Emma Wilson
The mushroom burial suit, also known as the Infinity Burial Suit, was developed by Jae Rhim Lee, an entrepreneur, artist, and founder of Coeio, a California-based green burial company. The suit, made from organic cotton embedded with mushroom spores, is designed to aid in the decomposition of the body and neutralize toxins, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial methods. Lee's invention, inspired by her studies at MIT, has sparked controversy and drawn criticism, but it also has a growing list of interested customers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Jae Rhim Lee |
| Profession | Artist, entrepreneur, founder of Coeio and the Infinity Burial Project |
| Inspiration | Fascination with how the human body affects its natural environment |
| Education | Student at MIT |
| Area of Study | Mycoremediation, the science of using fungi to decontaminate the environment |
| Invention | Mushroom Burial Suit, also known as Infinity Burial Suit |
| Material | Organic cotton embedded with mushroom spores and other microorganisms |
| Function | Decompose bodies, metabolize and neutralize toxins, turn corpses into nutrient-rich soil |
| Price | $999 |
| Other Products | Infinity Pod for pets |
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What You'll Learn
The Infinity Mushroom
Lee's interest in the project stemmed from her time as a student at MIT, where she became fascinated with how the human body affects its natural environment. She studied mycoremediation, the science of using fungi to decontaminate the environment, and discovered that certain spores of mushrooms naturally decompose heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceutical waste.
To find the most efficient mushroom variety for the job, Lee fed her hair, skin, and nails to different types of mushrooms, eventually landing on the Infinity Mushroom. The Infinity Mushroom forms the basis of the Infinity Burial Suit, which is made of organic cotton embedded with mushroom spores and other elements that aid in decomposition and toxin remediation.
The Infinity Burial Suit, also known as the Mushroom Suit, has been praised as an eco-friendly burial option that supports plant growth and returns nutrients to the soil. However, critics have questioned the accuracy of the suit's claims, arguing that the purported benefits differ little from the regular decomposition of an unembalmed body.
Despite the controversy, the Infinity Burial Suit has gained popularity as a modern alternative to traditional burial, offering a more affordable and environmentally friendly option. The suit has been chosen by notable individuals such as Luke Perry, and Coeio has also developed an Infinity Pod to help pets' bodies return to nature.
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Eco-friendly burial
The mushroom burial suit, also known as the Infinity Burial Suit, was invented by Jae Rhim Lee, an artist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Infinity Burial Project and Coeio. The suit is made from organic cotton and is seeded with mushroom spores and other microorganisms that aid in decomposition. The mushrooms are intended to decompose the body and metabolize toxins, turning corpses into nutrient-rich soil. This eco-friendly burial method aims to reduce the environmental impact of traditional burial practices, such as the use of embalming fluids and caskets, which can pollute the environment.
Green burials use biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials, avoiding traditional embalming fluids, concrete vaults, and non-biodegradable containers. Some people opt for alternative chemical-free embalming oils or gentler embalming fluids without formaldehyde. Others choose to forgo embalming altogether, as it is considered overly invasive, and refrigeration alone can adequately preserve the body.
The cost of a green burial plot in an eco-friendly cemetery typically ranges from $1,000 to $4,000, which includes the burial plot, fees for opening and closing the grave, a plot marker, and a contribution to a perpetual care fund. However, it does not include the cost of the funeral or memorial service. The cost of the gravesite and interment for cremated remains is usually between $200 and $1,000.
In addition to mushroom burial suits, there are other eco-friendly burial options available. Capsula Mundi, an Italian concept, encapsulates the body in an egg-shaped organic container to feed a tree planted above it. Eternal Reefs uses cremated ashes to create artificial reef balls that are added to living coral reefs, helping to restore marine habitats. Celetis Memorial Spaceflights sends cremated remains into space. Human composting, made legal in New York State in 2022, is another emerging eco-friendly burial option.
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Jae Rhim Lee
Lee is the brain behind the Infinity Burial Suit, also known as the Mushroom Burial Suit or Mushroom Death Suit. The suit is made of organic cotton and is seeded with mushroom spores and other microorganisms that aid in decomposition. The mushrooms are meant to decompose bodies and metabolize toxins, turning corpses into nutrient-rich soil.
