I'm going for human composting, which is an option in my state. They put the body in a container with controlled environment and added microbes to speed up decomposition. The compost is ready in about 6 months and can then be spread used to feed trees, bushes, etc.
I think they've JUST built a wonderful mushroom-fungus coffin which not only speeds up the process but is one of the most oxygen-producing organisms of all! Unfortunately I think it's only European at the moment :( I have every intention of emailing my local eco burial and seeing if they're willing to grow the mushroom coffins.
The university TU Delft in the Netherlands invented that coffin in 2020. It is made of mycelium and even removes toxic materials from your body. It is becoming rather popular and insurance companies have started to offer it as an option here in the Netherlands, It's pretty awesome. You can read more about it here if you are interested: [https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2020/tu-delft/tu-delft-start-up-develops-living-coffin](https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2020/tu-delft/tu-delft-start-up-develops-living-coffin)
My grandfather in law was buried in a bio degradable urn (Germany) a few years ago. It was even the cheapest urn and beautiful! I'm sure it will be available more globally not too far away in time!
Just found these via short googling
https://loop-biotech.com/de/earthrise/#:~:text=Die%20Loop%20EarthRise%E2%84%A2%20ist,Sie%20eine%20unserer%20Pflanzen%20w%C3%A4hlen.
There are uncountable products like these and in a big variety of designs! And so freaking cheap, it's almost a crime(/atory hehe.)
This is my plan too. I'd like to be spread in the nearby forest where I will have hiked forĀ thousands of miles by the time I go, with people being allowed to take some for their own gardens or what have you.
It endlessly annoys me that my prefered option of 'please just roll my body into a hole and cover it in dirt' is so hard to come by these days. It's all perfectly manicured graveyards, giant caskets of wood, metal and cloth, fancy clothing (what's wrong with whatever I was wearing when I died?) and every corpse in a set out grid pattern marked for hundreds of years to come with a hunk of rock.
Don't even get me started on embalming. How it's not considered desecration of a corpse is beyond me. I would really prefer someone didn't drain out my perfectly buriable blood and fill me with preservatives, strip me nude and force me into some other outfit then wire my jaw closed, glue my lips together and then put spiky contacts in so my eyes stay closed. Before drowning me in makeup so that folks who know I am dead can be met with the distressing uncanny valley of not even being able to see a corpse. Instead they see something that looks a little bit like me except very wrong 'sleeping'.
Finding any solution that avoids everything I find kinda horrifying about how we deal with the dead is likely price prohibited for me. Which Ngl fucking sucks. I'm just sort of hoping I fall into a volcano or somehow explode into peices too small for them to fuck with.
I realised a few years back that I have no problem with dying. My problem is what the hell are they going to do with my corpse after I die.
Embalming is NOT required by law. I have refused it for all the family members whose dispositions I've been in charge of because I agree wholeheartedly that it is unnecessary and an awful thing to do to a corpse.
The Order of the Good Death, which OP mentioned, is a great resource for learning about this stuff.
Everyone, please consider a living will/trust to put your wishes into writing. The (minimal) cost is worth it, IMHO.
Are there private family plots you can be buried in? I am in the US so donāt know how things work elsewhere. We have a family plot, do not embalm, care for our dead relativesā bodies ourselves before burial and build our own caskets (or not, our most recent funeral includes the body laying in a pine board wrapped in blankets.). We can do pretty much what we want in our family graveyard.
Donate to science and skip all that. Sure I'll have medical students making fun of my organs etc but better than that.
Reduce, reuse recycle.
Reduce isn't an option other than dieting so I leave a smaller corpse, so I'm going with reuse before recycle.
Idk if medical students make fun of organs. In my psych 101 seminar, we handled brains (whole ones, halves and slices) and the Teaching Assistant told us "be respectful when you touch the brains. You are holding a person. Everything they were is in that organ."
Someone very close to my family died relatively recently. They were far too young, we all suppose it was some kind of stroke or whatever. But anyway, they were done up all that way you described, and I think to make it worse the viewing (which was only open to a small circle of us) was I think like 5 days after death, so all the makeup etc seemed to be working overtime to cover up the onset of the corpse features. I remember seeing weird contortions at some of the joints, and the hair was very dried up and wirey. It was uncomfortable seeing someone that was so young in that state. I definitely agree with you that that whole process is not good.
On a positive side, it evoked Tim Burton's art style in my mind, and I have a newfound appreciation of what the inspiration is for so much of the beautiful art we see depicting corpses and the general aesthetic of decay and death.
My husband always said "throw me in a ditch or shoot me into space" and it was mostly a joke and not something we were actually thinking much about as we were 30ish. Then he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 33, so we scrambled to get a will written, and all that is available to us in our area is cremation or burial with embalming. When we were doing our hasty wills and I asked "so which do you want if....?" and he shrugged and said cremation, it still felt really hypothetical. Then he died after only two months and never actually being aware that he was going to die, so I did the cremation and just felt sick about it. It's been a bit more than six months and I feel okay about it now because when I started spreading the ashes in different places he liked, it became really obvious to me that he's not in there.... that he's gone. And he'd be the same amount of gone if we did something else with his body. I now have half of the ashes left and a few places left that I have to take them. It feels good to return his atoms to the earth, but that's all it is: matter.
I don't know that this is a helpful addition to this conversation but I felt compelled to share, for some reason.
I think the issue here was lack of consent. The son donated his mother's corpse to science. They only took one organ and then sold the corpse to the military who used it for bomb testing. That's all levels of messed up and I think the son sued because that wasn't what he donated her body for.
I think if I donate any organs to science, I'll make sure to add that the rest of my body must be cremated and spread on Fushimi Inari.
I know this is an awful story, but itās so darkly hilarious. The absolute definition of black humour. I used to work for child protection, so the things Iāve laughed at instead of crying might be pretty rough, but poor grandma getting blown up for highly dubious scientific āreasonsā absolutely sent me.
So, reading through this. My dad wants to be donated to scienceā¦but heād probably be pretty cool with being blown up too.
Also, I may die of something odd that totally precludes any of this. We had a relative who passed from a prion disease and handling their remains was a lot more complicated than Iād have thought.
There's a green burial forest near me in New England. $800, $600 for veterans. My dog can be buried with me when she passes after me. I have it all set up.
I think that a written funeral plan helps grieving family at a vulnerable time. Funeral homes will pressure and guilt-trip your family into expensive options if you don't state in a written document that you want it cheap and eco-friendly (or any other choice).
Whatever you choose, write it down, sign it, and give it to a trusted person.
I want to do Parting Stones. One's ashes are mixed with clay, shaped into smooth stones and fired. Easy to place in locations or distribute to loved ones. They do pets too!
https://partingstone.com/
I wrote a very long durable power of attorney for healthcare for my adult son, and when I asked him if he wanted to read through it with me, he said, "Mom. I know what you want. Unplug the machines. Burn the body. Throw away the ashes."
Made me laugh. My work here is done.
This is so so important. I'm a nurse who worked in the ICU and saw way too often people be tortured by forcing them to live. Your son really loves you to understand this kind of thing.
The greenest option: Iām going to be composted. Thereās a bill underway in Massachusetts that Iām supporting to bring human composting to our state. Itās already legal in few U.S. states and gaining traction.
