Vyffs responses to cryonics factsheet
PDATED - 18/10/10
It would appear that Shannon Vyff got involved in this by trying to "help" in a misguided way. She apologized for her part and we have included her side of the story below. IT DID look from the e-mails on the cryonics cache website that she had been involved in editing and head twisting. However in the sake of fairness we have posted her side of things - she is the only one who has come forward. She (Vyff) says was only trying to help Amanda (as some kind of cryonics social worker) but got embroiled in the mess by association - she wrote to us with her side of things.
from e-mail: (edited so as not to include unneccesary personal details)
Dear !jill
I have never met Amanda Blevins, I was not in Florida for the teens and twenties event, I've never met Shannon Blevins. I've never met Jim Y, or Edgar S, and only heard from Shannon Blevins recently how they met and offered the Blevins a trust, then started encouraging, enlisting Amanda to do "promotion" for them. ACS is not connected with the Society for Venturism, nothing much goes on with the Society of Venturism anyway.The Society for Venturism was set up for cryonics advocacy and support, along with giving cryonicists a way to express that they do not wish for autopsy. I've never been to any live meeting of the Venturists, as they are hardly any members. The board work is done by email, and is not regular, people talk maybe once a year when we discuss helping in some way. I've not met David Pizer. I have met John Strickland and his lovely wife when I was living for a year in the UK, they are nice people. John helped start the Venturists and is a sincere, honest person from what I've seen.
I don't believe in cryonics, and say it only has a 1 to 2 percent chance of working anyway and that it makes sense to try it. I don't expect it to work however, it would be a nice surprise if it did-and I would continue doing good in what ways I can, then as I do now.
I only have volunteer positions in "extreme life extension" organizations, it is like a hobby of mine. I've heard a lot of gossip about cryonics over the years, and I had heard about the Edgar porn business thing. When I recently talked with Shannon Blevins he said that Edgar still has one and that it has some kind of Satanic porn. I've not seen it, but you might want to investigate that.
I was introduced by Ben Best to Amanda Blevins by email, and tried to give her advice with her situation. She told me things that she was worried about, such as whether or not I thought what some ACS leaders was doing, was inappropriate. I did not know about ACS and asked around, then I heard about one of the leaders having made money from a porn industry. I relayed that information to Amanda, and I tried to be a friend to her--saying that she did not need to get attention from men in a flirtatious way. I was sad to see the way things played out, how there was a money trail from ACS to Amanda's paypal that her husband sent out. That her husband sent private emails out, and that some of them were mine--thus my name somehow got wrapped into the story, when I'd never physically met these people and was trying to help (not to mention, figure out what was up with ACS.)
I do think there are problems in certain parts of the cryonics community, beyond even what Melody Maxim talks about. But it is not my goal to hurt the whole community, I'd just like to see it get better, as I believe is the goal of Melody.
Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to get things straight on your site. I do think some very inappropriate and sad things were offered by some in leadership at ACS to Amanda, and that it has sadly effected her family. I'm glad that her husband is being a good dad for those kids, he went through so much, as did they--and they all need the stability and peace. I was happy to hear that the children have become more talkative and outgoing--they have been thriving in the household since it is not tension filled.
Yes, my name was on some emails--and I did share some of my own problems from my past, even present --but I was trying to show how one can overcome them, and that everyone has problems. I was opening up as one would to a friend. I do think there is a story there to tell though if someone would get to the bottom of it, I don't know where ACS gets its money --who is supporting Amanda now, where she is, etc.
All the best,
Shannon ‎Vyff
Its worth mentioning that Shannon Vyff used the same e-mail address as the "leaked" e-mails on the external website (shannonvyff@yahoo.com) - so if her side of the story is true is up for question. Some might say it is the smoking gun to her involvement, others might say she is just a good natured person who is also being manipulated by "cryonics guru's". Whats worth noticing is how she pretty much confirms everything about Best, Yount and Swankt and tries to remove herself from all the abuse claims. She plays a good game - the passionate church going middle class valley girl who just markets cryonics as a "hobby" - but we are not sure she is being 100% honest with us.
She also keeps e-mailing us - confirming some things, getting her guru's in trouble and then trying to make out shes not involved
See here:
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