# What do you want done with your body when you die?  Be buried, burnt to ash ect?



## Chrisinmd (Jan 19, 2021)

What do you want done with your body when you die?  Be buried, burnt to ash, donated to science. etc?

In came up in a conversation yesterday and I I thought I am not sure what I would want.  Im not religious so I dont need to take that into account.

So what do you think you would want?


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jan 19, 2021)

I'd like to be sent off on a longship that gets lit on fire. I know vikings didn't actually do that, but it seems cool. 

Since the chances of that happening or basically nil though, I don't really care. After I'm dead I won't have any sort of opinion on it, so whatever my family wants to do with it, is what they can do with it.


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## MetalBoar (Jan 19, 2021)

I was going to go with cremation but I'm interested in the tree-pod burial methods that have been proposed. Mostly, I don't want anyone to spend a ton of money nor pollute the environment any more than necessary just to get rid of my dead body. Once I'm done with it I don't think I'll have a lot of opinions on the matter.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 19, 2021)

MetalBoar said:


> I was going to go with cremation but I'm interested in the tree-pod burial methods that have been proposed. Mostly, I don't want anyone to spend a ton of money nor pollute the environment any more than necessary just to get rid of my dead body. Once I'm done with it I don't think I'll have a lot of opinions on the matter.



 Tree-pod burial methods looks interesting.  Never knew of that option.  I like the idea of my body giving nutrients to another living thing.


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## hoshin1600 (Jan 19, 2021)

Put a party hat on me and dance me around like "weekend at Bernies"


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## Buka (Jan 19, 2021)

hoshin1600 said:


> Put a party hat on me and dance me around like "weekend at Bernies"



You got it, bro. Already got the hat.


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## Dirty Dog (Jan 19, 2021)

Donate to science, let students learn. Then cremation. Ashes to be taken to Cozumel and left in one of the Palencar caves.


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## Buka (Jan 20, 2021)

I agree with Dirty Dog. But I want my ashes put in bullets and given to my wife to carry in her firearm.

Hey, the thread asked.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 21, 2021)

MetalBoar said:


> I was going to go with cremation but I'm interested in the tree-pod burial methods that have been proposed. Mostly, I don't want anyone to spend a ton of money nor pollute the environment any more than necessary just to get rid of my dead body. Once I'm done with it I don't think I'll have a lot of opinions on the matter.


I've told my wife to just dig a hole in the woods and plant a tree on my head. I don't think she'll manage that, but if she does, I hope she waits until I'm already dead.


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## Steve (Jan 21, 2021)

It's really for the family, so whatever they want is fine with me.  My brother was cremated and is interred at the national cemetery in the Phoenix area, and my parents (both vets) also want to be buried there to be near Chris.  I'm good with that, cremated and buried in Phoenix, though the national cemetery near my place in King County, WA is beautiful.  

My Mother in Law wanted to be scattered in the sea.  We couldn't scatter her ashes (I'm imagining the scene from the Big Lebowski) but we did work with the Washington State Ferry's to bury her at sea.  It was quite nice.  They stopped the ferry in the middle of the Puget Sound between Bainbridge and the Coleman Dock, we said a few brief words, and dropped her ashes (in a biodegradable container made for this) into the ocean.  They beeped the horn a few times and off we went.  Was really pretty darned cool.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 21, 2021)

I just have to ask this question.

There are so many happy discussion subjects, why are we discussing sad subject like this?

Sad subject can make you sad. Sad motion can weaken your immunity system. Weak immunity system can cause cancer. Cancer can cause your death.


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## Steve (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> I just have to ask this question.
> 
> There are so many happy discussion subjects, why are we discussing sad subject like this?
> 
> Sad subject can make you sad. Sad motion can weaken your immunity system. Weak immunity system can cause cancer. Cancer can cause your death.


"Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.” - Sir William Gladstone


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 21, 2021)

Which subject is more fun to discuss?

- What will you do with your dead body?
- How can we enjoy our daily life?

I you always think about your death after the day you were born, you will live a vey unhappy life.

