the Doctors had given up on my uncle and called my aunt to inform her of his death, he suddenly awoke was alive again. The point being that he had "died" but now lived again.

Cryonics is the technique of deep-cooling (or vitrification) of the bodies of people who have the lost the ability to bio-mechanically function ("died"), in the hope that scientific and technological advances may allow them to be biologically repaired and revived sometime in the future. Just like my uncle who technically "died" for several minutes, cryonics will attempt to extend the time between bio-mechanical failure of the human body ("death") and decay, which leads to irreparable damage of the human body. Cryonics could potentially deep-cool the body for hundreds if not thousands of years without damaging the human body at the cellular level, thus preventing decay and allowing the future possibility of repairing and reviving the individual.

Companies on the forefront of this technology are making these techniques more and more sure proof with every scientific break through as well as bringing it within reach for many of us. On the leading edge of cryonics is Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Alcor uses the process of vitrification to remove 60% of the water in the human cells and replace it with a protective solution which prevents cell damage during deep cooling. Alcor also makes cryonics monetarily feasible for most healthy adults. Alcor charges a living member of the foundation about $50 a month for membership. The two types of cryonic preservation offered by Alcor cost $80,000 and $200,000 for the full package. Alcor makes it reasonable by accepting a Life Insurance Policy to pay for Alcor's services. The individual member of the Alcor Foundation pays for his own life insurance policy valued at either $80,000 or $200,000, with Alcor as the beneficiary to the member's Life Insurance policy. This is how Alcor gets paid, and makes it somewhat affordable for its members.

I guess Death is not so certain any more, but Life Insurance just now might be!

Please note that this was just a very brief explanation of cryonics and Alcor's services. Their website provides vast amounts of information should you have any questions, concerns or interest. I know I will definitely be looking into becoming a member, and hopefully getting my family to follow suit.

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02/09/2017
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