Alternatives To Being Buried After You Die

It is often a bit of a morbid thought the plan what will happen when we die. Most of us would rather not think about it and live the life we have but as we age death is inevitable. We could leave the majority of the planning to those left behind but in many respects it could be difficult on them as they just lost you. For myself traditional burial is fine I'd rather not be burned to ashes or have anything else done to my remains but for some many new options now exist. I know some may be thinking of cremation and yes this is an option but I'm speaking of many more outlandish methods. This article will look at those methods, what they entail, the cost, how mainstream they've become, so read on.

I thought I would at least start with the most mainstream alternative and that is generally cremation. This method is cost effective as generally you don't have to purchase a plot for a grave, a coffin or a headstone all of which can be thousands of dollars each. In this method the body is burned in a furnace and the remaining ashes given to the family, often in an urn for safe keeping. The ashes could be spread over an area, lake, or if preferred even buried in a plot with a headstone.

While it seems very very old fashioned and something that only Egyptian pharaohs would do it is making a big comeback. Several companies have established this process again for the rich allowing them to be mummified upon death. The price of this process begins at $63,000 and goes up from there depending on the options chosen. While unconventional this process would allow the body to be well preserved for hundreds, possibly thousands of years to come.

This process is very new but in this case the body is encased in a large cube of clear plastic or glass like material made to withstand cracks and heat. In this manner the body is separated from air and the elements and for the most part retains it's form and appearance as when alive. As the companies pioneering this method are in the early stages price quotes are only available through companies providing the service.

After death and cremation many celebrities like Gene Roddenberry have had their ashes sent into space. Prices for the ashes to be placed on a spaceflight varies.

In this process the person is still cremated however the ashes are also processed. The ashes are placed in a machine that applies extreme pressure and after several days the carbon in the ashes is compressed into a gemstone.

In this method the human body or sometimes just the head or brain of the person is preserved with chemicals and low temperature. Immediately after death the brain or body is immediately put in stasis. It is hoped by those people choosing this method that eventually one day improvements in technology will make it possible for resuscitation. This method is primarily for the rich starting at $10,000 for just head or brain or $250,000 for full body with a varying annual fee.

The process involves immersing the body into liquid nitrogen and shaking it apart. Being very brittle the remains of the body will settle into a pile of freeze dried dust which can be buried or placed in the ground and can act as compost.

Also known as plastination, in this process the skin is often removed and the bodily fluids replaced by a polymer. There are currently institutes that display the remains of actual people that have undergone this process. Again cost varies but it isn't for those light in the pocketbook.