Run, jump, flip in the air, enjoy your life. Happy, happy, happy,


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Which subject is more fun to discuss?
> 
> - What will you do with your dead body?
> - How can we enjoy our daily life?
> ...


I don't think it's a binary thing. Both can be interesting, and can give people a way to express a bit of their personality in discussion.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 21, 2021)

gpseymour said:


> I don't think it's a binary thing. Both can be interesting, and can give people a way to express a bit of their personality in discussion.


Some people like to watch sad movie. Some people only like to watch happen ending movie. Some people like to watch both.

A: How do your feel about your broken arm today?
B: My broken arm is fine. What bother me is you keep remind me my broken arm everyday.

If everyday in the morning when you turn on your TV, the 1st thing is the cancer hospital commercial, it won't take long, the cancer will come to you.

Why do we want to talk about "death"? We don't even understand the meaning of "life" yet?


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## Steve (Jan 21, 2021)

Check out something called "toxic positivity."  Pretty interesting stuf.


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## Buka (Jan 21, 2021)

Just heard from Hoshin not fifteen minutes ago, that Van Canna, a tenth Dan in Uechi-ryu Karate, just died of Covid. He was such a good man. Had a profound influence on me when I was a white belt and throughout my entire career.

I'll spend a great part of the day talking to folks back home about him.

Death takes us all eventually. Sometimes you just have to talk about it.


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## dvcochran (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> I just have to ask this question.
> 
> There are so many happy discussion subjects, why are we discussing sad subject like this?
> 
> Sad subject can make you sad. Sad motion can weaken your immunity system. Weak immunity system can cause cancer. Cancer can cause your death.


Not sad to me but I get where you are coming from.


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## dvcochran (Jan 21, 2021)

First and foremost I hope everyone lives their life in such a manner that death is not something they are worried about. 
As far as the OP I already have it spelled out in my will. It is legal in TN to perform 'self' burials. Our family already has a cemetary on our main farm. As with other family members, there is to be one heck of a 'sendoff' party. Then a hole will be dug with our own equipment and that will be that. Don't need or want a fancy tombstone. A massive ripoff IMHO. It is already arranged so that I can be an organ donor. The body is returned in a body bag and that is the way I will go in the ground. 
Originally I wanted to be cremated and scattered in the Tennessee River, which I would still be fine with but my wife says she prefer I be at the family cemetary. 

Again, it is our life and our choices that matter.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Some people like to watch sad movie. Some people only like to watch happen ending movie. Some people like to watch both.
> 
> A: How do your feel about your broken arm today?
> B: My broken arm is fine. What bother me is you keep remind me my broken arm everyday.
> ...


Again, the one doesn’t preclude the other. Discussing death isn’t always saddening, and doesn’t distract at all from trying to understand life. I’d argue that death is integral to life, so discussing death is part of understanding life.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 21, 2021)

Buka said:


> Just heard from Hoshin not fifteen minutes ago, that Van Canna, a tenth Dan in Uechi-ryu Karate, just died of Covid. He was such a good man. Had a profound influence on me when I was a white belt and throughout my entire career.
> 
> I'll spend a great part of the day talking to folks back home about him.
> 
> Death takes us all eventually. Sometimes you just have to talk about it.


There’s something profound and soulful about losing folks who had deep impact on our lives.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 21, 2021)

gpseymour said:


> discussing death is part of understanding life.


Can you

- pick up human bone in rotten coffin?
- sleep in grave yard by yourself?
- help dying cancer patients in hospital?
- pick up human flesh from the ground in car accident?

Not everybody can handle environment with too much negative energy.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Can you
> 
> - pick up human bone in rotten coffin?
> - sleep in grave yard by yourself?
> ...


There is a very big difference between picking up a human bone from a rotting corpse, and asking on a forum what your plans are after death. Plus on here, you see the title and if you don't think you can handle it, you move on. The same way if I saw a video was titled 'guy burning alive' I probably wouldn't click on it. You seem to always take these things to the extreme.


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## dvcochran (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Can you
> 
> - pick up human bone in rotten coffin?
> - sleep in grave yard by yourself?
> ...


