Gina Heslop
Cryogenic freezing is a process where human bodies are preserved at extremely low temperatures, with the hope that future medical advancements could bring them back to life.
The ultra-wealthy are particularly interested in this idea, with around 500 people already cryogenically preserved and another 5,500 planning to do the same. But how did this concept come about, and what does it involve?
The Origins of Cryogenics
The foundation of cryogenics was laid by French biologist Jean Rostand in the 1940s. However, the concept of using cryogenics as a way to achieve potential immortality was first suggested by Robert Ettinger in his 1962 book, The Prospect of Immortality.
Ettinger, a physics teacher and war veteran, was inspired by Rostand’s work and the imaginative ideas found in science fiction.
The term “cryonics” comes from the Greek word krýos, meaning “icy cold.” The process involves preserving human bodies at very low temperatures with the hope of reviving them in the future.
The idea is that if someone dies from an incurable disease today, they could be “frozen” and brought back to life when science has advanced enough to cure them. This preservation state is called “cryonic suspension.”
The concept is partially inspired by real-life situations where people who fell into icy water and were submerged for nearly an hour survived. The cold water slowed their metabolism and brain activity, reducing their need for oxygen and putting them into a kind of suspended animation.
However, cryonics differs significantly because it is only performed after a person has been declared legally dead.
The Science Behind Cryonics
A person must be legally dead—meaning their heart has stopped—before cryonic preservation can begin. However, scientists argue that being “legally dead” does not necessarily mean being “irreversibly dead.”
Legal death refers to the stopping of the heart and circulation, but total death only occurs when all brain activity has permanently ceased. Cryonics aims to preserve cellular brain functions at the moment of legal death, hoping that future technology could repair both the damage caused by death and the freezing process.
James Hiram Bedford was born in 1893 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. At age four, he survived a severe case of diphtheria, which may have sparked his resilient and adventurous spirit.
Bedford moved to California as a young man, earned a master’s degree in education from the University of California-Berkeley, and became a high school teacher. He wrote several books on vocational training and career development, aiming to help young people find hope and direction.
Bedford was not just an academic; he was also an explorer. He went on safaris in Africa, trekked through South American rainforests, and traveled across Europe. However, in his 70s, he was diagnosed with renal cancer. Faced with his mortality once again, Bedford began exploring the unproven concept of cryonics.
He connected with Robert Nelson, the President of the Cryonics Society of California. Nelson, who had an unusual background as a TV repairman, assured Bedford that his organization could offer him the chance to extend his life through cryogenic preservation.
In January 1967, Bedford became the first person to undergo cryonic preservation. His body was frozen and remains preserved, awaiting the day when science might advance enough to revive him.
This made Bedford a pioneer in cryonics, starting an experiment that continues to capture public imagination today.
A Waiting Game
While technology and science have advanced significantly since 1967, humanity has yet to reach the point where reviving a cryogenically frozen person is possible.
However, the concept continues to attract interest, with new advancements in medicine and technology keeping hope alive for those preserved and those considering cryonics as a path to a potential second life.
Whether or not Bedford or others like him will ever be revived, his final journey into cryogenic suspension remains one of science and history’s most intriguing adventures.
