When people first start thinking about revival after death, two ideas often blur together. One is cryonics, the physical preservation of a body or brain at very low temperature. The other is simply recording your wishes: writing down, clearly and in advance, whether you would want to be revived if it ever became possible. They answer different questions, cost very different amounts, and suit different people. Many people end up doing one, both, or neither, and all of those are reasonable choices.
The one-sentence difference
- Cryonics tries to preserve you (your body or brain) in case future science can repair it.
- Recording your wishes preserves your answer, so that if the question ever comes up, nobody has to guess.
Side by side
| Cryonics | Recording your wishes | |
|---|---|---|
| What is preserved | Your body or brain, in liquid nitrogen | A written statement of your yes, no or not-sure answer |
| Typical cost (US) | About $28,000 to $220,000+, usually via life insurance | Free to low cost |
| Effort to set up | Contracts, funding, medical ID, often a standby plan | Minutes to an hour |
| Works with burial or cremation? | No, it replaces them | Yes, it works alongside any funeral choice |
| Works with organ donation? | Generally limited, since organs are part of what is preserved | Yes |
| Makes revival possible? | Not proven; no one has ever been revived | No, it only records what you want |
| Useful if you would say "no"? | No | Yes, a clear "no" protects your wish too |
| Needs ongoing payments? | Usually dues and insurance premiums | Usually none |
For details behind the cost numbers, see how much does cryonics cost.
What cryonics does, and does not, do
Cryonics is the only approach that attempts to keep the physical person around for a future that might be able to help. People who choose it usually reason that a small, unknown chance is better than none. In return, it asks a lot: significant money, paperwork, and family cooperation at a difficult moment. It also depends on an organization continuing to care for patients for decades or longer.
What it does not do is guarantee anything. As we explain in how does cryonics work, nobody has been revived, the procedure itself causes some damage, and many scientists think revival of today's patients is very unlikely.
What recording your wishes does, and does not, do
Recording your wishes is about consent and clarity. If science ever reached the point where revival was even being discussed, the first question would be: what did this person want? Medicine already works this way for organ donation and end-of-life care. People who wrote their wishes down are far more likely to have them respected.
It also helps the living now. Families often feel enormous stress guessing what someone would have wanted. A written answer, even "not sure," takes that weight off.
What it does not do is preserve your body, change your odds, or create any legal obligation. It is a personal record, more like an organ donor card than a contract. If you want an answer that carries legal weight, our guide to legal documents and revival wishes explains the options to discuss with an attorney.
Who each one suits
Cryonics may suit you if:
- You strongly want a chance at revival and accept that it may never work.
- You can afford the cost, usually through life insurance taken out while young and healthy.
- Your family understands and will support the arrangements.
Recording your wishes suits almost everyone, including:
- People who would say no and want that respected.
- People who are curious but would never spend tens of thousands of dollars.
- People who are not sure yet and want a place to start.
- Cryonics members, who still need a clear record of their conditions, such as only wanting revival if they can be healthy.
Why some people do both
Signing up for cryonics answers "please preserve me." It does not automatically answer the finer questions: Under what conditions would you want to come back? What if your memories could not be restored? What if everyone you love is gone? A separate statement of wishes lets you say those things in your own words, and lets your family know them too.
Why some people choose neither
Plenty of thoughtful people decide the whole question is not for them, perhaps for religious reasons, or because they feel a life should end once. That is a valid choice. The only thing worth avoiding is leaving it unsaid. If you feel strongly, a single sentence written down and shared with family is enough.
Questions to ask yourself before choosing
- How strongly do I feel? If the idea of revival matters a great deal to you, cryonics is the only option that tries to keep a physical chance open. If you are mostly curious, recording your wishes may be enough for now.
- What can I realistically afford? Be honest about decades of dues and premiums, not just today's price. A plan that lapses in twenty years helps nobody.
- What would my family say? Cryonics needs fast cooperation from relatives at a hard moment. A recorded wish needs only that they know where to find it.
- Do my conditions matter more than the method? For many people, the real question is not "how" but "under what circumstances." That part can only come from you, in writing.
- Could I start small? Recording your answer today does not rule out cryonics later. Many people start with a written statement and revisit the bigger decision as their circumstances change.
Getting started
If you would like to record your answer, the steps in how to leave instructions for future revival take about half an hour. If you are still deciding, would you want to be brought back? offers questions to think through, on your own or with family.