Modern technology is revolutionizing the funeral

When her 91-year-old aunt passed away in 2010, Diane DiResta videotaped the eulogies to create a record of the moving words spoken. She wasn't ready to talk about her aunt at the service, so she used an online tool for publishing audio to record her thoughts, then e-mailed the audio file to close family.

And when a cherished 89-year-old uncle died in Las Vegas in February — and there was no funeral service to follow — the New York City resident again turned to technology.

"Since there was no way for the family to share his life and express their grief together, I created a blog," she said. "I added pictures, and family members were able to post their memories of him."

This is Mourning 2.0. Technological advances have dramatically altered how we grieve for and memorialize the dead.

In this new era, the bereaved readily share their sorrow via Facebook comments. They light virtual candles on memorial websites, upload video tributes to YouTube and express sadness through online funeral home guest books. Mourners affix adhesive-backed barcodes or "QR code" chips to tombstones so visitors can pull up photos and videos with a scan of a smartphone.

Those in need of consolation can replay the streaming video of a funeral service to hear a cleric's comforting words. Those who want help remembering a yahrtzeit — the anniversary of death in the Jewish faith — can get e-mail reminders from websites such as ShivaConnect.com.

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Ithamar

Most 'funeral' and 'memorial' services are exercises in meaningless babel and draw to mind the words of the Lord to "let the dead bury the dead."
- EVERMYRTLE
  
  Let the dead bury the dead, are those who are "dead without CHRIST!"
EVERMYRTLE

It so sad that many times with the elderly, there are so few who care enough to leave their jobs for a last moment of attention, for one who has served them, in the past. I had rather just have a prayer from my minister than this "artificial fill in!"

Still on the other hand I would rather have , "My Roses While I Live!" Like this I get to enjoy them, myself

'
- Evermyrtle
  
  Having people attend a funeral of a loved one, by those that the she or he loved so much, gives great comfort to grieving family, just to know that these people care enough to show their respect .
kenny

let's face it after were dead were just a memory and that fades with time
- keyboardshark
  
  kenny says: "let's face it after were dead were just a memory and that fades with time"
  
  That's true, this life is only temporal and beyond the immediate family, most people are forgotten not long after the funeral.
  
  "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
  Ecclesiastes 9:5
  
  That is why it is so critically important to know that you have been born again before it is too late:
  
  "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
  John 3:3
  
  There is only one Way to heaven:
  
  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. "
  John 14:6
  
  We have to read the Bible in order to know God's will for us before we leave earth.
  
  B Basic
  I Instructions
  B Before
  L Leaving
  E Earth
Andrew Waite

Sadly technology intervenes to allow us to pay our respects so clinically.

But then just think how easy it will be when older folks just get on the brightly painted bus and head off for the Soylent green microwave?

If you can get in a car, get on a plane and be at the memorial/funeral. There are the living to comfort also. My experience and my belief tells me great comfort comes from "two or three gathered in thy name" to celebrate a life and a passing.
Guest

They don't mention it here, but I'm sure that somewhere there is a web site for the dying or nearly dead to leave a video to those who will gather. Rather boggles the mind, really. Think what you could say if it no longer mattered what anyone thought.
Having reached, if not the golden years then, at least the later silver, and having attended far too many departure services, I've come to the conclusion that funerals in general are a great money maker in a barbaric way. Viewings are a great way to instill night terrors in small children. As an American and a believer I treat all funerals I see with respect, but I really try to avoid them altogether. And yes, that includes family.
As Andrew says above, "my belief tells me great comfort comes from "two or three gathered in thy name" to celebrate a life and a passing." I say amen, but I believe that it can be done somewhere private and intimate.
Alton

When I saw the article's title, I thought the "modern technology" revolutionizing the funeral might be "organic burial," also known as "Promessa." But Promessa is hardly "modern," since the idea of its process has been around for at least 20 years. Still, it's not widely known or used, if at all.

Promessa is a "green" alternative to a cremation. Unlike a cremation which uses much energy to burn a body (ever wonder how much gasoline or natural gas a cremation uses?), creates noxious gases and pollution and ends with toxic, inorganic ashes, Promessa uses much less energy, is much less polluting and ends with an organic powder that could be used as compost.

