Editing People Unlimited

{{Short description|New religious movement}}

'''People Unlimited''', previously known as the '''Eternal Flame Foundation''', '''People Forever''' and '''CBJ''' is a [[new religious movement]] that claims that human [[immortality]] is within reach. The movement was started in 1982 by Charles Paul Brown, who was joined by his wife Bernadeane "Bernie" Brown and business partner James Strole,<ref name="azcentral">{{Cite news |last=Velzer |first=Ryan Van |date=2014-11-16 |title=Immortality eludes People Unlimited founder |language=en-US |work=azcentral |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2014/11/16/people-unlimited-scottsdale-charles-paul-brown-immortality/19152253/ |access-date=2021-08-13}}</ref> who together formed a leadership [[Ménage à trois|triad]]. The three preached what they called "cellular awakening", which is achievable through will alone.<ref name="Atlantic">{{Cite magazine |last=Murphy |first=Cullen |date=1993-01-01 |title=Stay the Course |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1993/01/stay-the-course/376355/ |magazine=The Atlantic |language=en |access-date=2021-08-13}}</ref> In 1996 the group had incorporated as the for-profit ''People Unlimited Inc.''<ref name="Palmer">{{Cite book |last=Palmer |first=Susan J. |title=The Routledge companion to death and dying |date=2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-52887-6 |editor-last=Moreman |editor-first=Christopher M. |pages=209–210 |chapter=Overcoming death in new religious movements |oclc=987791179}}</ref><ref name="azcentral" /> They later split, and in October 2014 Charles Brown died at the age of 79.<ref name="azcentral" /> According to the organization's website, as of 2021 it was still led by Bernadeane Brown and Strole.<ref>{{Cite web |title=People Unlimited Inc. - About Us |url=https://peopleunlimitedinc.com/about-us-1 |access-date=2021-08-13 |website=People Unlimited Inc |language=en-US}}</ref> Bernadeane Brown died of breast cancer in June 2024 and was [[Cryopreservation|cryopreserved]] by the [[Cryonics Institute]].<ref>{{Cite Instagram |user=peopleunlimitedinc |postid=C8DAyMuy1Qc |date=10 June 2024 |title=Bernadeane 1937 — 2024 |access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cryonics.org/case-report/257-2/ |title=CI Case 257 |author= |date=2024 |website=Cryonics Institute |publisher= |access-date=December 20, 2024 |quote=}}</ref>

The organization has denied being a cult.<ref name="Ringer">{{Cite magazine |last=Knibbs |first=Kate |date=2016-09-15 |title=Live Forever |url=https://www.theringer.com/2016/9/15/16038284/searching-for-deaths-cure-834a02124ef5 |magazine=The Ringer |language=en |access-date=2021-08-13}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.docaviv.co.il/2021-en/films/the-eternal-flame/ ''The Eternal Flame''], a 2021 documentary about the group (at ''[[Docaviv]]'')


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[[Category:Religious belief systems founded in the United States]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 1990s]]