Alternatives To Burial: Cryonics

According to Alcor Life Extension Institute, the process of cryopreserving a human body is quite complex. It is best understood as a series of three distinct steps. 

• Step one is preservation of organ function, particularly that of the brain. Alcor accomplishes this by placing the newly deceased body in ice water and employing a heart-lung resuscitator (HLR) — a device known as a “thumper” — which hospitals use to perform CPR. The HLR keeps oxygenated blood circulating throughout the body until the person can be cryopreserved. During this period, Alcor personnel also administer intravenous medications to maintain blood pressure and minimize oxidative stress. These may include an anesthetic as well as anticoagulants, vasopressors, pH buffers and chemicals to minimize the formation of free radicals. 

• Step two is the administration of a cryopreservative solution. This solution contains chemicals that prevent tissues from freezing when they are cooled. Instead, they undergo vitrification, which preserves the structure of the cells by preventing the formation of ice. Doctors administer the solution through several major blood vessels to ensure that it is distributed evenly. 

It’s important to note, however, that these two steps are only possible if the person is located in a hospice or hospital close to Alcor at the time of death. If death occurs outside the Scottsdale area, a “standby team” is dispatched to the person’s location before death. Alcor contracts with two contractors, Suspended Animation, Inc., and International Cryomedicine Experts, Inc., whose teams begin the process of stabilization in the field. In that case, instead of putting the body in ice water, a member of the team attaches the patient to an HLR, which rapidly cools the blood and then replaces it with an organ preservation solution at a temperature a few degrees above freezing. If there will be a long delay before the body arrives at an Alcor facility, the team may employ a process known as field cryoprotection, which involves infusing a cryoprotectant solution to prevent tissues from freezing and transporting the body to the Alcor facility on dry ice. 

• Step three occurs at the Alcor facility, where the body is cooled in liquid nitrogen to a final temperature of minus 196 degrees Centigrade over a period of two weeks. The body is housed in a stainless steel container and maintained at this temperature indefinitely. 

Note: Cryonics Institute does not contract with a standby service on members’ behalf. However, they encourage members to contact Suspended Animation, Inc. and make arrangements with them on their own. Otherwise, the deceased must be transported to the CI facility and first prepared for transport by a funeral home. The cost of the funeral home and transportation to Michigan (usually by air) is the responsibility of the member or their next of kin. 

Sources 

“Introduction to Alcor Procedures”. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. http://www.alcor.org/procedures.html 

“Vitrification.” Alcor Life Extension Foundation. http://www.alcor.org/Library/html/vitrification.html 

“Who We Are”. Suspended Animation, Inc. https://suspendedanimationlabs.com/who-we-are/ 

International Cryomedicine Experts. https://www.cryomedics.org/ 

Cryonics has not yet succeeded in reviving any human. Although about 600 people worldwide have been cryopreserved after death, as of 2024 — with thousands more signed up — the technology required to bring them back to life remains far from reality. Restoration to full functioning after cryopreservation faces major scientific challenges, particularly around restoring brain function and maintaining cell integrity. Despite this, many in the cryonics community remain hopeful that future advancements in medicine and biotechnology might one day make revival possible. For now, cryonics remains a fascinating area of scientific theory, not a proven method of revival.

Sources

Lytton, C. (2025, January 16). “Is this the $200,000 ticket to cheating death?” BBC. 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250115-cryonics-the-start-up-that-wants-to-freeze-you-in-suspended-animation
Krieg, S. (2024, July 11). “Cryopreservation raises legal, financial dilemmas as more people choose to be frozen after death”. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-12/cryopreservation-dilemmas-social-financial-legal-concerns/104061896

As in all things related to after-death care, the price of cryopreservation varies quite a bit. The Cryonics Institute asks that interested consumers sign up for either a lifetime or annual membership. Lifetime membership requires payment of a one-time flat fee of $1,250, while an annual membership costs $120 per year plus a one-time initiation fee of $75. Members then pay either $28,000 (for lifetime members) or $35,000 at the time of death. The payment may be made in cash, but is typically funded by a life insurance policy with the Cryonics Institute as the beneficiary. 

Like the Cryonics Institute, Alcor’s pricing model is based on membership in the organization, but prepayment is required. The minimum payment amounts quoted on Alcor’s website as of December 2020 are $200,000 for whole-body cryopreservation and $80,000 for neuropreservation (preservation of only the brain). This covers all costs associated with cryopreservation, as well as revival when and if that becomes possible. To guarantee that funding is available in the future, Alcor places a “significant portion” of the prepayment amount in a trust. 

Alcor members also pay a $50 per month membership fee; additional family members are $27 per month. In some cases, surcharges may also apply. Funding may be guaranteed by a life insurance policy, a fixed annuity, an irrevocable trust or, of course, cash. According to its website, Alcor will allow some individuals (for example, the elderly or those who are ill) to fund up to 50% of the total cost of membership with physical assets such as real estate, a 401k account or a bequest. 

It’s worth noting that the two providers offer different levels of service for the fees they charge. Most importantly, Alcor’s membership includes the majority of funding (minus a $15 monthly fee) for its Comprehensive Member Standby Program, which provides standby personnel to begin the process of cryopreservation at the bedside of a member who has died. It also provides up to $10,000 in relocation assistance for members who wish to move closer to the Alcor facility as death nears. Cryonics Institute, on the other hand, asks that members contract with a standby service provider themselves and pay any fees associated with preserving the body and transporting it to the Cryonics Institute in Michigan after death.  

Sources

“FAQ”. Cryonics Institute. https://www.cryonics.org/membership/faq  

“Membership.” Alcor Life Extension Foundation. https://www.alcor.org/membership/ 

“Comprehensive Member Standby Program”. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. https://www.alcor.org/library/comprehensive-member-standby/ 

The idea of cryogenically freezing just your brain, known as “neuropreservation” or “neurosuspension,” is based on the idea that the brain is the key to a person’s identity and consciousness. Supporters believe that if the brain can be preserved before any damage or degeneration after death, future technology could allow for full reanimation. The brain would then be implanted into a new body — one made with 3D printing or cloning, a donor body, or an artificial/robot body. Someone may choose neuropreservation as it’s less expensive than freezing the whole body, while still maintaining the possibility of reawakening consciousness. As of 2024, the cost for neuropreservation is around $85,000, versus about $227,000 for whole body cryogenics. The science of neuropreservation is still hypothetical, though, with any success likely several decades or more in the future. 

Sources

Stimpson, A. (2024, May 1). “How a Controversial Cryonics Procedure Could Finally Make Immortality Possible”. Popular Mechanics.