How is Promessa done? A body is first frozen in liquid nitrogen. After, it's vibrated at a certain frequency to turn it into a powder. The powder is then "freeze dried" in a vacuum chamber to remove all the water, and then it's passed through a metal detector to remove any prosthetic appliance or mercury. It can also be sterilized, if needed.

The result is an organic powder that can be used as compost to plant a tree, if the deceased or the family should decide. (See: http://www.promessa.se/?page_id=175&lang=en)

Isn't Promessa a wonderful, green alternative to a cremation? (BTW, a "traditional" funeral involving a casket is hardly "green." Just think of all the energy and resources required to manufacture a casket, transport it plus the deceased to a distant site, just to bury them.)

If you agree, why don't you see if you can make Promessa the next "modern technology" to revolutionize a funeral?
- Joe Anzilotti
  
  Alton, you are a genius! This should be required reading for the nations. You are one thoughtful individual.
- Joe Anzilotti
  
  I am sure this one procedure alone, when implemented, will keep the earth from careening out into space at some breakneck speed with wild revolutions, causing some problems for those introspective individuals like you Alton. A true stroke of rare genius or something like it.
- Joe Anzilotti
  
  Alton, are you already a "teacher"?
Joe Anzilotti

How is any of this important? "Funeral Directors" are about as ethical as Real Estate "agents"–thus what difference does any of this silliness make? I guess this "writer" was looking for something to do as he faced another boring day. Possibly he is a "teacher" facing another 3 months of inactivity with benefits?
- Alton
  
  Hi Joe,
  
  Thank you for all your kind words and thoughtful comments.
  
  I'm glad you liked Promessa. I would like most to see the "greens" or "environmentalists" embrace Promessa. Since many seem to have much energy to reach out to people with their concerns, let them add Promessa to their concerns.
  
  I agree with your comments about "Funeral Directors." Unfortunately, they are a powerful lobbying group and have been mostly successful in the US (possibly world wide) to get governments to help them protect their turf from any competition. (Did you read about the Institute for Justice's fight to maintain Amish casket makers right to build caskets? See ifj.org) I think this is the main reason why we'll never, at least in our lifetimes, see Promessa in the US. Though I imagine someone could license Promessa and try to introduce it to the US. But let's see if he/she could get the government's approval.
  
  You asked whether I'm a teacher. I'm not a teacher by profession, but I seem to have the knack for conveying information, as many have also asked whether I'm a teacher. Maybe I should try my hand at teaching.
  
  Thanks again for your kind words and thoughtful comments. Let's see if we can get Promessa started in the US and give people a true green alternative to cremation and funeral directors a run for their money.
  
  Alton
  - Joe Anzilotti
    
    Anything to help your stressed out planet Alton. I am glad I could help.
Legion57

They have had websites for the deceased for years now- everlasting memorials with yearly reminders. The newspapers have sites to do this with the announcements for folks who live a continent away. Nice to read comments from folks you did not even know about who cared.
reid

I think that being able to put pertinent information on the web for people to see and see again in the future is a good thing . I wish I could see those things on some of my long lost friends and relatives.
lambsev11

The funeral is often the only place some people hear the Gospel. I pray technology does not change that.
- Joe Anzilotti
  
  Nice that "technology" can change funeral "arrangements"–just a bummer that technology won't change the fact that all of us need such arrangements. Only One Who can help with that is Jesus. Meanwhile the "scientists" will continue to work on the use of "stem cells" for some obscure reason.
msjallen

A funeral is a great opportunity to give the gospel of salvation to those who attend who may not know our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Those who attend will die and what a great place to hear the gospel so that the unbeliever can make a decision.
Winston

What a great way for people at afar may experience comments about the deceased when they are unable to attend the wake or funeral of a friend or family member due to their own physical frailty or cost of travel. I remember some older men who attended my own father's wake and funeral who came up to me to say kind words about my Dad. There were people I did not know and an old fellow my Dad had given him his first job as an apprentice plumber. Another man said my Dad helped him improve his golf game because Dad loved golf and shared his knowledge and experience to help others. Plus, a funeral may be one of a few public opportunities to witness to those who've never heard Jesus' gospel of love and salvation and to bring backsliders back to Jesus.