CANONICAL GUIDE
For the comprehensive, clinical-grade guide on cryopreservation, biostasis protocols, pre-clinical evidence, technical challenges, and socio-ethical dimensions, please refer to the main Cryonics Clinical Guide.
Cryonics is the speculative practice of cryopreserving human bodies, heads, or brains immediately after legal death by cooling them to liquid nitrogen temperatures (approximately -196 °C) using vitrification techniques to minimize ice crystal formation and tissue damage [1]. The procedure treats clinical death as a potentially reversible state rather than an absolute endpoint, operating on the principle that personal identity is encoded in the structural and molecular organization of neural tissue that can be preserved indefinitely at cryogenic temperatures [2].
For an in-depth review of pre-clinical animal tissue models, organ viability studies, chemical vitrification formulations (such as M22, VM3, and V3), safety analyses, and detailed socio-ethical and legal dimensions of cryonics, see the Cryonics Clinical Guide.
Although whole-organism revival has not been demonstrated, cryobiology research provides support for the preservation of individual tissues and organs:
The field of cryonics introduces deep philosophical, ethical, and legal questions:
Best BP. Cryoprotectant toxicity: facts, issues, and questions. Rejuvenation Research. 2015;18(4):294-302. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1656 ↩︎
McKenzie AT, Zeleznikow-Johnston A, Sparks JS, et al. Structural brain preservation: a potential bridge to future medical technologies. Frontiers in Medical Technology. 2024;6:1400615. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmedt.2024.1400615 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Pichugin F, Fahy GM, Harris SB. Cryopreservation of rat hippocampal slices by vitrification. Cryobiology. 2006;52(1):153-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cryobiol.2005.11.006 ↩︎ ↩︎
German A, Akdaş EY, Flügel-Koch C, et al. Functional recovery of the adult murine hippocampus after cryopreservation by vitrification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2026;123(10):e2516848123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2516848123 ↩︎
Fahy GM, Wowk B, Pagotan R, et al. Physical and biological aspects of renal vitrification. Organogenesis. 2009;5(3):167-175. https://doi.org/10.4161/org.5.3.9974 ↩︎
Story D. Cryonics: Traps and transformations. Bioethics. 2024;38(4):351-355. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38425091/ ↩︎ ↩︎
Hillenbrink R, Wareham CS. Mourning the frozen: considering the relational implications of cryonics. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2024;50(6):388-391. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37451855/ ↩︎
Sauchelli A. Life-Suspending Technologies, Cryonics, and Catastrophic Risks. Science and Engineering Ethics. 2024;30(4):37. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39120832/ ↩︎
Huxtable R. Cryonics in the Courtroom: Which Interests? Whose Interests? Medical Law Review. 2018;26(3):476-499. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29077877/ ↩︎