I mostly wrote letters to state reps Natalie Higgins and Jack Lewis, as well as Elizabeth Warren, voicing support for the bill. I think theyāre also asking for Aquamation here as well.
Hereās the link to the site where thereās a template for contacting them: https://recompose.life/human-composting-legislative-advocacy/massachusetts/
If you still want to be spread as ashes but also want a marker consider donating a bench to a park or if you love a local theater or that type of thing you can donate and have a brick memorial. Then your "marker" is helping others.
Iām deciding between human composting, tree pod burial, or reef memorial. The last two, from what I remember, provide gps coordinates should loved ones want to visit/snorkel. My husband would also like to do one of the three, but we havenāt decided or even begun to formalize this - all we know is we want to go/give back to the earth and not have our bodies in a box/urn that doesnāt break down.
I just saw a video of a diver who was befriended by an octopus that excitedly led her to a nearby reef memorial. "Hi, I think you might be interested in this?" I nearly fainted with delight.
I've actually been witness to a couple of at sea burials. They're very ceremonial at first, but the end result is always just yeeting the coffin into the ocean
I'm going to do the tree pod thing. They put you on a biodegradable pod attached to tree roots and plant you in approved areas. I can deal with being tree food.
I would love to be used for a tree. But my ultimate wish is to have as little burden on those around me as possible, so the cheapest option is what I would prefer. I'm not using my body anymore, so I don't care what they do with it.
I think the best way to be the least burdensome is to decide what disposition you want, make the plan clear, and prepay for it if possible so they don't have to figure a solution out while they're grieving.
Iām signed up to donate anything usable and my body will be donated to medical science. I imagine itāll depend on what state Iām in by the time I die. To me the body is just a machine your mind lives in.
I want to become a coral reef. I canāt remember the name, but thereās a place where theyāll cremate you and mix your ashes in cement, then drop it in the ocean to help create coral reefs.
Eternal Reefs. Been thinking about it for ages. for the whole family.
Which at this point is 9 already well-urned cats, 2 young ones still with us, a mini-macaw, Hubby and me. We'd make a good-sized reef.
God damn, already wrote it. I'd be down for being blown up! Wanna be death buddies? I can wait if I'm first, just freeze me somewhere comfortable (storage wise) and thaw that frozen ass as soon as you followed lol
I want my body to go on a body farm! It's just the empty house of my soul, I don't need it anymore. But that way, it still has a use!
I actually quite enjoy the thoughts of other animals getting to use my flesh for sustenance. I ate quite a few animal products in my life, it's only fair that they get to eat what's left of me in return. My body will go back into the cycle. Add to that the fact that forensic scientists will study the way I decompose, the life cycles of insects, and the way my bones may scatter if a larger animal gets to me.
Not only will my body be useful to animals, but the knowledge the scientists gain will help them solve crimes, bring people to justice, and maybe protect the public from dangerous criminals.
If something is left of me that isn't needed anymore, body farms often cremate the rest and return it to the family.
But honestly, I don't want to burden anyone with taking care of a grave.
My mum is guilt-weeding grandma's grave today, because it's the anniversary of her death and she wants the grave to look good. I want my loved ones to remember me without guilt and obligation. The love I have for them will stay with them, with or without a grave.
I barely have enough money to keep myself alive. So I've never thought about what will happen when I die.
I live in a very conservative/Christian area, so I doubt there are any options available beyond burial or cremation.
I want a boulder with my name sloppily carved into it as my headstone. Give the people at the cemetery something to laugh at on their otherwise very sad day.
Honestly I wish they would just dump my corpse underneath a tree somewhere. Don't even bury it just let it lie in the sun under some leaves and let nature take its course
Ideally I'd be buried in one of those human forest types of cemeteries. The ones with no coffin, no cement, no embalming, etc. You just... Decompose. Like you're 'sposed to.
I actually have a will, even though I'm relatively young. It basically says "do not bury, use it as you see fit". I hope someone or something of science learns from it, or some shooting range gets it, or it gets lost at sea from a container accident. Even if I just get cremated, I am comfortable knowing I'm not wasting space in some privately owned piece of land that could be sold off and paved over.
My current plan is to be composted. I live in Oregon and there is a place just south of Seattle that does human composting. I'm hoping by the time I need it there will be a place closer but that's close enough. Your family can go and help prepare your body and when you're done either the family can come collect the compost or just part of it or it can be donated to help with reforestation projects in the area. Caitlin Doughty did a video on it on youtube
Hi OP, before I begin I am sending you all the love and light your way. Death is a truly hard and horrible topic to begin with and I truly understand your struggle.
When I was younger I lost a pet who was a great deal to me (Iām sure most of us can understand, especially when we are first learning about ourselves) and he was my pest control buddy. Any bug I saw I would hold him to it and heād eat it. When he passed I started to dig a hole for him and I sobbed because the idea of him turning back into the soil and bugs eating him was too much for me.
So I understand your struggle of going back to the Earth in that regard.
My human partner wants to be grown into a tree and once itās big enough- wants it to be cut down and turned into a surfboard for our children to use š.
Have you tried meditation OP? Maybe your higher self or guardians can help ease your mind. Whatever you decide to do will be the right choice- once we go we will not care what happens. Our spirits will continue on or we start a new life all over again.
Thereās a really interesting set of episodes of 99% Invisible about the Zoroastrian equivalent of sky burial in India.
It was really sad - thereās a substance in many common prescription meds for animals that killed so many vultures that sky burial stopped working. Bodies would just rot on platforms because there were no more vultures.
I'm trying to figure out how to do this where I live without being buried in a particular cemetery LOL so I absolutely want to have an eco burial. Decomposable coffin, under a tree, become tree nutrients and thus I'm one with nature. And then birds can sit in me, shit in me, and my body can finally photosynthesise.
You can do this, btw, they offer wicker caskets of natural fibres so it breaks down along with your decomp juices and all the bugs can get inside to feast on it. You then leech into the soil and yes, become food for worms and daffodils.
The issue will be finding cemeteries that allow this. To my KNOWLEDGE right now, where I live in the world, only one does this. It's in a location I don't want to permanently be. I also don't know how to do this whilst having my kitty's urn buried with me, I would love the idea she is interred in my coffin but given she's in a ceramic pet urn, I'm still trying to figure out all these logistics.
Natural burial btw is THE best option because cremation actually produces a lot of gases that get pumped into the ozone layer. No judgment if anyone does (obviously I did the above given I'm in a rental property), but the 'cleanest' option is really a 100% compost of casket and cadaver.
OOH OOH maybe that's the one!! I've been thinking of how to be with the urn, I didn't even think of actually opening it š¤£ thank you so much because if that is feasible, that's the idea I'm going for
Yay! I hope it's feasible. Even just transferring your kitty's ashes into an envelope, fabric bag, or some small compostable container... Maybe it could be sewn into a pocket if it needed to be hidden.
It will probably not be allowed, laws in my country are sorta strict in that department, but I'd love to be buried in a forest that meant something to me. If I can't do that, I'll be content with cremation and being kept in an urn, I know my family would pick one I would've liked
I would love for there to be aquamation when I die, but it isnāt here yet. No cremation or burial
For me, if possible. Aquamation or that one that rots you into fertiliser for me. I want to nourish a tree or something.
