Last week we talked about ways in which you could be identified if your body was found miles away from home without jewelry or banks cards.
Today we’re going to look at the next stage of our deaths. How we’re going to be disposed of.
Yep, that lovely part of our no-longer life.
And here are 5 great options you can choose to go out with a bang with!
- Space Burial.
Yes, that’s right, you can have part of your cremated remains flown into space and shot onto the moon, or into the atmosphere for a very princely sum, if you fancy being among the stars after death.
Gene Roddenberry of Star Trek fame was flown into space after his death and many people think he was left there, but he was actually brought back down to earth again only to go back up in 1997 at which point I become confused as to whether he’s still there or not!
2. Cryonics
An obvious one to follow Space Burial with, as the temperature in space is pretty chilly, you’ll admit. But cryogenics? Frozen like a popsicle? In the hope that medicine at some point will be able to cure whatever ills you and bring you back. I’m not sure I’d want to return to a world I don’t know, filled with people I don’t know, even if this were even possible and mad scientists weren’t just taking lots of money off me every month to keep me cold.
3. Aquamation
Now, this one isn’t classed as insane. It’s actually sold as a green option of burial. You’re put into a stainless steel tube and with water flow, temperature, and alkalinity, your body will disintegrate into high-quality fertiliser. I’d never heard of this one, but it’s true, look it up!
4. Exposure
This one isn’t practised in the West. You’d have to go and die in Tibet so you could have a Tibetan Sky Burial or Jahtor as it’s known. Where you are laid out naked for the animals to come and strip you bare. Fun eh?
5. Tattoo
Never-ever be apart from your loved one. After death and cremation you can have your remains tattooed into the arms (or other body part) of your nearest and dearest – they do have to agree by the way. Lovely.
So, which is your choice of disposal? 🙂
Have you heard of any other strange and wonderful disposal methods we might like to consider?
Margot Kinberg says
Oh, these really are strange, Rebecca! And I didn’t know about a few of these – fascinating. And what an interesting sort of topic to weave into a crime novel, too. Thanks for sharing.
Rebecca Bradley says
That’s what I thought Margot! There are actually so many interesting blog topics you can come up with that link back to crime novels because of the width of subject matters they cover. So much fun to be had! ?
Alex J. Cavanaugh (@AlexJCavanaugh) says
The tattoo one is disgusting.
We may never know where Roddenberry really rests…
Rebecca Bradley says
He obviously has a space obsession. Or his family now do!
Denise Z. says
Manure piles. Just sayin.
Rebecca Bradley says
Lovely ?
writerdsnelson says
Great post, thanks Rebecca. Love the idea of aquamation although drowning terrifies me so I’d want a few guarantees I was definitely dead lol. I watched a very early star trek episode the other day, where they found an abandoned capsule with people frozen in cryogenics when they died. They defrosted them and they were then alive 400 years after they’d died. It was interesting to say the least.
Rebecca Bradley says
Yes, that’s the weird thing isn’t it?! You’ve no guarantee how long you’re going to be frozen and what the world is going to be like. Could you wake up and take all the assets off your great great great grandkids? All very very strange.
Lindsay | Bookboodle says
Love these posts Rebecca, keep ’em coming! Think I’d like to be shot up into space to sit with the stars 🙂
Rebecca Bradley says
It does sound like quite a unique and fab way to go doesn’t it! And thank you 🙂
Graeme Cumming says
Think I’ll stick with my plans for a green burial. Don’t mind being recycled for the trees, but not keen on the idea of being animal food.
Rebecca Bradley says
Things can get pretty bizarre nowadays can’t they?!