Swiss public attitudes to human cryopreservation

Abstract

Cryopreservation, or cryonics, is an experimental procedure that preserves individuals at cryogenic temperatures after legal death in the hope of future revival. Although Switzerland hosts the Schengen Area’s first dedicated whole-body human cryopreservation facility, public sentiment toward the practice has remained largely unexamined. This exploratory survey of 249 Swiss adults assessed awareness, ethical views, and openness to cryopreservation. Results show broad support for individual autonomy, with most respondents endorsing the right to choose cryopreservation when performed to high medical standards (86.7%) and not supporting legal restrictions (83.5%). While personal interest was in the minority, nearly one in five respondents (20.1%) reported active interest or intent to sign up. Openness to cryopreservation appears driven more by values such as life-extension preference and prior exposure than by demographics. These findings provide the first empirical snapshot of Swiss public opinion on cryopreservation, highlighting a largely permissive public stance and suggesting considerable engagement with the topic.