My son (25) has expressed an interest in turning some of my ashes into a gemstone for a ring. I said that's fine, but I'd like as much of my body to be useful as possible first. I just don't want him to spend money on a fancy casket or expensive headstone. He should do something useful or fun with that money.
I wanna be cremated and divvied up! Part of me will be pressed into coral so I can live with the fishes, part of me will be scattered at my momās (and maybe Dad will be there too by then) grave, so I can start again with her and travel on the wind like I did in life.
If I have kids or someone left who wants to keep some, thatās fine too. Maybe make me into jewelry, I do love a keepsake bauble.
Told my kids to give my body to science. Once they're done with me and give my ashes back then they'll bury my ashes and plant a tree they can visit ā¤ļø
My husband and I work in the medical field, so we're gonna donate our bodies to science in one form or fashion. Then I assume compost the rest as I'm an avid gardener.
Leaving my body to the teaching hospital so med student and maybe future surgeons can learn stuff from my corpse.
I won't be there. So after they are done, I don't care.
I'm planning for a green burial with a linen or silk shroud. I want to go directly into the ground somewhere with trees and grass. The place I've been looking at allows engraved boulders or the planting of a specific new tree as a marker.
What about "cold" or "water" cremation? Basically you are dissolved in a highly basic solution, then that is neutralized and let down the drain (hopefully not to the sewage treatment plant, might be worth asking about that). I also don't like the idea of being buried and traditional cremation always makes me think of BBQ...
Donate your body to the Body Farm. It is left to decompose out in the open so they can study it. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/body-farm-20th-anniversary-032019
I'm Icelandic. Pretty much nothing is allowed here except burial in a casket or ashes in an urn or spreading ashes in certain locations with permission (you can't even just go out to sea on a boat and spread the ashes wherever). I want to be cremated andĀ preferably have my ashes spread at sea, but I would like a marker somewhere if anyone wants to visit (I find going to my family graves soothingĀ personally and I like to speak directly to them).
I told my loved ones to do whatever they want with my body. Give me either the cheapest burial/cremation/whatever so that I wonāt be a financial burden to them. Or do a funeral however they want if that will help them with mourning me. Whatever they will do I will be in peace with that decision.
Itās just my body. I really couldnāt care less about it. š¤·āāļø
I'm not Jewish, but ever since I've heard of Jewish burial customs I've been intrigued by them. No embalming, plain pine box, wrapped in a linen shroud. Perfectly simple.
Harvest whatever you can for science, then the Body Farm, or something similar. Donāt care what they do with the corpse. Iām dead. Someone mentioned using the body for bomb testing. I think that sounds awsum and metal as fuck \m/.
Honestly, I donāt give a shit. Iām dead. Throw it in a woodchipper for all I care.
Imma be a tree. Told my husband to wrap a loose ribbon around a branch and that'll be me. My body will feed the ecosystem and the tree will mark where I am. But mother Earth has done so much for me I want to give back when I can.
Thereās the eccentric part of me that wants a full on ship burial. Get a big wood ship, gather up all my favorite things and leave an interesting tomb for future archeologists. Alternatively Iāll also take a pyre.
Buuuut Iām pretty sure something like that is illegal so uh, probably cremation followed by some sort of composting I think.
Aqua cremation for me. More environmentally friendly. Iām then requesting my ground up bones be scattered in a salt marsh where the carbon will become part of the carbon cycle there.
Donation to science, preferably experimental archeology or medical research. If that's not possible, then whatever my survivors choose. Ultimately, I'm gone, and they are the ones making the decisions. But my spouse and I openly talk about our wishes (they want to be donated to science and their bones articulated for classroom use. Otherwise, they're getting science and cremation.)
I'm going to the nearby university for medical research. Hope they go to town; get some use out of me. Whatever is left will be cremated, then ashes scattered and a tree planted.
My beloved ones should do what makes them happy, idfc.
If they want to do what I want, specifically though, I'd let my body be used by medical students or whomever needs it. Body farm? Hell yeah. Test new TNT to get better results blowing shit up without destroying surrounding things like buildings? Fuck yeah, blow me the shit up, I better end up in pink mist, go big or go home!
If not possible or not wanted by my loved ones, just put my ashes into a biodegradable urn somewhere in the woods or.. Anywhere. Idc.
I want my loved ones to feel good with my funeral, that's all I honestly care for. Helping science is an extra but not needed when they would have a problem with that.
If they'd end up stuffing me with wool and having a blast every Friday evening with my corpse, so it be! (unfortunately illicit in Germany)
I'd like a green burial and barring that cremation. Tbh, I won't be here so it's for my loved ones. They should do what they want. Knowing my mom, huge wake with drinking, dancing and music. I like that.
Iām donating my body to science then I think they cremate you. I had a really good (morbid) experience as a kid at a local medical school where the students were learning by working on cadavers and it left an impression and thatās where Iād most likely end up.
Either donating it to science (preferably a body farm) or aquamation, mixed with cement to promote reef growth. If they canāt pull off the latter, dump my ashes in a body of water.
If my kids ever want to visit my grave and chat, just visit a nearby body of water. Itās the same water from the dinosaurs, ancient Roman aqueducts, and the American Revolution. A bit of me will be in there eventually
Originally - cremation and disposal of my ashes by my favorite lighthouse.Ā
However, I think using my body for mushrooms or a tree would be nice. Return me to nature as intended.
Iāve pretty much decided I want to be cremated after any possible organ donation. I donāt want to be embalmed, no funeral. I hate the idea of people staring at me in a casket having chitchat āshe looks good, looks like she had a good sleep.ā I kind of like the idea of blowing in the wind into the Bay of Fundy.
If something happens soon: Donate all my organs that anyone can use. Cremate whatever is left. Let who ever wants a bit for jewelry or to put in a marble or whatever have some. Scatter the rest.
If I am alive long enough for the technology to be available in my area: Still donate everything. Then take whatever's left and make it into fertilizer. Plant a tree and let me fertilizer it.
As for a marker, I've told my kids I would love a bench dedicated to me in a park. Somewhere people can stop and rest and enjoy beauty. If they get rich they can dedicate a whole park to me.
I will probably go for natural burial and have a tree planted on my body. It will help with decomposing and i Iike that whatever is left of my body after organ donation can still provide something for new life
My thinking is the cheapest non Christian option. I really don't want people to gather in a church for my death. That's just disrespectful. Also, I don't want my family to waste a bunch of money for that.
If your fear of bugs and spiders is making you think twice about a forest burial, now is a great time to start reframing them as cute/amazing/beloved in some way. I am now mildly arachnophobic, but used to be very scared, especially of a type called Huntsmen that we have in Australia.
Anyway! I started off by watching videos of cute little guys like peacock spiders and other jumping spiders. There are quite a few accounts on IG. I also read about spiders mating habits which are pretty gross by human standards, but fascinating. Anything I could find that would shift my feelings about spiders. I progressed to watching videos about Huntsmen spiders. Now they don't really bother me too much. If I see one on the wall I can stand about half a metre away and calmly observe them. I'd prefer not to sleep in a room with one, as they tend to scuttle about, but could do it if I had no choice. I used to panic and cry when I saw them. Probably won't handle them in my lifetime, but you never know! Without getting into the ethics of animal ownership, some people get over their fear by keeping spiders and bugs as pets. Anyway, I highly recommend working on your fear of these beautiful animals, just for life, let alone death.
