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Embalming or Cremation?

As of 2010, roughly 38% of those who died in the United States chose cremation, while the remaining 62% chose a full burial.

By the time my generation starts hitting the cemeteries on a consistent basis the majority will be choosing cremation. Based on the current projections, roughly 60% of our dispositions will be direct cremations.

So, where are you at? I know it’s a morbid question, but where better to confront the question than on a funeral directors website?

You can take the survey below anonymously.

IF YOU’RE COMFORTABLE, SHARE THE SURVEY WITH YOUR FRIENDS (and your not-so-much-friends who need a little reminder of their own mortality)! The more people who take the survey, the better the survey will be!

And, if you’d like, let me know WHY you choose your particular disposition in the comments below.

Next Monday, I’ll post the results and I give what I see as the key to having a good funeral!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

This entry was posted by Caleb Wilde on June 29, 2011 at 1:57 pm, and is filed under Embalming vs. Cremation. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0.You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

http://www.matthewkennel.com Matthew Kennel

Definitely embalming. I don’t like cremation, because historically (even though most people today don’t see it that way), it has been seen as a way of showing disbelief in the resurrection of the body, an article of faith which I will proclaim till my dying day. I want people at my funeral to be reminded that (to quote Larry Norman), “when I’m finished dying, I’ma gonna bust out of my grave.”
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Caleb Wilde

The Hindus like the cremation
cause it helps the reincarnation.

Sorta has a ring to it.
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http://thewholedangthing.wordpress.com JBen

I clicked undecided, but I agree with Matt. I’m just not sure which one I would want to do. Hopefully I am a long ways away from needing to make that decision.
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Caleb Wilde

You never know when your time will come. Bwha … bwhaha … bwhahaha.
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http://Website weston

Interesting question. I honestly haven’t made any plans for what I’m going to do after I die. I guess I’ve just been assuming that it will be pretty hard to do much of anything.

But assuming that I will be able to do things after I’m dead, I don’t think I’ll go for being embalmed or cremated. Maybe I’ll shuffle around town moaning and growling instead. That seems like more fun.
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http://Website weston

Besides, are embalming and cremation really mutually exclusive options for body disposal? What about Tibetan sky burial? What about being cast adrift on an ice floe? What about being dissolved in an acid bath? What about burial at sea? What about plasticization and mounting (like for the Body Worlds exhibit)?

Maybe you should just add a fourth option to your survey for “other”…?
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Caleb Wilde

… and a fifth option for “smart ass response”
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http://Website Aisha

How fun would it be to be turned into a marionette after you die? I’m stuck between that and cremation!
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Caleb Wilde

I could probably do that for you … although it would cost extra.
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http://brettrwilkes.Tumblr.com Brett Wilkes

First choice: Cryogenics.
Second choice: To keep my eye ever on my family, I’d have my body preserved and stuffed, then positioned prominently in the house. Dressed, of course, in casual clothes. I might require that they take me with them when they go out places. If this won’t work, I’ll at least have a painting of me in every room, to where everyone feels like I’m watching them.

Fyi, in the end I voted cremation. :ricebowl: :present:
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Caleb Wilde

There was a philosopher who was embalmed sitting in a chair … where I think he still sits, although he’s been moved to a museum. I forget his name, but I could look it up if you really, really, really wanted it.
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http://brettrwilkes.tumblr.com Brett Wilkes

Hey, how bad do I have to want you to look it up? It is a pretty important matter. (I won’t say worlds hang in the balance, but they do.)
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Caleb Wilde

Jeremy Bentham was the philosopher. He argued that the bodies of great men and women should be put on display as icons. Apparently, his “auto-icon” as he called it was recently removed from public “worship.”
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http://Website Jeff Stauffer

Economics dictate cremation. (Besides, I expect a new body in Heaven!!!)
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http://www.leighkramer.com HopefulLeigh

I’ve thought a lot about this since my hospice social work days. I’ve told my parents that I have no preference. Since they’ll be the ones burying me (if I happen to die soon), I told them they can decide whatever they want. I have definite ideas about my funeral, which I’ve written down, but I really don’t care about what happens to my body.
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Caleb Wilde

We need to trade guest posts : )
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http://www.alise-write.com Alise

I hope to become a cadaver, so I guess that means cremation for me.

Of course, since I’m here in WV, I expect I’ll probably just get tossed in a hollow with the old busted appliances.
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http://tothetuneoftim.blogspot.com Tim M

I’m leaning towards cremation, but I wonder what impact that will have on my family. I am an organ donor, so I hope that as much of me as possible can live on in someone else to give them a longer life.

I think cremation and a tree planting ceremony with a marker would be nice….
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K. Meyers

“I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a damn cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.”-JD Salinger

Personally I have always been a cremation person. So when I started mortuary school and saw the distain people had for it I was confused. Cremation isn’t this bad horrible evil thing; it’s just another way to get rid of this body of water and bone. You can still honor the person who once was inside it. You can still have a visitation (in fact you should have a visitation people need to see the body that part is very important), you can also have a memorial service after a visitation or heck even a party a few weeks later. I had always wanted cremated remain separated out so that each person who came to my funeral would get a piece of me. After you leave I want you to do one more adventure with me, so take me on a bike ride, or throw me in the ocean. Just live your life a little more now that I am gone. Make new memories even though I am gone. I want memories not a piece of granite for people to know who I am. And I think cremation gives that easily.

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Jenn

Cremation. Ashes to ashes and quickly as possible. I simply do not want worms to play Pinochle on my snout.
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http://www.facebook.com/people/Craig-Jackson/1485549350 Craig Jackson

I’d like to suggest that a third and more likely possibility would be embalming with cremation thereafter. This provides family and friends the opportunity to share in grief and allow the funeral process to heal those left behind and then give those who prefer a final disposition of cremation to take place. I think “weston” touched on this as cremation and embalming are not the same. One is a preparation for funeralization and the other is a final disposition.
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Alan

I really don’t care all that much. What I want is the choice that will be most meaningful for those who want to remember me. If my family wants to cremate my remains and bury them in the garden, fine. If they want me in a coffin in the cemetery where they can visit after church, fine. Imposing my will on the grieving seems selfish to me. It never was my body in life; I belong to them. Shouldn’t I belong to them in death?
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Embalming or Cremation?

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