Your corpse, your choice

Why choosing what happens to your body after you die matters more than you think

Solidified remains from Parting Stone

When it comes to deciding what to do with your body after you die, most people fall into three camps:

1. They say they don’t care at all.

2. They have a vague idea of what they might like.

3. They know exactly what they want.

No matter which category you fall into, something will be done with your body after you die, and wouldn’t it be better to have a say in that?

If you ever want to annoy me, say this phrase: “I don’t care what happens to my body when I die, just throw me into a ditch.” While I applaud the nonchalant, carefree nature of that statement, not making a decision causes more harm than good. Because throwing a body into a ditch is not as easy as it sounds, and can lead to someone having to answer some incriminating legal questions. And, most importantly, what happens to your body after you die is a huge part of the grieving process for the people you love.

Most people assume they only have two options: burial or cremation.

But that’s just where the options begin. There’s also water cremation and human composting. You can also be launched into space or turned into a diamond. The list of what’s possible is longer and far more interesting than most people realize. By making a choice, you can have a meaningful impact on the environment and the people you care about.

Why you should make this decision before you die

Choosing your method of final body disposition is one of the most loving things you can do for the people who will outlive you. It takes a decision off their plate during one of the hardest moments of their lives and lets them honor you with confidence rather than doubt.

What you want done with your body after you die says something about what you care about: your relationship to the earth, to ritual, to legacy, to simplicity, to your spiritual beliefs. It’s worth considering which options actually align with your values, rather than just opting for what’s familiar or convenient. Unless, of course, convenience and familiarity are important values for you.

And if you don’t consciously make this decision, it gets made by default—inherited from family tradition, religious custom, or whoever is next of kin, trying to figure out what you “would have wanted.”

How to choose a final body disposition method

One of my favorite conversations to have is discussing these options with people—especially when someone discovers that they want something they’d never even heard of.

But, since I can’t talk to everyone, I built a free tool called the final body disposition quiz that helps you understand your options—and which one best aligns with your values. There are no right or wrong answers, only what matters most to you at this moment.

Here’s how it works: respond to a short series of statements (if you feel stuck, go with your gut!), and your results highlight the values you resonate with most. At the end of the quiz, you will be given three body disposition methods. It takes less than five minutes to complete.

What are you waiting for? Take the quiz, share your results in the comments, or send it to someone you love and compare answers.

— Maura

P.S. There will be no post on Sunday, July 5th, as I will be taking the weekend off to enjoy some quality time with family.

If you find yourself watching fireworks this Fourth of July, here’s something to contemplate: some people choose to have their cremated remains launched into the sky as a fireworks display. So the next time you see a burst of light overhead, you might wonder: Is that someone’s grandma?