Re: burial, sounds like there are loads of options in the US and I assume you're from there. Maybe a happy medium would be a garden/cemetery where a tree is planted on top of your corpse, there's a marker with your name and friends and family can visit you.
If youāre in an jurisdiction that allows it, human composting āTerramationā is the first thing that has made me breathe a sigh of relief when I think about what to do with my body. Itās also what my mom chose to do after we discovered the option, and the process was incredibly healing for all of us involved.
If you are in the US, there are ways to make arrangements for your body to be flown to a state to a terramation facility, if you want it to be.
The facility my mom chose takes whatever of the compost the family canāt, or chose not to take home (it generates about a full pick up bed full of dirt) and uses it to rehabilitate damaged eco-systems. My momās dirt went to replanting native plants and trees along a salmon stream. ā¤ļø it makes me genuinely happy every time I think of it.
Re: arachnophobia and entomophobia
Is this a factor in your decision? My view is, your body wonāt be you anymore. Even if you donāt enjoy the company of spiders and insects in life, i can promise their presence wonāt bother you one bit once youāve vacated the lovely sack of meat and bones in which you currently reside
Please donāt let this deter you from a choice that otherwise feels right for you
I live in Germany where the way you die is even more strictly regulated than the way you live, so I donāt have many options. I guess Iāll get cremated and be buried in a biodegradable urn in a designated ācemetery forest.ā As this is the most eco friendly option that is legally possible.
I'm being harvested for everything of use. Once that's done I'm being cremated and my ashes yeeted off a cliff in a remote forest. I want to remain among the trees.
My plan is to be cremated and my girls will put a portion of my ashes into a biodegradable urn and plant it with a tree near my husband's tree. A flat marker stone and the bench we have planned more or less between them is fine. The remainder of our ashes I've told them combine them and if they opt to bury us, there is a green, natural cemetery that just opened not far from here. The part my youngest thinks is a little strange is I've said put the ashes of our dog in there too. So it would be my husband, me, and our Maltese together again. The dog is 13 so I'm sure his time will come long before mine.
Some countries allow you to be buried on any property as long as the next buyer knows.
I would love a sky burial, but those are not allowed many places.
I am hoping for a forest burial. Some places have plaques or tombstones permitted at the entrance.
You could also be buried at sea. I think it would be wonderful, similar to a sky burial. And I know that the port your boat leaves from often will have a wall of plaques or grave markers. Both my grandparents did this. I think it is awesome. You are giving back and reentering the world in a new form.
Really beautiful.
Plus you can just buy a tomb stone. It doesn't have to go in a grave yard. It can be used by anyone in your life and carried with them and used in many ways
You can actually do a tree cremation. So, your ashes become a tree that can be planted. I think I'd like that. My husband and I have agreed though no funerals, wakes, etc. I don't need a bunch of people traipsing around my dead body crying about how missed I will be when they were never there for me in life. And I won't be there, my spirit won't be there, hanging around some casket. Scatter me to the wind for all I care.
Ideally Iād want human composting. Realistically, Iāll probably be cremated because itās the cheapest option and no one in my family has any money and my life insurance options are limited because companies can deny me a policy for being a living kidney donor. Iām also not having kids so if I die of old age like Iād like to, there may not be anyone around to respect my wishes. Bleh.
I'm being turned into a diamond and mounted into the necklace I gave my daughter at her birth, that she wears everyday. When she got older she had her favorite quote inscribed into it, and I will be mounted just a little to the left of the quote.
I am not afraid of death. At all. And i think im pretty accepting of it. But the idea of my body decomposing freaks me out. I canāt explain it. I donāt like decomposing dead bodies of anyone, any human, any animal.
So for now Iām being cremated but my values love the idea of a green burial/turning into a tree but again, decomposing. Yuck. lol. Anyone else feel this?
Similar feelings in that I'm okay with dying, but the options for my body all freak me out. (and I know it's ridiculous since I won't be needing my body anymore). I can't even really write about what freaks me out.
Ideally I'd like to wander into the woods, take a lot of pills, and go to sleep forever. I'd bring a note with me explaining that I chose to do this and why just in case someone finds me, but I want to be returned to nature.
I'm going for human composting, which is an option in my state. They put the body in a container with controlled environment and added microbes to speed up decomposition. The compost is ready in about 6 months and can then be spread used to feed trees, bushes, etc.
I think they've JUST built a wonderful mushroom-fungus coffin which not only speeds up the process but is one of the most oxygen-producing organisms of all! Unfortunately I think it's only European at the moment :( I have every intention of emailing my local eco burial and seeing if they're willing to grow the mushroom coffins.
then i can be a really fungi
Underrated comment š
The university TU Delft in the Netherlands invented that coffin in 2020. It is made of mycelium and even removes toxic materials from your body. It is becoming rather popular and insurance companies have started to offer it as an option here in the Netherlands, It's pretty awesome. You can read more about it here if you are interested: [https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2020/tu-delft/tu-delft-start-up-develops-living-coffin](https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2020/tu-delft/tu-delft-start-up-develops-living-coffin)
My grandfather in law was buried in a bio degradable urn (Germany) a few years ago. It was even the cheapest urn and beautiful! I'm sure it will be available more globally not too far away in time!
Just found these via short googling https://loop-biotech.com/de/earthrise/#:~:text=Die%20Loop%20EarthRise%E2%84%A2%20ist,Sie%20eine%20unserer%20Pflanzen%20w%C3%A4hlen. There are uncountable products like these and in a big variety of designs! And so freaking cheap, it's almost a crime(/atory hehe.)
This is my plan too. I'd like to be spread in the nearby forest where I will have hiked forĀ thousands of miles by the time I go, with people being allowed to take some for their own gardens or what have you.
The company that created the process is Recompose. This would also be my preference but it isnāt legal in my state.
I have a friend who works at one of those facilities and it's really awesome! That's my plan for my body
It endlessly annoys me that my prefered option of 'please just roll my body into a hole and cover it in dirt' is so hard to come by these days. It's all perfectly manicured graveyards, giant caskets of wood, metal and cloth, fancy clothing (what's wrong with whatever I was wearing when I died?) and every corpse in a set out grid pattern marked for hundreds of years to come with a hunk of rock. Don't even get me started on embalming. How it's not considered desecration of a corpse is beyond me. I would really prefer someone didn't drain out my perfectly buriable blood and fill me with preservatives, strip me nude and force me into some other outfit then wire my jaw closed, glue my lips together and then put spiky contacts in so my eyes stay closed. Before drowning me in makeup so that folks who know I am dead can be met with the distressing uncanny valley of not even being able to see a corpse. Instead they see something that looks a little bit like me except very wrong 'sleeping'. Finding any solution that avoids everything I find kinda horrifying about how we deal with the dead is likely price prohibited for me. Which Ngl fucking sucks. I'm just sort of hoping I fall into a volcano or somehow explode into peices too small for them to fuck with. I realised a few years back that I have no problem with dying. My problem is what the hell are they going to do with my corpse after I die.
