This may be a morbid subject matter, but death is inevitable – eventually – and giving thoughts to the way you could be laid to rest, you might be interested in some unusual ways to be buried. If you’re not yet thinking that far ahead, just read on and see what’s happening in the world of funerals, and imagine the options that might be available in 50-80 years time. Here are some unusual ways to be buried.
Reincarnation might not exist, but you can make it happen anyway by turning yourself into a tree. The Bio-Urn is perhaps one of the most unusual ways to be buried because your remains are placed into a biodegradable coconut shell with peat and cellulose. The seed inside grows into a tree. You can choose your tree species and know that when you pass away, you are helping the environment.
If you couldn’t make it into space whilst alive, you can when you’re dead. Since starting in 1997, hundreds of people have placed their ashes into a tube the size of a lipstick canister. It’s placed in a rocket and blasted into space. It’s not only one of the strange ways to be buried, but also one of the most expensive.
You know the ‘lead’ in pencils is made from carbon, right? Well, why not transform your loved one into a pencil set? The average human cremation produces enough ash to create a set of 240 pencils. They go into a box where you can only remove one pencil at a time. Any shavings go back into the box to create a human urn. Every pencil has the name of the deceased stamped on it. This is a great way to get over a sense of loss if you or your loved one had an interest in the arts.
The LifeGem is a type of diamond made from the carbon of your cremated remains. It’s expensive, but it allows you to create a jewel which your loved one can carry around with them. It creates a solid and lasting bond which serves as a permanent reminder of your life. It’s definitely a very expensive option, but you only die once!
If you are environmentally conscious you can go green with burials. The company Promessa transforms a dead body into a hygienic powder. It’s completely organic and has no odour. After the powder has been delivered, you can dispose of it as you please. Being turned into a powder instead of ashes is certainly one of the least unusual ways to be buried to make this list.
Some peculiar ways to be buried can also be exciting for the deceased’s loved ones. Being transformed into a firework is always strange, but the act turns a sombre funeral into a happy ending. The ashes are incorporated into the contents of some special fireworks created by Heaven Above Fireworks. Once you receive your fireworks you can let them off whenever and wherever you please.
Another of the green but strange ways to be buried is the Reef Ball. The remains are sealed in a steel ball which is dropped into the ocean, where it eventually becomes a part of a coral reef. It lets you leave a permanent environmental legacy.
It was only a matter of time before practicality overtook sentimentality. Two medical centres in the US, the Mayo Clinic and the University of Florida, have adopted the alkaline hydrolysis technique. This turns bodily remains into a sterile liquid which is safe to pour down the drain – this has got to be one of the least glamorous of the odd ways to be buried. It’s very much like motor oil and it has a strong urine-like smell.
Give your loved ones something to remember you by. Using a special mixture of oil paints, a professional artist mixes the deceased’s ashes into the paint and uses it to create a portrait. Forget the urn – this could be a priceless family heirloom. Now you can have a lasting memorial to the deceased sitting in your living room. It’s the most elegant death money can buy!
I’m sure these are just a few of the unusual ways to be buried. The only one that appeals to me is becoming a tree. How about you?