The storing of dead bodies through the process of cryogenics for the purpose of later reviving individuals.
Some patients elect to have only their heads frozen and stored, believing that when revival occurs, this will be sufficient for reconstructing the whole person. Two firms in the United States, Alcor and the Cryonics Institute, have put the procedure into commercial operation. Mainstream scientists, however, question the validity of the procedure: They point out that ice crystals damage cells beyond repair. To be effective, scientists must have not only solved this problem but also found a cure for the disease that killed the patient.