It sounds like a question for a late-night conversation or a science fiction novel. But more people are asking it seriously, as medicine keeps moving the line between life and death. To be clear from the start: bringing a person back after death is not possible today, and nobody knows whether it ever will be. The question is still worth answering, because it reveals a lot about what you value, and because if it ever did become real, the people you leave behind would want to know your wishes.
There is no right answer. Here are the questions that tend to matter most.
What do surveys say?
People really are divided. When the Pew Research Center asked Americans in 2013 about radical life extension, meaning treatments that might let people live to 120 or beyond, 56% said they would not want such treatments for themselves and 38% said they would. Revival after death is a different question, but it suggests you will find thoughtful people on both sides, probably including in your own family.
Ten questions to think through
1. Would I want it only if I could be healthy?
For many people, this is the deciding factor. Coming back in poor health, in pain, or with severe disability might feel very different from coming back well. It is reasonable to say "yes, but only if I can live in good health."
2. Would I still be me?
If revival were possible, it might not restore everything. What if some memories were lost? What if your personality changed? Some people would accept partial recovery; others would only want to return if they were fully themselves. If revival involved reconstructing a mind from a preserved brain, as discussed in brain preservation explained, some would ask whether that is really the same person at all.
3. Who would be there?
Imagine waking up decades or centuries from now. Your partner, children and friends might be gone. For some people that is unbearable; for others the adventure of a new world is the whole appeal. A common condition is "only if at least one person I love is still alive."
4. How long is too long?
Coming back after five years is not the same as after five hundred. Language, technology and culture would all have changed. Some people set a time limit on their wish.
5. What does my faith or philosophy say?
Many religious traditions hold views about the soul, the afterlife, and whether death should be resisted. Some people feel revival would conflict with their beliefs; others see no conflict, viewing it as an extension of medicine, like CPR. Your own reflection, and perhaps a conversation with a faith leader you trust, can help.
6. Would I want to be among the first?
The first people revived, if it ever happened, would face the greatest risks and the most unknowns. Some say "only after it has been proven safe on others."
7. Would it burden anyone?
Some people would decline anything that cost their family money or caused them distress. Others want their wish recorded regardless and leave it to the future to decide whether it is feasible.
8. Does a "no" feel like peace or like loss?
Many people who say no describe a sense of completeness: a life is a story with an ending, and that is what gives it meaning. That is a deeply held, legitimate view, and a written "no" protects it.
9. Does a "yes" feel like hope or like fear?
Some people who say yes are driven by curiosity and love of life; others by fear of death. It can help to notice which it is for you, because it may shape the conditions you want to set.
10. Am I comfortable with "not sure yet"?
It is a big question. Not having an answer is honest, and it is better to record "not sure" than to leave nothing at all. You can always revisit it.
Why people say yes
- Curiosity about the future and love of life.
- A belief that if medicine can save a life today, it should be allowed to save one tomorrow.
- Unfinished business: people, projects or places they want to see again.
Why people say no
- A sense that life should end once, and that this gives it meaning.
- Religious or spiritual beliefs about death and what follows.
- Worry about waking up alone, unwell, or in a world they would not recognize.
Why people say "not sure"
- They have never thought about it before.
- Their answer depends on conditions nobody can predict.
- They want to talk it through with family first.
Talking about it with family
This question can open surprisingly rich conversations. A gentle way in is to ask a "what if" over dinner: "If doctors in a hundred years could bring people back, would you want them to?" You may learn things about your parents, partner or children you never knew. Listen more than you argue. The aim is understanding, not agreement.
Once you have an answer
Write it down, with any conditions, date it, and tell someone you trust. Our step-by-step guide on how to leave instructions for future revival shows how. If you are weighing physical preservation too, compare the options in cryonics vs. recording your wishes. And if you want to understand the science behind the question, read will science ever bring people back after death?