From: Natasha Vita-More (natasha@natasha.cc)
Date: Sun Jan 20 2002 - 15:46:36 MST
At 10:24 PM 1/20/02 +0100, remi sussan wrote:
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:natasha@natasha.cc>Natasha Vita-More
>
>At 03:37 PM 1/19/02 -0800, Ron Hale-Evans wrote:
>
>>I'm not a big fan of Timothy Leary, but it's because of people like
>>you, Forrest, that Leary, a long-time cryonics advocate, finally
>>refused the cryonics option. He said he didn't want to spend the rest
>>of time with a bunch of jerks.
> >I have a video taping with Tim discussing his views on death with me.
> While he still wore his cryonics bracelet, he also believed in an
> alternative choice for himself, and ultimately took this choice. Tim was
> not completely committed to cryonics and his choice was not based on any
> one person or people.<
> I am under the impression that Timothy Leary didn't really "believed" in
> cryonics, but that he used it as an media statement in order to affirm
> the dignity of the human body and destroy the "ashes to ashes" christian
> idea that makes death the ultimate destruction of the dignity of the
> individual. I don't know it first-hand, of course, but I came to this
> conclusion by reading some of his texts, such as the fabulous
> "hibernating andy", where he advocates cryonics more as an "esthetic"
> choice than a "scientific" one..
I think he believed in the concept of cryonics and the potential for
technology to advance in such a way that would make cryonics a reliable
choice. He wanted an alternative the status quo concept of death and the
romantic hoopla that goes along with death and dying. I do think he used
the idea of cryonics as a media statement, as you suggest. I think it was
an aesthetic, artistic, literary, scientific, and moral choice. (Plus some
others that he would attest.)
> But as far as I know (just from various readings), Leary was "fired"
> from Cryocare, that's just after this event, that, apparently disgusted,
> he refused Alcor's offer to take him back, was it not what happened?
>Remi
He did have an argument with a couple of Cryocare folks and it resulted in
their decision. Tim didn't follow all the correct protocol and for any
cryonics organization, I would think that it is consequential to follow
such protocol. Tim liked to party, explore, express and demonstrate. He
may have wanted his suspension to just happen and work, not to go through
the dying process, suspension team, paperwork, expenses, etc.
When the Cryocare decision was made, Alcor did not move quickly
enough. This was very disappointing. I regret my not having established
an extropian camp at his house and pushed out the deathists. But things
are not always that easy. Other issues filter in such as dignity and not
wanting to force one's views on others. Herein lies the rub. Should I or
we have stood up to a Dalai Lama and folks surrounding his house, *or not*
be one of the Timothy Leary-mongers *and let* him make his own decision
based on his needs at the time? Should, should, should, should. Who
knows. But one thing that does stand out is that loosing one life of a
friend is so deeply tragic that all must be done to preserve the positive
reputation of cryonics and to try to always act with dignity.
Natasha Vita-More
Founder, Transhumanist Arts
Art Director, Digital Design
http://www.natasha.cc http://www.extropic-art.com http://www.transhuman.org
"I'd rather be inebriated on a classic life than a 1996 classic Merlot."
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