February 1, 2005
Making a Connection With the Dead
Many in the grips of grief will find it hard to face a visit to the grave of a loved one, while some may be unable to make the journey. Now, help is at hand thanks to the slightly macabre "Phone Angel", reports Deutsche Welle.
A German inventor has come up with a novel way for relatives coping with the grief of losing a loved one to convey their feelings to the departed. The "Phone Angel," a long-life battery powered cell phone device, allows those in mourning to have contact with the deceased when personal pain, distance or disability prevents them from attending the final resting place."
The device -- consisting of a cell phone, a super strength battery and a small loudspeaker -- comes in a waterproof container the size of an average shoe box which is placed in the earth about 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) above the grave.
Using an application that most modern mobile phones have, automatic call response, Bröther's invention allows every caller to get through. The Phone Angel clicks on and allows communication as if someone on the other end had picked up the receiver. Unlike the recipient of the call, the line is very rarely dead."
Related articles on mobile phones and death rituals:
-- In Ghana, you can take your Nokia with you
-- Dead people in Slovakia are buried with their mobile phones
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