What really happens in a cryonics facility
Cryonics is a topic often surrounded by speculation, misconceptions, and science fiction imagery. At its core, however, it represents a deeply human aspiration: the desire to preserve life in the face of death, and to wait for a time when future science may offer new possibilities. But what does that really look like in practice? What actually happens in a cryonics facility, away from the theoretical discussions and into the realm of real-world procedures?
In this article, we take you behind the scenes of human cryopreservation. You won’t find fantastical promises or dramatic exaggerations. Instead, we offer a grounded, evidence-based look at the infrastructure, technology, and values that define cryonics today.
The first steps: from legal death to stabilization
The process begins not when someone chooses cryopreservation, but when legal death is declared. This is a critical distinction: cryonics can only begin after all signs of life, as currently defined by legal and biological standards, have ceased. No procedure is initiated until this declaration is made by certified personnel.
Once legal death is confirmed, the priority becomes time. A specialized standby team, often on call 24/7, mobilizes immediately to begin the stabilization process. This involves cooling the body to slow down cellular decay, maintaining circulation through mechanical means, and administering a series of protective medications and cryoprotectants to minimize damage.
Speed and coordination are essential. The faster the body can be stabilized, the higher the chances of preserving brain structure, the key repository of memories, personality, and identity.
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Vitrification: replacing water with cryoprotectant
After stabilization, the next major step is vitrification. Unlike traditional freezing, which forms ice crystals that can rupture cells, vitrification transforms water in the body into a glass-like state without crystal formation. This is done by replacing body fluids with a cryoprotectant solution that prevents freezing damage. The process is highly technical and involves sophisticated perfusion techniques. The goal is to preserve tissue architecture at the cellular level, especially in the brain. This stage can take several hours and is performed in controlled, sterile environments within the cryonics facility.
Deep cooling and long-term storage
Once vitrification is complete, the body undergoes gradual cooling to -196°C, the temperature of liquid nitrogen. This is done over a period of days to prevent thermal stress. When the final temperature is reached, the individual is transferred to a long-term storage vessel, often called a dewar, which maintains the cryogenic environment indefinitely.
These storage systems are passive and don’t require electricity to keep their temperature. They rely on regular refilling of liquid nitrogen and constant environmental monitoring. While the image of a cryonics facility may evoke futuristic imagery, the reality is a quiet, controlled, and carefully maintained space designed for preservation, not intervention.
Maintaining integrity over decades
One of the most common and important questions people ask is: how long can someone actually remain in cryopreservation? The answer, grounded in physics and engineering rather than speculation, is that there is no inherent time limit. Once the human body has been cooled to –196°C using vitrification and stored in liquid nitrogen, all biological processes, including decay, come to a halt. At these temperatures, molecular motion essentially stops, and tissues can remain structurally stable for decades, centuries, or potentially even longer, provided they remain undisturbed.
This isn't just a theoretical claim. Cryonics facilities are built around the idea of perpetual maintenance. Redundant safety systems are in place to manage liquid nitrogen levels, monitor internal temperatures, and alert staff to any anomalies. Even in the event of power outages, these systems continue functioning, since liquid nitrogen storage does not rely on electricity to maintain low temperatures.
This long-term commitment isn’t an afterthought, it’s a central promise of the cryonics process: to safeguard identity and possibility for as long as science allows.
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Who chooses cryopreservation, and why?
People choose cryopreservation for many reasons. Some are driven by scientific curiosity and hope. Others see it as a rational bet on future technology. And for a growing number, it’s a deeply personal response to a terminal diagnosis.
At Tomorrow.bio, we work closely with individuals and families navigating incredibly difficult moments. Choosing cryopreservation doesn’t mean denying reality. It doesn’t promise a cure, and it certainly doesn’t offer guarantees. What it does offer is an opportunity: to preserve the possibility of life beyond today’s limits.
Let’s be clear: cryonics is not a cure for any disease. It does not reverse death, and it does not pause time. What it does is preserve what remains after legal death, in the hope that future developments in science may one day make revival and treatment possible. We know how difficult a diagnosis of a terminal illness can be. It changes everything, not just for the person diagnosed, but for everyone around them. The choices that follow are never easy, and no option is perfect. Cryopreservation won’t erase the grief or the fear, but for some, it provides a sense of agency, of doing something in the face of the unknown.
If you or someone you love is facing that situation, and you’d like to understand more about what happens in a cryonics facility or how cryopreservation works, we’re here to help. Our team is available to answer questions, explain the science, and support you through every step of the process.
About Tomorrow.bio
At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading human cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.
Our mission is to make human cryopreservation a reliable and accessible option for everyone. We believe that no life should end because the current capabilities fall short.
Our vision is a future where death is optional — where people have the freedom to choose long-term preservation in the face of terminal illness or fatal injury, and to awaken when medicine has caught up.
📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
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