by Dr. Yuri Pichugin
(Dr. Pichugin is a cryobiologist and cryonics sympathizer in Kharkov, Ukraine)
Since 1970, when I was university freshman, I have been interested in the subject of death vs. immortality, not only as it relates to biology and medicine but also to philosophy, psychology and religion. Here I would like to share my thoughts with people who are interested in this topic as well. I have lived the main part of my life under the Soviet totalitarian system, which has left its imprint on my outlook. So perhaps I interpret some things differently than someone from a democratic country.
First, I would like briefly to offer some opinions for consideration by cryonicists, on strategic problems of cryonics and the immortalist movement. The main scientific problem is: can one prove and then show the feasibility of extending a human life by cryonic suspension, so that even our opponents could recognize the practicability of the idea? I think great scientific and financial resources will be needed for the solution of this problem. I am sure that recent achievements in science and engineering, along with economic progress, will provide a much greater resource base for solving the problem than has existed up to now.
Therefore a social problem arises: how can one inspire the greater interest of both individuals and society as a whole in cryonics and immortalism? Along with this therr are also ideological problems:
At the beginning of my anti-mortalist activity in 1975, I used the term "immortalism." Since 1977, however, I have substituted "anti-mortalism" in all my works, because I was forced to adapt to communist ideology. "Immortalism" literally signifies "negation (im-) of death (-mort)." So I was charged with idealism and religion because death exists! Usually "immortalist" refers to someone who believes in the immortality of a soul, i.e. an idealist and/or mystic. To Robert Ettinger, though, "immortalist" means a person striving for victory over death, so that his/her ideal and aim is immortality. I think it is more correct to use "anti-mortalism" for this latter concept since it signifies protest and struggle against death. In this way I have isolated myself from mysticism and idealism and fully come to agreement with science and technology.
Next, I would like to acquaint cryonicists with the main thoughts of my manuscript "Introduction into Anti-mortalism". The first article is "Is Cryonics a Way to God's Kingdom?". Here I make an appeal to cryonicists to "build God's Kingdom on earth." I use the pen name Foma Budimir or "Thomas Wakeworld." Thomas was the apostle in The Bible who doubted the resurrection of Jesus, as reported in John 20:25:
"So the other disciples told him [Thomas], 'We have seen the Lord!' Thomas said to them, 'Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.'"
Like the apostle, I very much doubt the existence of miracles unless I can personally verify them. I surely stand upon the firm ground of evidence which is given us by practical experience and science.
In Russia, Apostle Thomas was called "Thomas the unbeliever." I am also an unbeliever - I believe in no gods or supernatural forces, yet in the final analysis, I am not an atheist either. I took the name of the Apostle Thomas because I also favour God's Order and strive for It as he did. But at the same time I stand on the sound base of observations and facts rather than religious beliefs and anyone's fictions.
I like The Bible as a symbolic expression of God's Order, an ideal of eternal life. I shall often use biblical terminology because it simply and clearly expresses many goals, ideas, and concepts which are also used by modern immortalists and cryonicists. Otherwise there can be unnecessary confusion. (For example, when we speak of reaching "immortality" without qualifications, believers may not correctly understand. For them there is not only the positive form - immortality as eternal life in the Kingdom of God, but also the negative form - eternal punishment in hell. An "immortality" thus is a form of being or existence whose further properties must be made sufficiently clear.) In keeping with my ideology, I like the idea of a God and hope such a being exists. I do not see that God can be found by using modern scientific methods, but scientific practice and understanding are still limited. So a question about the existence of God remains finally open for me, and I do not flatly disclaim the existence of God, i.e. I am not an atheist. I have a basis in common with believers: the requirement of rescue from Satan's order in this world and of reaching eternal life in the harmonious order of God's world. We have the same needs and the same ideal but different ways of trying to realize this ideal.