I have zero idea what theses have to do with the topic.


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## Steve (Jan 21, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Not everybody can handle environment with too much negative energy.


This is true.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 22, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Can you
> 
> - pick up human bone in rotten coffin?
> - sleep in grave yard by yourself?
> ...


None of those are the same as discussing death. Some of them aren’t in any way close to discussing death. I don’t know what you’re even in about now.


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## Steve (Jan 22, 2021)

gpseymour said:


> None of those are the same as discussing death. Some of them aren’t in any way close to discussing death. I don’t know what you’re even in about now.


I interpreted it as him saying he doesn't like too much negative energy.  Don't see what the big deal is, myself. 

Don't get me wrong. I do see a clear difference between discussing our own eventual demise and things like picking a bone out of a coffin. (yuck).

My brother was killed in an auto accident a few years ago.  His car was crushed by a semi.  A few days after that, I was asked to go and retrieve any personal effects from his car.  It was in a junk yard, and the entire driver's side of the vehicle was completely crushed.  Only thing I actually found (outside of some papers I took out of the glove box) was his collection of CDs, but I'll never forget the smell of it.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 22, 2021)

Steve said:


> I interpreted it as him saying he doesn't like too much negative energy.  Don't see what the big deal is, myself.
> 
> Don't get me wrong. I do see a clear difference between discussing our own eventual demise and things like picking a bone out of a coffin. (yuck).
> 
> My brother was killed in an auto accident a few years ago.  His car was crushed by a semi.  A few days after that, I was asked to go and retrieve any personal effects from his car.  It was in a junk yard, and the entire driver's side of the vehicle was completely crushed.  Only thing I actually found (outside of some papers I took out of the glove box) was his collection of CDs, but I'll never forget the smell of it.


That cannot have been a good experience, man. Sorry you had to go through that.

I agree with him that too much negative isn't good. I just don't see much negative going on in this thread.


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## Buka (Jan 23, 2021)

Steve said:


> I interpreted it as him saying he doesn't like too much negative energy.  Don't see what the big deal is, myself.
> 
> Don't get me wrong. I do see a clear difference between discussing our own eventual demise and things like picking a bone out of a coffin. (yuck).
> 
> My brother was killed in an auto accident a few years ago.  His car was crushed by a semi.  A few days after that, I was asked to go and retrieve any personal effects from his car.  It was in a junk yard, and the entire driver's side of the vehicle was completely crushed.  Only thing I actually found (outside of some papers I took out of the glove box) was his collection of CDs, but I'll never forget the smell of it.



I'm sorry for your loss, Steve.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 26, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> I just have to ask this question.
> 
> There are so many happy discussion subjects, why are we discussing sad subject like this?
> 
> Sad subject can make you sad. Sad motion can weaken your immunity system. Weak immunity system can cause cancer. Cancer can cause your death.



I asked this question.  I dont dwell on death and I am not looking forward to dying.  I try to be happy as much as possible.  But that dosent mean you can plan or discuss serious issues.  The subject of death came up in a conversation and I was simply asking what others thoughts were because I was not sure what I would do


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 26, 2021)

Chrisinmd said:


> The subject of death came up in a conversation and I was simply asking what others thoughts were because I was not sure what I would do.


The subject of "body burning" came up in this thread and I am not sure what I will do.

When your (general YOU)  body is burning,

- What temperature do you want?
- Do you want to open your eyes so you can see the fire?
- Which part of your body do you want to be burned first, head, or feet?
- What kind of music do you want to listen?
- Do you want to burn your entire body, or just the body and save your skull?
- What clothes do you want to wear?
- Do you want to have a pearl in your mouth (Chinese traditional)?
- ...

It's so much fun to discuss "body burning".


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## dvcochran (Jan 26, 2021)

Chrisinmd said:


> I asked this question.  I dont dwell on death and I am not looking forward to dying.  I try to be happy as much as possible.  But that dosent mean you can plan or discuss serious issues.  The subject of death came up in a conversation and I was simply asking what others thoughts were because I was not sure what I would do


Are you closer to having an answer?


