Most of us write down wishes about the things we can picture: who gets the house, whether we want to be an organ donor, burial or cremation, what music to play at the service. Very few people have written down an answer to a question that sounds like science fiction but is quietly becoming a real conversation: if science could ever bring you back, would you want it?
You do not need to believe revival will happen to answer the question. You only need to accept that nobody knows, and that if it ever did become possible, someone would have to decide on your behalf. These seven steps make sure it is your voice they hear.
Step 1: Decide your answer, including "not sure"
There are three honest answers:
- Yes, if a safe and proven method ever exists.
- No, I want to be left at peace.
- Not sure yet, which is a perfectly good answer for now.
If you are torn, read would you want to be brought back? for questions that can help. A "no" deserves to be written down just as carefully as a "yes." Without it, someone else might decide differently.
Step 2: Add your conditions
Your answer can be more precise than yes or no. Common conditions include:
- Only if I can live in good health, without severe pain or disability.
- Only if my memories and personality can be restored.
- Only if at least one person I love is still alive.
- Only if the method has been proven safe on others first.
- Only within a certain number of years after my death.
- Not if it would cost my family money or put a burden on them.
Write conditions in plain words. Think about how a stranger, reading them in fifty years, would understand them.
Step 3: Write a short statement of wishes
Keep it to one page. A simple structure:
- Your full legal name, date of birth, and where you live.
- Your answer: yes, no, or not sure yet.
- Your conditions, if any.
- A sentence or two on why, if you want to share it. Future readers will value hearing your reasons in your own words.
- Any arrangements you have made, such as a cryonics contract (see how does cryonics work), or a note that you have made none.
- The names of two or three people who know your wishes.
- The date and your signature.
Date it clearly. If you change your mind later, write a new one and say that it replaces the earlier version.
Step 4: Tell the people you trust
A document nobody knows about may as well not exist. Talk to the people most likely to be involved when you die, usually a spouse or partner, adult children, a close friend, and the executor of your will. Tell them:
- What your answer is and why.
- Where the written copy is kept.
- That you would like them to respect it even if they feel differently.
These conversations can feel awkward. Many people find it easier to start with something practical, like "I'm updating my papers and wanted you to know where things are."
Step 5: Keep it with your important papers
Put the original with your will, insurance policies, and other estate documents. Give copies to your executor and at least one family contact. If you keep a password manager or digital vault, store a scanned copy there too (our digital legacy guide covers how to make sure someone can get into it).
Avoid keeping the only copy in a safe deposit box that nobody else can open quickly.
Step 6: Connect it to your formal documents
A statement of revival wishes is a personal record, not a legal instrument. If you want it to carry more weight, you can mention it in other documents. For example, some people refer to it in a letter of instruction to their executor or in their will. Be aware that wills are often not read until after the funeral, so instructions about your body should never live only in a will. Our overview of legal documents and revival wishes explains what each document can and cannot do. For anything legally binding, talk to a licensed attorney where you live.
If you want cryonics, a statement is not enough on its own. You would need a contract with a provider, funding (usually life insurance), and often an emergency ID bracelet so medical staff know to call. See how much does cryonics cost for what that involves.
Step 7: Review it every few years
Feelings change with age, health, faith, and family. Put a reminder in your calendar to look at your statement every few years, or after big life events like marriage, divorce, a new grandchild, or a serious diagnosis. If nothing has changed, simply initial and date it again. That tells future readers it still reflects your view.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Only saying it out loud. Memories fade and family members remember conversations differently.
- Only writing "yes." Without conditions, a "yes" could be read as consent to something you would never want.
- Hiding it. Instructions that cannot be found in time do not help.
- Assuming silence means no. If you feel strongly that you would not want revival, say so in writing.
A simpler option
If you would rather not draft something from scratch, a registry can do the structure for you. Revival Registry is one place to record a yes, no, or not-sure answer with your conditions and up to three family contacts. It is not a legal document and it does not make revival any more likely; it simply makes sure your answer is written down and findable.