Lee came up with the idea for the suit while studying at MIT, where she became fascinated with how the human body affects its natural environment. She studied mycoremediation, the science of using fungi to decontaminate the environment, and discovered that certain mushroom spores can naturally decompose heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceutical waste. She then fed her hair, skin, and nails to different types of mushrooms to determine which variety performed this unique job best.
Lee founded the company Coeio, which produces the Infinity Burial Suit. The suit is a biodegradable garment infused with mushrooms that decompose and remediate toxins in human tissue. According to Lee, human bodies accumulate a large number of toxins during their lifetime, and upon death, whether the body is cremated or buried, these toxins are released back into the environment. The Infinity Burial Suit aims to address this issue by using fungi to clean the toxins from our bodies before they leach into the soil.
In addition to the Mushroom Burial Suit, Lee has worked on other projects that propose unorthodox relationships between the mind, body, and the built and natural environment. For example, she founded and directed the MIT FEMA Trailer Project, which transformed a surplus FEMA trailer into a mobile composting center with vertical gardens, a rainwater catchment system, a permaculture library, and an indoor multipurpose space.
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Mycoremediation
The mushroom burial suit, also known as the Infinity Burial Suit, was invented by Jae Rhim Lee, an entrepreneur and artist who founded the Infinity Burial Project. The suit is made of organic cotton and seeded with mushroom spores, which are meant to decompose the body and clean toxins from it before they leach into the soil. This process is known as mycoremediation.
One key example of mycoremediation is the use of pleurotus, or white rot fungi, which fruits into oyster mushrooms. Researchers in Mexico City found that introducing used diapers to pleurotus mycelium resulted in an 85% reduction in mass over two months, compared to 5% in a fungi-free control. This process also yielded edible and healthy oyster mushrooms. Pleurotus mycelium has also been trained to digest cigarette butts, which are commonly thrown away and contribute to environmental waste.
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Infinity Burial Project
The Infinity Burial Project is an eco-friendly burial method that uses mushrooms to decompose human remains and remediate toxins in human tissue. The project was founded by Jae Rhim Lee, an artist, and Mike Ma, whom she met at the Hassno Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University.
Lee conceived of the idea as a burial method that would help reconnect human bodies with the earth. She developed a specific strain of mushroom, the "Infinity Mushroom," which would be able to decompose human remains and neutralise toxins in the body after death. To select the most efficient mushrooms for the task, Lee fed a group of mushrooms her hair, skin, and nails. The Infinity Mushroom strain is now used in the Infinity Burial Suit, also known as the Mushroom Death Suit, which is a jumpsuit woven from mushroom-spore-infused thread.
The Infinity Burial Suit was first announced five years before it went on sale in 2016, with the first test subject already lined up. The suit is made from organic cotton and seeded with mushroom spores. The mushrooms in the suit decompose the body after burial, while also cleaning toxins from the body before they can leach into the soil. The process is known as mycoremediation, which is the ability of mushrooms to clean up toxic contaminants in the environment.
The Infinity Burial Project also features the development of a decomposition 'kit', burial containers, and a membership society devoted to the promotion of death awareness and acceptance and the practice of decompiculture (the cultivation of decomposing organisms). The project has sparked conversations about finding greener alternatives to traditional burial methods, which often involve the use of chemicals and the release of toxins into the environment.
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Frequently asked questions
The mushroom burial suit, also known as the Infinity Burial Suit, was invented by Jae Rhim Lee, an entrepreneur and artist who founded the Infinity Burial Project and the company Coeio.
The mushroom burial suit is made of organic cotton embedded with mushroom spores and other microorganisms that aid in decomposition.
The mushroom burial suit relies on the power of mycoremediation, which is the ability of mushrooms to clean up toxic contaminants in the environment. The mushrooms in the suit help to decompose the body and metabolize toxins, turning corpses into nutrient-rich soil.
Jae Rhim Lee invented the mushroom burial suit to provide a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial methods, which can be harmful to the environment due to the use of embalming fluids and caskets coated with toxic preservatives.
