Conference

Cryonics in Sweden: Law, ethics and insurance conference

Date: 26 March 2026
Time: 09:00-12:00

International Half-Day Conference at the Institute for Futures Studies

Cryonics is an experimental method of cryopreserving human beings after legal death has been declared.

Cryonics involves the freezing of a person after death as been determined according to established medical criteria. The body or brain is preserved through cryopreservation at extremely low temperatures for long-term storage.The stated aim is that future medical technologies may be able to restore functions that are irreversible today.

There is currently no scientific evidence that such revival is possible.

Cryonic preservation is already offered by companies in Europe, including actors in Germany and Switzerland. Established North American organizations, such as Alcor Life Extension Foundation also operate internationally and accept clients from multiple countries.

This means the issue is not purely hypothetical. If similar services were to be offered in Sweden, immediate questions would arise concerning the legal definition of death, regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and life insurance law.

The conference examines cryonics as a legal, ethical, and regulatory issue in Sweden.

What is Cryonics?

Cryonics is a form of post-mortem preservation in which the body or brain is cooled to approximately –196 °C.

Unlike traditional burial or cremation, cryonic preservation is undertaken with the explicit intention of potential future medical intervention.

Even if revival never becomes feasible, cryonics raises significant legal and regulatory questions within a Swedish and European legal context.

Conference Focus

The Legal Definition of Death and Medical Boundaries

How does cryonics relate to existing criteria for determining death under Swedish law?
How does it intersect with research on organ preservation and experimental treatment?
Legal status and application of existing legislation
How would a cryonics contract be assessed under Swedish civil law?
How are funeral law, health and medical services legislation, and consumer protection rules affected?
Which supervisory authority would have jurisdiction?
Insurance and economic implications
Can life insurance be used to finance cryonics in Sweden?
How are risk assessment and legal effects at death influenced?
Where might regulatory ambiguities arise within Swedish insurance law?

Programme (Preliminary)

09:00 Opening Remarks
Cryonics in a Swedish institutional and regulatory context

09:20 Medical Reality
Cryopreservation, brain death, and organ preservation

10:15 Philosophy and Ethics
Identity, consciousness, and human dignity

11:00 Law and Regulation
Legal status, allocation of responsibility, and regulatory oversight

11:40 Insurance and Economics
Life insurance, risk modelling, and incentive structures

12:00 Concluding Reflections

Speakers

Anders Sandberg, PhD. Researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies focusing on future technologies, existential risk, and long-term societal challenges.

Ole Martin Moen, Professor of Philosophy, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University. Researches applied ethics, political philosophy, and bioethical boundary questions.

Göran Hermerén, Professor Emeritus of Medical Ethics, Lund University. Expert in bioethics, the definition of death, and medical-ethical analysis.

(Full speaker list will be updated as confirmations are received.)

Why this is a policy question

Cryonics touches on core institutional issues in Sweden:

How is death defined in legal terms?

What legal effects follow from a contract for cryonic preservation?

How is responsibility allocated between private actors and public authorities?

How are regulatory oversight and consumer protection affected?

How are life insurance policies legally interpreted in such cases?

The conference does not advocate for or against cryonics. Its aim is to provide conceptual and regulatory clarity in advance of potential developments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cryonics