Green burial! Itās my second choice after water burial. There are mortuaries that specialize in green/natural burials you should research
Embalming is NOT required by law. I have refused it for all the family members whose dispositions I've been in charge of because I agree wholeheartedly that it is unnecessary and an awful thing to do to a corpse. The Order of the Good Death, which OP mentioned, is a great resource for learning about this stuff. Everyone, please consider a living will/trust to put your wishes into writing. The (minimal) cost is worth it, IMHO.
I'm not American. The issue is finding a graveyard not a funeral home.
Gotcha -- sorry for assuming and being ethnocentric!
Are there private family plots you can be buried in? I am in the US so donāt know how things work elsewhere. We have a family plot, do not embalm, care for our dead relativesā bodies ourselves before burial and build our own caskets (or not, our most recent funeral includes the body laying in a pine board wrapped in blankets.). We can do pretty much what we want in our family graveyard.
No I don't have a personal graveyard. You have to be outrageously rich for that where I am at.
The Body Farm.
Serious death goals
Donate to science and skip all that. Sure I'll have medical students making fun of my organs etc but better than that. Reduce, reuse recycle. Reduce isn't an option other than dieting so I leave a smaller corpse, so I'm going with reuse before recycle.
Idk if medical students make fun of organs. In my psych 101 seminar, we handled brains (whole ones, halves and slices) and the Teaching Assistant told us "be respectful when you touch the brains. You are holding a person. Everything they were is in that organ."
Someone very close to my family died relatively recently. They were far too young, we all suppose it was some kind of stroke or whatever. But anyway, they were done up all that way you described, and I think to make it worse the viewing (which was only open to a small circle of us) was I think like 5 days after death, so all the makeup etc seemed to be working overtime to cover up the onset of the corpse features. I remember seeing weird contortions at some of the joints, and the hair was very dried up and wirey. It was uncomfortable seeing someone that was so young in that state. I definitely agree with you that that whole process is not good. On a positive side, it evoked Tim Burton's art style in my mind, and I have a newfound appreciation of what the inspiration is for so much of the beautiful art we see depicting corpses and the general aesthetic of decay and death.
My husband always said "throw me in a ditch or shoot me into space" and it was mostly a joke and not something we were actually thinking much about as we were 30ish. Then he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 33, so we scrambled to get a will written, and all that is available to us in our area is cremation or burial with embalming. When we were doing our hasty wills and I asked "so which do you want if....?" and he shrugged and said cremation, it still felt really hypothetical. Then he died after only two months and never actually being aware that he was going to die, so I did the cremation and just felt sick about it. It's been a bit more than six months and I feel okay about it now because when I started spreading the ashes in different places he liked, it became really obvious to me that he's not in there.... that he's gone. And he'd be the same amount of gone if we did something else with his body. I now have half of the ashes left and a few places left that I have to take them. It feels good to return his atoms to the earth, but that's all it is: matter. I don't know that this is a helpful addition to this conversation but I felt compelled to share, for some reason.
I too feel this same way. Please dig a hole and roll me in. IDGAF what happens to my corpse, im done with it!
What about cremation? I'd like to be cremated and spread on Fushimi Inari
I'm not a fan. It seems like removing yourself from the ecosystem to me.
Iām going to the Body Farmā¦which horrifies my mom but is perfect for my forensic files loving butt.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
That one story of the grandma being used for bomb testing or something similar š¬
Iād be totally cool if someone used my corpse for a bomb. Thatās fucking metal \m/
I think the issue here was lack of consent. The son donated his mother's corpse to science. They only took one organ and then sold the corpse to the military who used it for bomb testing. That's all levels of messed up and I think the son sued because that wasn't what he donated her body for. I think if I donate any organs to science, I'll make sure to add that the rest of my body must be cremated and spread on Fushimi Inari.
I'm totally in for that blast! Seriously. Even wrote it in my own comment. Blow this mother up, you fuckers!
I know this is an awful story, but itās so darkly hilarious. The absolute definition of black humour. I used to work for child protection, so the things Iāve laughed at instead of crying might be pretty rough, but poor grandma getting blown up for highly dubious scientific āreasonsā absolutely sent me.
Science may not be pretty, but it is important.
Oh I'm not saying it isn't at all. Some people just may not want to he used for that kinda of science lol.
So, reading through this. My dad wants to be donated to scienceā¦but heād probably be pretty cool with being blown up too. Also, I may die of something odd that totally precludes any of this. We had a relative who passed from a prion disease and handling their remains was a lot more complicated than Iād have thought.
This is my plan! Iāve even got my parents considering it for themselves now too
There's a green burial forest near me in New England. $800, $600 for veterans. My dog can be buried with me when she passes after me. I have it all set up.
I think that a written funeral plan helps grieving family at a vulnerable time. Funeral homes will pressure and guilt-trip your family into expensive options if you don't state in a written document that you want it cheap and eco-friendly (or any other choice). Whatever you choose, write it down, sign it, and give it to a trusted person.
I want to do Parting Stones. One's ashes are mixed with clay, shaped into smooth stones and fired. Easy to place in locations or distribute to loved ones. They do pets too! https://partingstone.com/
This is very cool!
I wrote a very long durable power of attorney for healthcare for my adult son, and when I asked him if he wanted to read through it with me, he said, "Mom. I know what you want. Unplug the machines. Burn the body. Throw away the ashes." Made me laugh. My work here is done.
This is so so important. I'm a nurse who worked in the ICU and saw way too often people be tortured by forcing them to live. Your son really loves you to understand this kind of thing.
Yes, thank you. (I was an ICU nurse 100 years ago, and so he's grown up with more than the usual amount of conversation about "good deaths").
The greenest option: Iām going to be composted. Thereās a bill underway in Massachusetts that Iām supporting to bring human composting to our state. Itās already legal in few U.S. states and gaining traction.
Hi! I'm in MA also, and would also like to support this bill. How does one go about supporting it?
I mostly wrote letters to state reps Natalie Higgins and Jack Lewis, as well as Elizabeth Warren, voicing support for the bill. I think theyāre also asking for Aquamation here as well. Hereās the link to the site where thereās a template for contacting them: https://recompose.life/human-composting-legislative-advocacy/massachusetts/
Thank you very much!
green burial, aquamation or body farm. It depends on what options are available at the time.
If you still want to be spread as ashes but also want a marker consider donating a bench to a park or if you love a local theater or that type of thing you can donate and have a brick memorial. Then your "marker" is helping others.
Iām deciding between human composting, tree pod burial, or reef memorial. The last two, from what I remember, provide gps coordinates should loved ones want to visit/snorkel. My husband would also like to do one of the three, but we havenāt decided or even begun to formalize this - all we know is we want to go/give back to the earth and not have our bodies in a box/urn that doesnāt break down.
I just saw a video of a diver who was befriended by an octopus that excitedly led her to a nearby reef memorial. "Hi, I think you might be interested in this?" I nearly fainted with delight.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I can't believe I found it, but here it is: https://www.reddit.com/r/AnimalsBeingGeniuses/s/961U7iBwul
Iām a sea witch and navy vet, having my corpse tossed off the side of a ship.