I think modern cryonicists and immortalists are mistaken when they think it is only necessary to develop a method of reversible suspended animation (MRSA), and nearly everybody will flock to them and convert into superhumanity. Instead, paradoxically, it could happen that, with the development of reversible suspension of brain function, cryonics will be banned, much as strictures were placed on human cloning. Humanity is still not ready for either. Most people have quite a different psychology from that of cryonicists. Cryonicists believe, as communists have believed, in a "bright future of humanity" as it comes to its senses and radically changes for the better. But even if cryonics is not banned, it could turn out to be just a simple banality: only storage of frozen cadavers that nobody will revive in the future. MRSA is not by any means all that is needed; it is necessary but clearly not sufficient. It may amount to nothing if we do not awaken the spiritual consciousness of humanity. Great scientific and technical capabilities will be needed, and thus a strong social support, to gain mastery over the death-dealing forces of nature. In this way we may hope to win out over diseases, aging, and death itself, so that every human will have the possibility of free and unlimited self-improvement. But to realize this, the global task and millennial dreams of spiritual humans - or in short, an entirely new civilization - Godlike humanity is necessary.
Consciousness - of individuals, societies, and the whole of humanity - is still very imperfect. For this reason there is a catastrophic shortfall between what is now feasible, scientifically and technically, and the highest goals and ideals of the human race. So first of all it is necessary to create a sufficiently strong anti-mortalist ideology to back the cryonics movement. But an ideological movement consists not only of a doctrine but also followers of the doctrine. The doctrine may be created by a few, but the power of the movement will depend on the number and force of its supporters. Anti-mortalist doctrine will aim to realize the spiritual potential of humanity, i.e. to awaken people who are already predisposed to building God's Kingdom on Earth. Of such people, young people particularly are often enthralled by religion or other mystical ideologies. Better they go to cryonics societies than, for instance, Jehovah's Witnesses. Do you wonder why people are attracted to religious and mystical societies but not to cryonics groups? Why are Jehovah's Witnesses five million strong but supporters of cryonics about a thousand only? How much attention do the cryonics societies give to the forces and means for developing their own ideology?
It is a millennial dream of spiritual humans for the spirit to win out over the death-dealing forces of nature. Now at last we could start to realize this dream in the very best, literal sense, in working toward physical immortality. However, the spiritual humans either have not heard of the possibilities, or are intoxicated to befuddlement with religion. Anti-mortalist ideology should be so developed that it can displace religious ideology from the consciousness of people.
It is necessary in this to engage the spiritual potential of the whole humanity. If only small cryonics societies or groups are formed, "your house will be built on sand." You must build your edifice on a new civilization, one whose goal is God's Kingdom on Earth. This new order--Godlike humanity--must be the "foundation-stone" of the cryonics movement.
Again, I do not say that developing MRSA is not essential, but emphasize the need to pay attention to ideology as well. A comprehensive and deep teaching is necessary for searching out, enlightening, and integrating people who can serve as the starting-point of the new civilization.
Later I would like to share my apprehensions that the vast majority of the human race (up to 95-97%, in my view) are not able to understand and accept the ideal of anti-mortalism. The remaining 3-5% offer better prospects, but will need guidance. So it is necessary to find and integrate very rare, exceptional individuals who could awaken and knit together this 3-5%, to form the new civilization within the framework of democratic humanity.
Now, finally, I will focus on the grand point: why we are so certain it is necessary to strive for victory over death, for immortality. I am sure that more "normal" people consider us mad or, at the least, fantasisers. Are we right? Who is right? I will offer answers on these questions using
(1) scientific and
(2) biblical terminology.
A human is a self-conscious and self-organizing system. The most important activity or purpose of such a system is to strive for a never-ending preservation of its own consciousness and an infinite free self-development in a harmonious world (individual, society, nature). (Of course, it is necessary to read the chapter "What is a human?" from my manuscript "Introduction to Anti-mortalism" for a better understanding of this principle.)
Taken together, the never-ending self-preservation and infinite free self-development form the Highest Goal of any self-conscious system. The Highest Goal is the basis of all another goals. This goal is determined in itself, for itself, and by itself ("in-itself-for-itself" according to Hegel). If a person first of all does not aim at this goal, that person is not free but dependent on something. This something in effect determines him or her, and the person is only a means for the consummation of what, in the end, is not properly his or her goals at all. Any "spiritually awakened," self-conscious human first of all aims at and must aim at the Highest Goal, the striving to immortality as the human's most urgent activity, otherwise the human is out of his/her proper "element" and loses him- or herself!
