Alternative Funerary Practices

It has never crossed my mind that there would be alternatives to the standard funerary practices. After we discussed "green" burials yesterday in class, I was intrigued and almost relieved that we may not have to be pin-holed into one or two ways of disposing our bodies after death. 

This is why, after watching Jae Rhim Lee's TED talk about mushroom burials, I was floored! This is genius! Her talk really raised my awareness about how cremation can be detrimental for the environment, as well as how many nasty chemicals are being pumped into the bodies of the deceased. She also brought up an interesting point which has kept me thinking since I watched the video: the way that our culture uses formaldehyde and other preservatives as well as makeup to preserve and present bodies is a testament to our denial of death. How can our funerary methods help us to come to terms with the fact that we're dying? It's hard to think of dying (understatement of the century?). There is no doubt about that. But, somehow, I feel more at peace knowing that there are natural options available and that even more are likely being created (such is the case with Jae Rhim Lee). It is a pleasant thought for me to think that my dead body can go through it's natural processes of decomposing, and be fed back into the earth. 

After watching the video, I did a little research. I came across many inventive ways to use human ashes. Unfortunately these methods do not provide alternatives to cremation itself, however they still are interesting. One that caught my eye was a company called Eternal Reefs , which blends human ashes into reef balls. These reef balls are then lowered into the sea and provide habitat for many coral reefs and fish, therefore enriching the ecosystem. I think that this is a really neat and symbolic idea, and the way that they phrase it on their website really sums it up nicely: "We believe that the greatest celebration of life is to provide the opportunity for new life."

                                       Source: http://www.eternalreefs.com/about/gallery.html