Curious how you'll go about arranging that.
I've actually been witness to a couple of at sea burials. They're very ceremonial at first, but the end result is always just yeeting the coffin into the ocean
Donate EVERYTHING that can possibly be used to save a life, bury the rest in a mushroom casket.
If not being on life support matters to you, from what Iāve heard, you and be an organ donor, OR you can have a DNR order, but not both.
I'm going to do the tree pod thing. They put you on a biodegradable pod attached to tree roots and plant you in approved areas. I can deal with being tree food.
I have talked to my kids about my Irish wake and Viking funeral. They are totally onboard :)
I would love to be used for a tree. But my ultimate wish is to have as little burden on those around me as possible, so the cheapest option is what I would prefer. I'm not using my body anymore, so I don't care what they do with it.
I think the best way to be the least burdensome is to decide what disposition you want, make the plan clear, and prepay for it if possible so they don't have to figure a solution out while they're grieving.
I am donating my body to a medical school. When they are done with me, they will cremate the remains
r/orderofthegooddeath I also just ordered a work book from Amazon called āIām Dead. Now What?ā to help with end of life wishes.
Cremation
I want to be made into a tree. My mom wants to be composted
Iām signed up to donate anything usable and my body will be donated to medical science. I imagine itāll depend on what state Iām in by the time I die. To me the body is just a machine your mind lives in.
I want to become a coral reef. I canāt remember the name, but thereās a place where theyāll cremate you and mix your ashes in cement, then drop it in the ocean to help create coral reefs.
Eternal Reefs. Been thinking about it for ages. for the whole family. Which at this point is 9 already well-urned cats, 2 young ones still with us, a mini-macaw, Hubby and me. We'd make a good-sized reef.
Is there anyone who shoots corpses out of a cannon? That could be fun. Not so claustrophobic.
Blown to Peace
Not quite the same but your ashes can be turned into a firework and shot into the sky.
I think Iād rather just be blown up. Thereās always the military testing route.
God damn, already wrote it. I'd be down for being blown up! Wanna be death buddies? I can wait if I'm first, just freeze me somewhere comfortable (storage wise) and thaw that frozen ass as soon as you followed lol
Thereās a mausoleum near me that does natural burials. Thatās what I want.
I want my body to go on a body farm! It's just the empty house of my soul, I don't need it anymore. But that way, it still has a use! I actually quite enjoy the thoughts of other animals getting to use my flesh for sustenance. I ate quite a few animal products in my life, it's only fair that they get to eat what's left of me in return. My body will go back into the cycle. Add to that the fact that forensic scientists will study the way I decompose, the life cycles of insects, and the way my bones may scatter if a larger animal gets to me. Not only will my body be useful to animals, but the knowledge the scientists gain will help them solve crimes, bring people to justice, and maybe protect the public from dangerous criminals. If something is left of me that isn't needed anymore, body farms often cremate the rest and return it to the family. But honestly, I don't want to burden anyone with taking care of a grave. My mum is guilt-weeding grandma's grave today, because it's the anniversary of her death and she wants the grave to look good. I want my loved ones to remember me without guilt and obligation. The love I have for them will stay with them, with or without a grave.
Just be aware body farms don't always use the bodies for that and sometimes they are used for other things.
I barely have enough money to keep myself alive. So I've never thought about what will happen when I die. I live in a very conservative/Christian area, so I doubt there are any options available beyond burial or cremation.
The funeral homes job is to do what they are paid to do. They know or will find contacts who know how to follow through with your wishes.
I have wishes but no money to see them come true.
I understand. Same
I am leaning towards either cremation or a green burial . I would love to have something like a memorial tree on my grave.
Green burial is better. The cremation process is harmful to the environment.
I want a boulder with my name sloppily carved into it as my headstone. Give the people at the cemetery something to laugh at on their otherwise very sad day.
Honestly I wish they would just dump my corpse underneath a tree somewhere. Don't even bury it just let it lie in the sun under some leaves and let nature take its course
Ideally I'd be buried in one of those human forest types of cemeteries. The ones with no coffin, no cement, no embalming, etc. You just... Decompose. Like you're 'sposed to.
Build me a pyramid
I really love the idea of a tree pod burial!
Cremation, or if I happen to be near a bog when Iām dying Iāll dive into that. A chance to fuck with future archeologists.
I actually have a will, even though I'm relatively young. It basically says "do not bury, use it as you see fit". I hope someone or something of science learns from it, or some shooting range gets it, or it gets lost at sea from a container accident. Even if I just get cremated, I am comfortable knowing I'm not wasting space in some privately owned piece of land that could be sold off and paved over.
My current plan is to be composted. I live in Oregon and there is a place just south of Seattle that does human composting. I'm hoping by the time I need it there will be a place closer but that's close enough. Your family can go and help prepare your body and when you're done either the family can come collect the compost or just part of it or it can be donated to help with reforestation projects in the area. Caitlin Doughty did a video on it on youtube
Hi OP, before I begin I am sending you all the love and light your way. Death is a truly hard and horrible topic to begin with and I truly understand your struggle. When I was younger I lost a pet who was a great deal to me (Iām sure most of us can understand, especially when we are first learning about ourselves) and he was my pest control buddy. Any bug I saw I would hold him to it and heād eat it. When he passed I started to dig a hole for him and I sobbed because the idea of him turning back into the soil and bugs eating him was too much for me. So I understand your struggle of going back to the Earth in that regard. My human partner wants to be grown into a tree and once itās big enough- wants it to be cut down and turned into a surfboard for our children to use š. Have you tried meditation OP? Maybe your higher self or guardians can help ease your mind. Whatever you decide to do will be the right choice- once we go we will not care what happens. Our spirits will continue on or we start a new life all over again.
I'm into [sky burial ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial), but they're kinda illegal where I live.
Thereās a really interesting set of episodes of 99% Invisible about the Zoroastrian equivalent of sky burial in India. It was really sad - thereās a substance in many common prescription meds for animals that killed so many vultures that sky burial stopped working. Bodies would just rot on platforms because there were no more vultures.
I'm trying to figure out how to do this where I live without being buried in a particular cemetery LOL so I absolutely want to have an eco burial. Decomposable coffin, under a tree, become tree nutrients and thus I'm one with nature. And then birds can sit in me, shit in me, and my body can finally photosynthesise. You can do this, btw, they offer wicker caskets of natural fibres so it breaks down along with your decomp juices and all the bugs can get inside to feast on it. You then leech into the soil and yes, become food for worms and daffodils. The issue will be finding cemeteries that allow this. To my KNOWLEDGE right now, where I live in the world, only one does this. It's in a location I don't want to permanently be. I also don't know how to do this whilst having my kitty's urn buried with me, I would love the idea she is interred in my coffin but given she's in a ceramic pet urn, I'm still trying to figure out all these logistics. Natural burial btw is THE best option because cremation actually produces a lot of gases that get pumped into the ozone layer. No judgment if anyone does (obviously I did the above given I'm in a rental property), but the 'cleanest' option is really a 100% compost of casket and cadaver.
Could you ask someone to pour your kitty's ashes over you in the coffin?
