Given the space constraints and environmental issues that we are facing, people are now finding unique ways to deal with the dead. From artificial reefs to launching cremated remains into space, alternative methods of burial know no bound.
Now, unusual burial customs are becoming a trend. If you’re interested in it, here are a few unique ways you might want to know.
Space funeral
Spending your eternity in outer space is now possible. The Space Services can fit at least 150 containers with ashes out to space. It places the remains in a lipstick-sized container in the extra space on the rockets. The cremated remains will orbit the earth for up to several centuries.
Meanwhile, the craft used to transfer the ashes to outer space will incinerate as soon as it enters the earth’s atmosphere. Although it may look odd, space burial offers a considerable advantage. Most think that it helps their loved ones see the funeral as a celebration rather than a time for mourning.
Back to nature
Some people feel disappointed about today’s funeral rites, especially when it comes to the embalming process. That’s why some are trying to return to the old ways by practicing natural burials for their loved ones.
Before they shop for headstones in Ogden, they would wrap the remains in a shroud. Another option is to lay them to rest inside a biodegradable casket so the body will decompose.
The natural burial movement began in 1998. One reason is because of people’s dissatisfaction with the traditional funeral rites. They believe that people are helping the environment by rejoining the natural cycle of life.
Underwater burial
Other unconventional burial options are merging modern gadgets with green funeral options. Eternal reefs provide families with the exact location of their loved one’s reef ball.
There are funeral services that offer stone markers with geographic information system installed. It helps them track their loved one’s burial location. Others see it as an excellent way to give back to the environment by helping produce life underwater.
Below zero option
Meanwhile, others choose to hang on to the life that they had by selecting to be frozen in time. Cryonics is a process of freezing an individual’s body for several years. People choose this method hoping that medical science will become advanced enough to treat their condition.
Despite various barriers, cryonics advocates have been promoting it since the late 1960s. Now, there are more than 200 people who are in the cryonics stage in the country as of 2011. Prices for this procedure can vary depending on various factors such as the payment plan and the process. However, those who are on a tight budget can have head-only preservation for at least $80,000.
These are only a few of the unique and unconventional ways to lay a loved one’s remains to rest. Although they’re all interesting, the most critical part of any burial is the memories that a loved one leaves with you. So, every one of us should try to live our lives to the fullest and cherish each day.
