There has been some discussion about relatives causing suspensions to not take  place as the cryonics member gets older and how we cryonicists can protect  ourselves from this happening.

Suspension interference happens more then most cryonicists realize. As a retired member of Alcor management I have seen a lot of it.  Sometimes relatives  cause the suspension to not take place by interfering at, afterward or just  before legal death.  When this happens, the cryonics community knows that a relative interference has taken place.

But much more often, the interference takes place long before legal death as the suspension member grows old and mentally fragile.  Little by little over time,  the relatives encourage the member to cancel his/her membership.  One day the  dues quit coming into Alcor or CI and neither Alcor nor CI really know why the  person is no longer paying dues.  They try to contact the member but often the  relatives can block that from happening.  If they do make contact with the  member, the member gives them an excuse that they think will cause Alcor or CI  to drop the matter, at the relatives’ urging or suggestion.  They rarely tell  Alcor or CI the real reason, specifically that their relatives have talked them  out of it.

Then after suspension arrangements have been canceled, the relatives talk the  ex-member into changing the beneficiary on the insurance policy and that is the  end of their chances for a successful suspension.

All one has to do is look at how many people have dropped their membership after all the work and expense of signing up for cryonics to see that this is  happening every month of every  year.

You say it won’t happen to you!

Maybe so but maybe it will.  Because when you grow old you lose some of your  ability to think clearly.  Little by little your relatives gain control of your  thinking process.  They are their in your home or community working on you day  and night to cancel your cryonics – or if you lose enough mental ability, they  simply take over your affairs.

You think your relatives will continue to honor your wishes as you grow old?

A lot of them will tell you to your face that they will, but in reality they  believe that cryonics is a waste of your time and your money.  So they have no  moral reservations about causing you to cancel your membership and have the  money go to them if and when they get a chance to take over.

How can you protect yourself?

Make sure that your life insurance policy says that if you don’t get suspended  for any reason that the proceeds still go to your cryonics organization and not  your relatives.  So there is no financial incentive for the relatives to cause  you to cancel your arrangements.

Put a clause in your will that says that if you don’t get suspended that all your estate goes to your cryonics company and not your relatives so that there  is a financial incentive for your relatives to see that you do get suspended.

Maybe have two beneficiaries on your life insurance policy.  One is your  suspension company and the other is your relatives.  If you get suspended Alcor  or CI gets their money and your relatives get some too.  If you don’t get  suspended then Alcor or CI get all the money and your relatives get nothing.

Make a video of your wishes and send it to your cryonics organization to keep in case there is trouble when you get old and infirm.

Help create a cryonics community where older  cryonicists can live until their  suspension time.