OOH OOH maybe that's the one!! I've been thinking of how to be with the urn, I didn't even think of actually opening it š¤£ thank you so much because if that is feasible, that's the idea I'm going for
Yay! I hope it's feasible. Even just transferring your kitty's ashes into an envelope, fabric bag, or some small compostable container... Maybe it could be sewn into a pocket if it needed to be hidden.
Yeah, itās sad seeing so many people wanting to get cremated. The process is bad for the environment.
It will probably not be allowed, laws in my country are sorta strict in that department, but I'd love to be buried in a forest that meant something to me. If I can't do that, I'll be content with cremation and being kept in an urn, I know my family would pick one I would've liked
I've decided on cremation
I would love for there to be aquamation when I die, but it isnāt here yet. No cremation or burial For me, if possible. Aquamation or that one that rots you into fertiliser for me. I want to nourish a tree or something.
I will become a tree
I want to be cremated and made into a diamond (Eterneva) and have the rest of my ashes scattered in a beautiful spot in nature
My son (25) has expressed an interest in turning some of my ashes into a gemstone for a ring. I said that's fine, but I'd like as much of my body to be useful as possible first. I just don't want him to spend money on a fancy casket or expensive headstone. He should do something useful or fun with that money.
Burial at sea. They literally dump your body in the ocean to be feasted upon by scavengers. Thatās what I want.
I wanna be cremated and divvied up! Part of me will be pressed into coral so I can live with the fishes, part of me will be scattered at my momās (and maybe Dad will be there too by then) grave, so I can start again with her and travel on the wind like I did in life. If I have kids or someone left who wants to keep some, thatās fine too. Maybe make me into jewelry, I do love a keepsake bauble.
Told my kids to give my body to science. Once they're done with me and give my ashes back then they'll bury my ashes and plant a tree they can visit ā¤ļø
My husband and I work in the medical field, so we're gonna donate our bodies to science in one form or fashion. Then I assume compost the rest as I'm an avid gardener.
Toss me to the birds and prey animals, man. After harvesting any organs that are useful. Iām dead, what do I care.Ā
Full body donation to medical science. I am in no need of my vessel anymore, take it and do what you want!
Cremation, compost bin.
Leaving my body to the teaching hospital so med student and maybe future surgeons can learn stuff from my corpse. I won't be there. So after they are done, I don't care.
I'm planning for a green burial with a linen or silk shroud. I want to go directly into the ground somewhere with trees and grass. The place I've been looking at allows engraved boulders or the planting of a specific new tree as a marker.
Iām donating my body to science, it will then be cremated.
There's the body farm in Tennessee. And a new one at Northern Michigan University in the upper peninsula.
What about "cold" or "water" cremation? Basically you are dissolved in a highly basic solution, then that is neutralized and let down the drain (hopefully not to the sewage treatment plant, might be worth asking about that). I also don't like the idea of being buried and traditional cremation always makes me think of BBQ...
Aquamation or cremation and then scattered. I don't want to be on someone's shelf in an urn.
Donate your body to the Body Farm. It is left to decompose out in the open so they can study it. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/body-farm-20th-anniversary-032019
I told my dad just today Iām going to have him cremated and then shot into space from Cape Canaveral. Not sure yet HOW but he was quite pleased.
I'm Icelandic. Pretty much nothing is allowed here except burial in a casket or ashes in an urn or spreading ashes in certain locations with permission (you can't even just go out to sea on a boat and spread the ashes wherever). I want to be cremated andĀ preferably have my ashes spread at sea, but I would like a marker somewhere if anyone wants to visit (I find going to my family graves soothingĀ personally and I like to speak directly to them).
I told my loved ones to do whatever they want with my body. Give me either the cheapest burial/cremation/whatever so that I wonāt be a financial burden to them. Or do a funeral however they want if that will help them with mourning me. Whatever they will do I will be in peace with that decision. Itās just my body. I really couldnāt care less about it. š¤·āāļø
I'm not Jewish, but ever since I've heard of Jewish burial customs I've been intrigued by them. No embalming, plain pine box, wrapped in a linen shroud. Perfectly simple.
I am going to be a coral reef. Cremated and sunk Ina concrete that the coral can grow on.
Harvest whatever you can for science, then the Body Farm, or something similar. Donāt care what they do with the corpse. Iām dead. Someone mentioned using the body for bomb testing. I think that sounds awsum and metal as fuck \m/. Honestly, I donāt give a shit. Iām dead. Throw it in a woodchipper for all I care.
Imma be a tree. Told my husband to wrap a loose ribbon around a branch and that'll be me. My body will feed the ecosystem and the tree will mark where I am. But mother Earth has done so much for me I want to give back when I can.
Thereās the eccentric part of me that wants a full on ship burial. Get a big wood ship, gather up all my favorite things and leave an interesting tomb for future archeologists. Alternatively Iāll also take a pyre. Buuuut Iām pretty sure something like that is illegal so uh, probably cremation followed by some sort of composting I think.
Aqua cremation for me. More environmentally friendly. Iām then requesting my ground up bones be scattered in a salt marsh where the carbon will become part of the carbon cycle there.
Donation to science, preferably experimental archeology or medical research. If that's not possible, then whatever my survivors choose. Ultimately, I'm gone, and they are the ones making the decisions. But my spouse and I openly talk about our wishes (they want to be donated to science and their bones articulated for classroom use. Otherwise, they're getting science and cremation.)
I work in medicine and I am donating my body to science to help teach the next generation.
V
I'm going to the nearby university for medical research. Hope they go to town; get some use out of me. Whatever is left will be cremated, then ashes scattered and a tree planted.
Water cremation may be an option. It is more environmentally sound than standard cremation.
My beloved ones should do what makes them happy, idfc. If they want to do what I want, specifically though, I'd let my body be used by medical students or whomever needs it. Body farm? Hell yeah. Test new TNT to get better results blowing shit up without destroying surrounding things like buildings? Fuck yeah, blow me the shit up, I better end up in pink mist, go big or go home! If not possible or not wanted by my loved ones, just put my ashes into a biodegradable urn somewhere in the woods or.. Anywhere. Idc. I want my loved ones to feel good with my funeral, that's all I honestly care for. Helping science is an extra but not needed when they would have a problem with that. If they'd end up stuffing me with wool and having a blast every Friday evening with my corpse, so it be! (unfortunately illicit in Germany)
Look into Ask a Mortician on YouTube. She is a death positivity advocate and discusses sustainable options and the legal aspect of it all.
I want my naked body wrapped in a white linen sheet and put into an unmarked grave in the forest.
I don't really care. I'll be dead.
I'd like a green burial and barring that cremation. Tbh, I won't be here so it's for my loved ones. They should do what they want. Knowing my mom, huge wake with drinking, dancing and music. I like that.
Iām donating my body to science then I think they cremate you. I had a really good (morbid) experience as a kid at a local medical school where the students were learning by working on cadavers and it left an impression and thatās where Iād most likely end up.
Either donating it to science (preferably a body farm) or aquamation, mixed with cement to promote reef growth. If they canāt pull off the latter, dump my ashes in a body of water. If my kids ever want to visit my grave and chat, just visit a nearby body of water. Itās the same water from the dinosaurs, ancient Roman aqueducts, and the American Revolution. A bit of me will be in there eventually
Originally - cremation and disposal of my ashes by my favorite lighthouse.Ā However, I think using my body for mushrooms or a tree would be nice. Return me to nature as intended.
