When researching cryonics aka biostasis, one of the most common questions asked is whether or not it’s “scam”. Opponents against cryonics often argue that providers are preying on false hope, and taking advantage of people with vague promises of future revival. While biostasis organizations cannot state if and when revival might be possible, there is no evidence to suggest that it cannot work. Let’s take a look at this misconception and see if we can clarify a fact or two.

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Cryonics & Misconceptions

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To better grasp why people might think that this is a scam, we need to understand how cryonics works in practice.

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What Is Cryonics?

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Cryonics is the practice of preserving human bodies after legal death at cryogenic temperatures (-196°C or -140°C for ITS). At this temperature, a patient is vitrified (not frozen), reaching a glass-like state. In this state, cellular decay is paused throughout the body, and the patient has entered into biostasis. They can then be stored indefinitely at a long-term storage facility until they are eventually revived.

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The goal is to preserve a patient so that, with the aid of future medical technology, their cause of death can be cured, and they can be revived at a later date. Someone whose life has been cut short by diseases like cancer might be able to live in the future because of this life-saving procedure. The major question is when.

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When Will Revival Occur?

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The technologies and procedures necessary to revive patients from biostasis have yet to be developed. Because of this, some people think that cryonics providers sell something intangible, a pipe dream. However, there are theories as to how future revival could be achieved. Such possibilities include;

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• In situ repair (cellular and tissue restoration via nanobots)
• Molecular scan-and-restore (the ability to scan and restore tissue inside the body using scanning technologies)
• Scan-to-WBE (whole brain emulation based on cryopreserved tissue)

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However, these theories have yet to be fully developed due to the limitations of modern technology. Until medical technologies such as nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) progress to the point that such endeavors are possible, cryonics providers cannot say when revival might be possible.

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This is a point that we at Tomorrow Bio make clear to anyone interested in signing up for cryopreservation. In this industry, informed consent is both critical and necessary. It is important that anyone who is considering this procedure has a good understanding of what they are (and aren’t) signing up for. We cannot guarantee whether or when or what state patients would be revived in. It is therefore important that anyone considering our services is made aware of the current state of research and development, and what this means for them.

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Funding Cryopreservation

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While informed consent is important to our line of work, it’s also necessary to be transparent about how our funding works. Currently, the cost at Tomorrow Bio is €200,000 for a whole-body cryopreservation. We’ll break down this cost later, but let’s focus for now on how one funds their cryopreservation. We have three recommended ways to finance our services:

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• Term Life Insurance→ A fixed-term contract that covers the policyholder over a period of time, usually between 10 to 40 years. In the event of sudden death, the designated beneficiary (Tomorrow Bio) would receive the money from the term life insurance provider. This is Tomorrow Bio’s recommended method for funding our cryopreservation services for people that are relatively young and healthy.

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• Whole Life Insurance→ Insurance with no expiration date that has a savings component where the policyholder can accumulate cash and accrue interest over time at a fixed rate. The longer someone has whole life insurance, the more their cash value increases. However, since it usually takes decades for the whole life insurance to accumulate the funds needed for cryopreservation, this option should be paired with term life insurance or an alternative funding method.

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• Alternative Methods→ There are other ways to fund our services, including via last will and testament stipulating how the standby team (SST), transportation, and storage costs will be covered. Tomorrow Bio does provide alternative funding documents that can be drafted.

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It is recommended that anyone interested in cryonics should sign up sooner rather than later, as the premium cost for term life insurance can increase with age. 

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So, these are means that one can pay to be cryopreserved in the future, but what happens to their money? After all, something is considered a scam or fraud when it’s deceiving someone for financial gain. 

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What Happens To The Money?

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Remember that price tag of €200,000? It can seem like a lot. Why isn’t it more affordable? And where does all that money go? There are three areas that this total cost helps to finance:

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• Standby, Stabilization & Transportation→ The SST service is provided by Tomorrow Bio’s medical team. The cost covers the transportation necessary for the SST team to reach a patient, the cryoprotection procedure itself, and transporting patients to a long-term storage facility. Remember,  a fast response is crucial for high-quality cryopreservation. The deciding factor on the cost is depending on where a patient is located. For example, if a patient were to pass suddenly in Germany, Tomorrow Bio could use its specialized ambulance to reach them. However, if someone were to pass away in Cairo, more funds would need to be allocated to reach them via plane. In some cases, the SST team could rent a private medical jet to reach the member as quickly as possible. The total cost of SST is €80,000.

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• Long-term Storage→The long-term care needed for patients requires constant supervision and work by staff at the long-term storage facility. After a patient is vitrified, they will remain there in a cryogenic storage dewar filled with liquid nitrogen. The staff needs to be able to monitor patients as well as ensure a constant supply of liquid nitrogen for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow Bio members will be housed at the European Biostasis Foundation’s (EBF) long-term storage facility for a price of €120,000. This fee goes to a patient care trust called the Tomorrow Patient Foundation (TPF). The organization puts storage funds into very low-risk investments with a yield goal 1-2% above inflation every year. This is more than enough to pay for long-term care indefinitely.

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While cryopreservation at the moment is expensive, if the service becomes more mainstream, the costs will likely decrease significantly per capita.

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So, Is It A “Scam”?

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With all that said, we still need to answer the important question: is cryonics a scam? The definition of a scam is a dishonest scheme that is designed to trick and con someone. At Tomorrow Bio, we are explicit in what our service is, how we provide it, the cost, and the expectations potential members need to be aware of prior to signing up. We make no promises about if and when revival may be possible, or how this process will come about. Transparency and honesty are essential qualities for any biostasis provider that is working to push the field of human cryopreservation forward. We have a webpage on informed consent in our website menu that details the potential risks and limitations associated with this procedure. 

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Conclusion

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At Tomorrow Bio, we want to ensure that anyone interested in signing up for our services understands what the procedure entails. It is important that people are well informed about how cryopreservation works, as well as the potential risks involved. Cryonics as an industry is not in the habit or position to make promises it cannot keep. Therefore, we cannot promise when or even if revival will take place. We can only inform anyone interested about the procedure and its possibilities.

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If you have any questions about our cryopreservation services, feel free to contact us via Discord, or schedule a call with us. We’re happy to help answer any questions you may have. For more information about our services, check out our website, and see you tomorrow!

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