If a self-conscious, self-organizing system is internally free enough, it has a perfectly suited self-programming. One does not say this of a human. An ordinary person is very far from a more perfect, superhuman or Godlike system, and has many self-defeating "programs" inside. For the human is programmed, not for reaching the Highest Goal but for using it as means for the consummation of other, lesser goals. So the human is made use of, but is not autotelic (or autosoteric), i.e. does not have itself as a goal in itself, for itself. So it loses itself. Humans are not rightly organized because they are heading toward their destruction. However a human-like system has a quality inside itself that potentially may bring it to Godlike perfection. This quality is its mind, consciousness, or self-consciousness!
Thus, if any system having self-consciousness does not aim at its true, Highest Goal (immortality in a harmonious, kindred world), this system is not free. Instead it is dependent on something which is a means to an end, while its proper goal is an end in itself. (In another article I'll consider the degrees of dependency and how one may overcome them.)
Here I only briefly review what The Bible and Christianity say on the subject of what a human being is and what is its proper activity. (To properly address the very important topic of anti-mortalism and religion, it is necessary to write quite a lot.)
A human was created in the "image and likeness" of God (Gen 1:26, 27). God is the most perfect, immortal person, and before the Fall people too could become Godlike. A human was fit for eternal life in Eden and was able to contain infinity and perpetuity. After the Fall, people lost the possibility of eternal life on Earth (Gen 3:19). Now as well as thousands years ago everybody is faced with a choice: to side with God and choose good and eternal life, or side with Satan and choose evil and death.
"Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death". "...between God's blessing and God's curse ... . Choose life." (Deut 30:15, 19).
Both God's and Satan's nature were known to people after the Fall. But The Bible and Christianity assert that a person can choose between the two, and thus must bear responsibility for good or bad conduct. God formulated the highest, true activity of every human so:
"Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things" (Mt 6:33).
The striving for salvation, for eternal life in God's Kingdom must be the Highest Goal for everybody. This Highest Goal results from the greatest commandment of God, to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," and the second that is like it, "Love your neighbour as you love yourself" (Mat 22:36, 37). In our time God provides many things (maybe, everything) for us to build God's Kingdom on Earth. We do not intend to build the tower of Babel and to play the role of God in this. It is Satan who played and plays the role of God to humans by way of deceiving them. We do not intend to play such a role but strive to become infinite and eternal particles in the infinite and eternal world of God! Whoever does not strive to become a Godlike being in this world does not deserve God's Kingdom because Christ said:
"You must be perfect--just as your Father in heaven" (Mt 5:48).
Unfortunately, we had to appear in this world which is ruled by Satan or the Devil (Jn 12:31). However, having the Holy Spirit inside ourselves, we must be fully aware of that and overcome a sin (Gen 4:17). We should unite in work with God and really create the Good--by struggling against diseases, aging, and death itself, to build God's Kingdom on Earth.
"So then, those who do not do the good they know they should do are guilty of sin" (Jas 4:17).
Jesus commanded his apostles, "Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons" (Mt 10:8). We cannot now accomplish those things by supernatural means, but we have a possibility of doing them by scientific methods and, above all, here and now we might save people, including ourselves, using cryonic suspension. Every conscious, aware, awakened human as being potentially like God must strive to set God's Order on the Earth, to build God's Kingdom, an attribute of which will be immortality. [Also see Dr Thomas Donaldson's Jesus Was An Immortalist in Longevity Report 34. -ed]
Thus The Bible and Christianity also assert that every human must strive to save, to have eternal life in God's Kingdom. We have the same goal and ideal but strive to reach this through real (not supernatural), scientific paths.
I shall continue to develop the subject of the ideological problem (why don't most people try to save themselves using cryonic suspension?) in my next articles, "Psychological and Ideological Bases of Antimortalism," "Ideology and Reality," and "Persons and Society."