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 26, 2021)

One of my friends wants her ashes to be berried next to the Magic Kingdom It's A Small World, so she can hear that happy song everyday.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 26, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> The subject of "body burning" came up in this thread and I am not sure what I will do.
> 
> When your (general YOU)  body is burning,
> 
> ...


Are you determined to turn this into the kind of negative topic you accused it of being?


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## dvcochran (Jan 26, 2021)

He just wants us all to simmer on it.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 27, 2021)

MetalBoar said:


> tree-pod burial methods





dvcochran said:


> Are you closer to having an answer?



I do find the tree-pod burial method suggested by MetalBoar as a interesting possibility.  So this thread did question did allow me to think of other options I had not considered.


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## Steve (Jan 27, 2021)

Buka said:


> I'm sorry for your loss, Steve.


Thanks.  But to be clear, my point in bringing it up is that Kung Fu Wang is making a good point, I think.  I mean, I don't think that it's a point that relates directly to this thread because this is a thought exercise about how we want to be buried, which isn't really that sad for most people.

But, I do agree with him that there are things we see or experience that we will never forget that can be pretty sad, and it's probably not all that healthy to talk about these things all the time.


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## Steve (Jan 27, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> The subject of "body burning" came up in this thread and I am not sure what I will do.
> 
> When your (general YOU)  body is burning,
> 
> ...


Let's see.  If I'm going to burn to death, I think I'd want to go fast, because it seems like it would be an excruciating way to die.

- What temperature do you want?  Hot!  Hotter the better.  Kill me quickly.

- Do you want to open your eyes so you can see the fire?  Last thing on my mind.  I'm pretty sure I won't have much control over that.
- Which part of your body do you want to be burned first, head, or feet?  All of it at once.  But if it's going one direction, I'd say head first.

- What kind of music do you want to listen?  





- Do you want to burn your entire body, or just the body and save your skull?  Doesn't matter to me.  What happens to my body after I die is more for my family than for me.

- What clothes do you want to wear?  Something that's good for wicking sweat.

- Do you want to have a pearl in your mouth (Chinese traditional)?  Nope.


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## dvcochran (Jan 27, 2021)

Steve said:


> Thanks.  But to be clear, my point in bringing it up is that Kung Fu Wang is making a good point, I think.  I mean, I don't think that it's a point that relates directly to this thread because this is a thought exercise about how we want to be buried, which isn't really that sad for most people.
> 
> But, I do agree with him that there are things we see or experience that we will never forget that can be pretty sad, and it's probably not all that healthy to talk about these things all the time.


I agree, not all the time. But it is proven to be healthy to talk about them on occasion. I do think who a person confides in with things like this is pertinent. Close friends, family, other impacted, and such.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 29, 2021)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> The subject of "body burning" came up in this thread and I am not sure what I will do.
> 
> When your (general YOU)  body is burning,
> 
> ...



Well I am going to already be dead when I am burned for creamation so I dont think any of your questions matter.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 30, 2021)

Another option I would like would be to cyronically frozen and infused with chemicals that will prevent crystallization of my cells, with the hope of restoration in the future. I have felt this way since the early 2000s. I would rather die, holding on to small hope that there is a chance to come back. I don't want to die.

There is no downside in my opinion. If it dosent work your no worse off then anyone else. Your still just dead. There may be a 99.9999 percent chance you never get brought back but ill take that .000001 percent chance of waking up a thousand years from now!


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jan 30, 2021)

Chrisinmd said:


> Another option I would like would be to cyronically frozen and infused with chemicals that will prevent crystallization of my cells, with the hope of restoration in the future. I have felt this way since the early 2000s. I would rather die, holding on to small hope that there is a chance to come back. I don't want to die.
> 
> There is no downside in my opinion. If it dosent work your no worse off then anyone else. Your still just dead. There may be a 99.9999 percent chance you never get brought back but ill take that .000001 percent chance of waking up a thousand years from now!