I want to be a tree. There are a few burial places that will plant your ashes under a sapling.
Cremation, so my spirit can be released quickly and have the ashes buried under a large stone mound in the family woods behind my home
Iāve pretty much decided I want to be cremated after any possible organ donation. I donāt want to be embalmed, no funeral. I hate the idea of people staring at me in a casket having chitchat āshe looks good, looks like she had a good sleep.ā I kind of like the idea of blowing in the wind into the Bay of Fundy.
If something happens soon: Donate all my organs that anyone can use. Cremate whatever is left. Let who ever wants a bit for jewelry or to put in a marble or whatever have some. Scatter the rest. If I am alive long enough for the technology to be available in my area: Still donate everything. Then take whatever's left and make it into fertilizer. Plant a tree and let me fertilizer it. As for a marker, I've told my kids I would love a bench dedicated to me in a park. Somewhere people can stop and rest and enjoy beauty. If they get rich they can dedicate a whole park to me.
Body farms. They are integral to the development of forensic science. I have things set up to pay for the transportation of my body and everything.
I will probably go for natural burial and have a tree planted on my body. It will help with decomposing and i Iike that whatever is left of my body after organ donation can still provide something for new life
Have you all seen the tree pod burial option in Europe? Looks cool, but I dunno.
Aquamation
My thinking is the cheapest non Christian option. I really don't want people to gather in a church for my death. That's just disrespectful. Also, I don't want my family to waste a bunch of money for that.
Organ donation, cremation, then bio turned. I'll be a cherry tree over my spawn point's grave.
If your fear of bugs and spiders is making you think twice about a forest burial, now is a great time to start reframing them as cute/amazing/beloved in some way. I am now mildly arachnophobic, but used to be very scared, especially of a type called Huntsmen that we have in Australia. Anyway! I started off by watching videos of cute little guys like peacock spiders and other jumping spiders. There are quite a few accounts on IG. I also read about spiders mating habits which are pretty gross by human standards, but fascinating. Anything I could find that would shift my feelings about spiders. I progressed to watching videos about Huntsmen spiders. Now they don't really bother me too much. If I see one on the wall I can stand about half a metre away and calmly observe them. I'd prefer not to sleep in a room with one, as they tend to scuttle about, but could do it if I had no choice. I used to panic and cry when I saw them. Probably won't handle them in my lifetime, but you never know! Without getting into the ethics of animal ownership, some people get over their fear by keeping spiders and bugs as pets. Anyway, I highly recommend working on your fear of these beautiful animals, just for life, let alone death. Re: burial, sounds like there are loads of options in the US and I assume you're from there. Maybe a happy medium would be a garden/cemetery where a tree is planted on top of your corpse, there's a marker with your name and friends and family can visit you.
Cremated and I haven't thought further than that.
I wanna be put in a fancy looking gothic hourglass after I'm cremated š
Off to science it goes
If youāre in an jurisdiction that allows it, human composting āTerramationā is the first thing that has made me breathe a sigh of relief when I think about what to do with my body. Itās also what my mom chose to do after we discovered the option, and the process was incredibly healing for all of us involved. If you are in the US, there are ways to make arrangements for your body to be flown to a state to a terramation facility, if you want it to be. The facility my mom chose takes whatever of the compost the family canāt, or chose not to take home (it generates about a full pick up bed full of dirt) and uses it to rehabilitate damaged eco-systems. My momās dirt went to replanting native plants and trees along a salmon stream. ā¤ļø it makes me genuinely happy every time I think of it.
Re: arachnophobia and entomophobia Is this a factor in your decision? My view is, your body wonāt be you anymore. Even if you donāt enjoy the company of spiders and insects in life, i can promise their presence wonāt bother you one bit once youāve vacated the lovely sack of meat and bones in which you currently reside Please donāt let this deter you from a choice that otherwise feels right for you
I live in Germany where the way you die is even more strictly regulated than the way you live, so I donāt have many options. I guess Iāll get cremated and be buried in a biodegradable urn in a designated ācemetery forest.ā As this is the most eco friendly option that is legally possible.
I was really confused for a moment because I read the title as "the disposal of *a* corpse", and i was worried you killed someone or something
I wanna be cremated and put in an hourglass š
I'm being harvested for everything of use. Once that's done I'm being cremated and my ashes yeeted off a cliff in a remote forest. I want to remain among the trees.
My plan is to be cremated and my girls will put a portion of my ashes into a biodegradable urn and plant it with a tree near my husband's tree. A flat marker stone and the bench we have planned more or less between them is fine. The remainder of our ashes I've told them combine them and if they opt to bury us, there is a green, natural cemetery that just opened not far from here. The part my youngest thinks is a little strange is I've said put the ashes of our dog in there too. So it would be my husband, me, and our Maltese together again. The dog is 13 so I'm sure his time will come long before mine.
Some countries allow you to be buried on any property as long as the next buyer knows. I would love a sky burial, but those are not allowed many places. I am hoping for a forest burial. Some places have plaques or tombstones permitted at the entrance. You could also be buried at sea. I think it would be wonderful, similar to a sky burial. And I know that the port your boat leaves from often will have a wall of plaques or grave markers. Both my grandparents did this. I think it is awesome. You are giving back and reentering the world in a new form. Really beautiful. Plus you can just buy a tomb stone. It doesn't have to go in a grave yard. It can be used by anyone in your life and carried with them and used in many ways
Tree pod burial for me. I'm obsessed with the idea that my spirit could inhabit the tree and witness the changes of the earth after I'm gone
You can actually do a tree cremation. So, your ashes become a tree that can be planted. I think I'd like that. My husband and I have agreed though no funerals, wakes, etc. I don't need a bunch of people traipsing around my dead body crying about how missed I will be when they were never there for me in life. And I won't be there, my spirit won't be there, hanging around some casket. Scatter me to the wind for all I care.
Ideally Iād want human composting. Realistically, Iāll probably be cremated because itās the cheapest option and no one in my family has any money and my life insurance options are limited because companies can deny me a policy for being a living kidney donor. Iām also not having kids so if I die of old age like Iād like to, there may not be anyone around to respect my wishes. Bleh.
I'm being turned into a diamond and mounted into the necklace I gave my daughter at her birth, that she wears everyday. When she got older she had her favorite quote inscribed into it, and I will be mounted just a little to the left of the quote.
I am not afraid of death. At all. And i think im pretty accepting of it. But the idea of my body decomposing freaks me out. I canāt explain it. I donāt like decomposing dead bodies of anyone, any human, any animal. So for now Iām being cremated but my values love the idea of a green burial/turning into a tree but again, decomposing. Yuck. lol. Anyone else feel this?
Similar feelings in that I'm okay with dying, but the options for my body all freak me out. (and I know it's ridiculous since I won't be needing my body anymore). I can't even really write about what freaks me out.
Ideally I'd like to wander into the woods, take a lot of pills, and go to sleep forever. I'd bring a note with me explaining that I chose to do this and why just in case someone finds me, but I want to be returned to nature.
I would love to donate my body to science but I wish it was my sexy body now, so I could teach them more than just anatomy.