Fear of Death in the Age of the Immortals

By Walraven on Flickr

The immortals will likely have much reason to think about and fear death. For if the biology of aging is tamed and our bodies remain timeless then how much greater the risk and potential loss though accident or misfortune. An individual who is gifted with good health for centuries must take extra care to guard the vessel of his mind towards such longevity. On the other hand if we are made ageless through technology which allows our consciousness to be collected, stored and protected from harm then risk becomes something else entirely. When safely contained in a jar or computer there should be little cause to worry over falls, accidents or other untimely ends. In fact, we may be emboldened to accept very great risk in quests of exploration or adventure should a mechanism be devised to place our consciousness into a temporary vessel (think of the movie Avatar) which we can enjoy and drive as our own. The risk then may turn from one of utter loss to something more like the deductible we might owe should we crash our shiny red Porsche. The immortals then, may indeed give much thought to death, to the risks which might rob them of so much as well as the consequences of death’s long circumnavigation.