There's a huge downside to me with this. There's not enough known about the soul, meaning that there's a chance your soul will be trapped there (if souls exist), or your brain will be going, and you'll just be stuck for hundreds of years in your own mind, in permanent isolation. However small the chance of that is, it's not something I'd want to risk.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 31, 2021)

Monkey Turned Wolf said:


> There's a huge downside to me with this. There's not enough known about the soul, meaning that there's a chance your soul will be trapped there (if souls exist), or your brain will be going, and you'll just be stuck for hundreds of years in your own mind, in permanent isolation. However small the chance of that is, it's not something I'd want to risk.


Neither of those chances really concern me much. Given what we know of the brain, you'd probably start hallucinating pretty quickly, and wouldn't be aware you were still just trapped in your brain. And I have no idea what would happen to a soul (if they exist) if I wasn't frozen, so can't really say there's any better or worse option either way.

I can see the allure of this IF dying from some disease while otherwise healthy. By that I mean that if the disease were taken away (like cancer) I'd be healthy enough to enjoy quite a few years of good life. If I'm dying because I'm old as heck, I'm not sure I see the value in coming back later to live just a few more years.


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## Chrisinmd (Jan 31, 2021)

Monkey Turned Wolf said:


> There's a huge downside to me with this. There's not enough known about the soul, meaning that there's a chance your soul will be trapped there (if souls exist), or your brain will be going, and you'll just be stuck for hundreds of years in your own mind, in permanent isolation. However small the chance of that is, it's not something I'd want to risk.



Not a big risk as far as im concerned.  Im not religious so I dont really believe in the soul anyway.  Once we are dead I just think the lights go out so to speak..


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jan 31, 2021)

Chrisinmd said:


> Not a big risk as far as im concerned.  Im not religious so I dont really believe in the soul anyway.  Once we are dead I just think the lights go out so to speak..


Not a big risk, no. But there is a risk of it. And it's one of those things where, whether or not you believe in it, it could happen. For instance, I don't believe that after death we all become spirits, but I acknowledge the small risk that it will happen. 



gpseymour said:


> Neither of those chances really concern me much. Given what we know of the brain, you'd probably start hallucinating pretty quickly, and wouldn't be aware you were still just trapped in your brain. And I have no idea what would happen to a soul (if they exist) if I wasn't frozen, so can't really say there's any better or worse option either way.
> 
> I can see the allure of this IF dying from some disease while otherwise healthy. By that I mean that if the disease were taken away (like cancer) I'd be healthy enough to enjoy quite a few years of good life. If I'm dying because I'm old as heck, I'm not sure I see the value in coming back later to live just a few more years.


With solitary confinement that doesn't happen..that would only happen if there was also sensory deprivation (I'm assuming that happens with cryogenic freezing)..but there's no long-term info on what effect sensory deprivation has. So we don't know if that would continue long-term, or if at a point thta brain eventually accepts the deprivation or uses a different method of coping.


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## Gerry Seymour (Jan 31, 2021)

Monkey Turned Wolf said:


> Not a big risk, no. But there is a risk of it. And it's one of those things where, whether or not you believe in it, it could happen. For instance, I don't believe that after death we all become spirits, but I acknowledge the small risk that it will happen.


Since we don't know what would happen without freezing, it seems the risk it on both sides of this. The worse outcome could be where the body isn't frozen.




> With solitary confinement that doesn't happen..that would only happen if there was also sensory deprivation (I'm assuming that happens with cryogenic freezing)..but there's no long-term info on what effect sensory deprivation has. So we don't know if that would continue long-term, or if at a point thta brain eventually accepts the deprivation or uses a different method of coping.


Agreed. But it seems too small a risk (probability-wise) to worry me.


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## Buka (Feb 4, 2021)

gpseymour said:


> Neither of those chances really concern me much. Given what we know of the brain, you'd probably start hallucinating pretty quickly, and wouldn't be aware you were still just trapped in your brain.



You mean it would be the sixties all over again again? 

Yay!


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## minn8325 (Feb 6, 2021)

I really hope the living dispose of me in a cost effective manner


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