Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T01:32:32.676Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

ATTITUDES AND ACCEPTANCE TOWARD THE TECHNOLOGY OF CRYONICS IN GERMANY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2014

Stephanie Kaiser ,
Dominik Gross ,
Jens Lohmeier ,
Michael Rosentreter  and
Jürgen Raschke
Stephanie Kaiser
Affiliation:
Institute of History, Theory and Ethics in Medicine, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University
Dominik Gross
Affiliation:
Institute of History, Theory and Ethics in Medicine, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University
Jens Lohmeier
Affiliation:
Institute of History, Theory and Ethics in Medicine, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University
Michael Rosentreter
Affiliation:
Institute of History, Theory and Ethics in Medicine, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University
Jürgen Raschke
Affiliation:
Harris Interactive AG
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: This study explores the awareness and the degree of acceptance of the idea of the medical technology cryonics—the freezing of a corpse to revive it in the future—among German citizens.

Methods: Data were collected on the basis of a representatively weighted online survey of 1,000 people aged between 16 and 69 years and resident in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Results: Forty-seven percent stated that they had already heard of cryonics; 22 percent could imagine having their bodies cryonized after their deaths. For 53 percent, participation in the latest technological developments which correlated with the approval of the conceivability of cryopreservation was important. The majority of the respondents were not skeptical or cautious about innovations in the medical field.

Conclusions: The study shows that cryonics is known and accepted to a certain extent. However, a large proportion of respondents did not believe that it was desirable to use medical technology to overcome death, and fundamentally rejected a post-mortal continuation of life.

Keywords

CryopreservationDeathBiotechnologyBiological PreservationGermany
Type
Assessments
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , January 2014 , pp. 98 - 104
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Krüger, O. Die Unsterblichkeitsutopie der Kryonik: Geschichte, Kontext und Probleme. In: Gross, D, Tag, B, Schweikardt, C, eds. Who wants to live forever? Postmoderne Formen des Weiterwirkens nach dem Tod. Frankfurt/New York: Campus; 2011:249–273.Google Scholar
2. Perry, RM. Forever for all. Moral philosophy, cryonics, and the scientific prospects for immortality. New York: Universal Publishers; 2000.Google Scholar
3. Bestattungen, de. Ratgeber Bestattungsarten: Kryonik. 2013. http://www.bestattungen.de/ratgeber/bestattung/bestattungsarten/kryonik.html (accessed August 22, 2013).Google Scholar
4. Bestatter in Deutschland. Kryonik. 2013. http://www.bestatter-in-deutschland.de/bestattungsinformation/bestattung/kryonik/ (accessed August 22, 2013).Google Scholar
5. Ettinger, RCW. The prospect of immortality. New York: Doubleday & Company; 1965. e-book.Google Scholar
6. Richard, B. Vergehen Konservieren Uploaden. Strategien für die Ewigkeit. Kunsstoffforum. 2000;151:51–84.Google Scholar
7. Sames, K. Die Kryonik - ihre biomedizinische Relevanz und ihre gesellschaftliche Wahrnehmung. In: Gross, D, Tag, B, Schweikardt, C, eds. Who wants to live forever? Postmoderne Formen des Weiterwirkens nach dem Tod. Frankfurt/New York: Campus; 2011:275–300.Google Scholar
8. Cryonics Institute. A non-profit organization. New Horizons in 21st century life extension. Comparing procedures and policies. 2012. http://cryonics.org/comparisons.html (accessed February 19, 2013).Google Scholar
9. Gross, D, Tag, B, Schweikardt, C. Alternative Bestattungsformen und postmortales Weiterwirken im 21. Jahrhundert - eine thematische Einführung. In: Gross D, Tag B, Schweikardt C, eds. Who wants to live forever? Postmoderne Formen des Weiterwirkens nach dem Tod. Frankfurt/New York: Campus; 2011:11–23.Google Scholar
10. Rievman, EB. The cryonics society: A study of variant behaviour among the immortalists. Boca Raton: FL: Atlantic University; 1976.Google Scholar
11. Krüger, O. Die Aufhebung des Todes. Die Utopie der Kryonik im Kontext der US-amerikanischen Bestattungskultur. In: Macho, T, Marek, K, eds. Die neue Sichtbarkeit des Todes. München: Wilhelm Fink; 2007:211–228.Google Scholar
12. DGAB Kryoniker Torsten Nahm über Transhumanismus und Kryonik Teil 1/2. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxSM-CSQumc (accessed February 27, 2013).Google Scholar
13. Dem Tod entrinnen - Kryoniker Prof. Dr. Klaus Sames will sich einfrieren lassen Teil 1/2. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQrx1i_osns (accessed February 27, 2013).Google Scholar
14. Kryonik in Deutschland - Michael Saxer. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN4lb19WzM4 (accessed February 27, 2013).Google Scholar
15. Statistisches Bundesamt. Bildungsstand. Bevölkerung nach Bildungsabschluss in Deutschland. 2010. https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten/GesellschaftStaat/BildungForschungKultur/Bildungsstand/Tabellen/Bildungsabschluss.html?nn=50760 (accessed April 12, 2013).Google Scholar
16. Koch, E. Kryonik: Wenn Menschen sich einfrieren lassen. GEO Magazin. 2010;4:108–117.Google Scholar
17. Venn, L. Kryonik: Eiskalte Zukunft. Frankfurter Rundschau, July 2010. http://www.fr-online.de/panorama/kryonik-eiskalte-zukunft,1472782,4443154.html (accessed February 26, 2013).Google Scholar
18. Thier, M. Rechtsfragen im Umgang mit der Leiche. In: Gross, D, Glahn, J, Tag, B, eds. Die Leiche als Memento mori. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf das Verhältnis von Tod und totem Körper. Frankfurt/New York: Campus; 2011:103–124.Google Scholar
19. Hoyer, D, Xu, J. Deaths: preliminary data for 2011. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2012;61:1–51.Google Scholar
20. Gernig, K. Was aus Asche alles werden kann - Vom Ascheamulett bis zur Beisetzung im Lavastrom. In: Gross, D, Tag, B, Schweikardt, C, eds. Who wants to live forever? Postmoderne Formen des Weiterwirkens nach dem Tod. Frankfurt/New York: Campus; 2011:113–124.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Kaiser Supplementary Material

Appendix

Download Kaiser Supplementary Material(File)
File 94.2 KB