Is Cryocide an Ethically Feasible Alternative to Euthanasia?

The article examines cryocide—a procedure involving the induced clinical death and subsequent cryogenic preservation of terminally ill patients—as an ethical alternative to euthanasia. It argues that, unlike euthanasia which intentionally ends life, cryocide aims to preserve the brain’s psychological information based on the information-theoretic criterion of death, which defines death as the irreversible loss of memory and personality rather than cessation of physiological functions. The authors contend that cryocide aligns with medical ethics principles such as beneficence and non-maleficence, provided it is performed with patient consent, and that objections based on disgust or inequality should be critically reassessed. While acknowledging current technological limitations and uncertain success rates, the article suggests that cryocide merits further ethical and legal consideration, especially for consenting terminal patients seeking to avoid irreversible brain deterioration.