Page 99 from: Recycling International May/June issue
BECK’S
recyclinginternational.com | May/June | 2025 99
Fotobijschrift
KADERKOP
??
My funeral (virtually)
Recently, I reflected on
my funeral. I’d really like to
make one last statement which
my friends and relatives
present would remember for
the rest of their lives.
Impossible? Not with a
holographic funeral service.
Some weeks ago, I was at the Erasmus
Medical Center in Rotterdam to get a
peptide receptor radionuclide therapy
(PRRT) treatment for the metastasis of
some neuroendocrine tumours in my
liver. As I sat in a radiation-free room
for more than five hours while radioac-
tive fluid dripped into my blood-
stream, my thoughts involuntarily
turned to death in general and my
funeral in particular.
As the latter will be my very last per-
formance, it really is too bad that I
must leave the organisation to a bunch
of well-meaning amateurs. Even so,
I’m too much attached to life to much
about dying.
I have arranged everything for my
funeral, including insurance cover and
other arrangements, so those I love
won’t have to worry about the costs.
They can feast and drink whatever
they want – although coffee, tea, soft
drinks or water are prohibited – but it
is up to them how they want to mourn
or celebrate my passing. I already
know what music I want to be played:
Leonard Cohen, Johann Sebastian
Bach, Jacques Brel, Sting, Queen,
Herbert Grönemayer, Vivaldi and per-
haps others. It’s going to be a long
service, so I’d advise everyone to take
a leak before it starts.
One of the things I am considering –
although my wife Helga is set dead
against it – is making a last speech dur-
ing the service. Impossible you say?
No, it’s not. There are companies
which organise this innovative event, a
funeral in which hologram technology
lets the deceased reappear as a mov-
ing 3D-image that seems to float in
space. It’s possible for the hologram
to be interactive so that those present
can have a conversation with it. The
technology has developed so it is now
possible to mimic the deceased com-
pletely. The cost of making these
human holograms is currently between
a few hundred and thousands of Euro,
depending on the length and the com-
plexity of the performance.
I realise there are advantages and dis-
advantages to a hologram funeral.
One advantage is that the projections
can bring a sense of closeness to the
deceased, offering a more intimate
and personal experience, providing
emotional comfort. Another is that
those who are unable to attend the
funeral in person can participate
remotely. Virtual services can reduce
the need for physical resources, such
as caskets, embalming and burial
space, potentially offering a more
environmentally sustainable option.
However, some may find the use of a
hologram unsettling or emotionally
distressing. It could blur the line
between reality and the afterlife, pos-
sibly leading to confusion or discom-
fort for mourners who are grieving.
In general, my conclusion is that holo-
graphic funeral services bring a futuris-
tic dimension to an emotionally
charged event, offering some unique
advantages, especially in terms of
accessibility, personalisation and emo-
tional connection. However, the
potential emotional detachment and
cultural aspects are significant chal-
lenges that need to be carefully con-
sidered before deciding to incorporate
such technology.
So, if you do want to attend my funer-
al service and listen to my ‘famous last
words’, you’re more than welcome.
Manfred Beck
‘ Ta k e a l e a k b e f o re t h e
s e r v i c e s t a r t s ’
99_becks.indd 99 10-04-2025 14:45
