The 1st Person to be Cryonically Preserved
Today marks the anniversary of the first cryopreservation. Who was James Bedford and how many people are cryonically preserved?
If you are struggling to leave the house today due to bitterly cold January temperatures, spare a thought for James Bedford. This former psychology professor lies frozen in a cryopreservation chamber. In fact, he was the first person to ever undergo the procedure following his death on January 12th, 1967.
Who is/was James Bedford?
It is hard to know which tense to use when talking about James Bedford. By all medical and legal definitions, he is dead and has been for a very long time. However, his body lies in a state of cryopreservation in the Alcor Life Extension Foundation. The hope is that one day, he will be revived, and his body will be viable again.
He died aged 73 in 1967 after a tough battle with cancer. It began in his kidneys and later spread to his lungs. Ideally, modern medicine would cure the cancer and restore his body so he could live out the rest of his life – just over 60 years late.
Despite relocation to different facilities over the years, his body appears to be in good condition. The procedure's success so far is encouraging, and some in the cryopreservation world refer to this as Bedford Day.
Was Walt Disney Cryonically Frozen?
James Bedford may have been the first human to undergo the freezing process, but he’s not the most famous name that comes to mind. There is an enduring myth that Walt Disney also ended up frozen in liquid nitrogen after his death. The rumor began when a reporter who snuck into the hospital caring for Disney claimed to have seen him in a chamber. The story grew more fantastical over time, with people insisting he was underneath the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. There was also the belief that he would be thawed out in 1975. If they ever tried, there is no evidence of it. In fact, his family insists the whole story is a fabrication. Still, if one wealthy man was willing to go through the process in a quest to learn about the future, he’d be a clear candidate.
How Many People Are Cryonically Frozen?
Walt Disney may not have been cryogenically frozen, but many more people were. So were many pets, who were placed in stasis by their grieving owners. Right now, there are around 500 people in facilities across the world, with the majority residing in the United States.
Even though there is no evidence to suggest anyone can be brought back to life, there is a large waiting list of new residents. People are still fascinated with the prospect of becoming reanimated decades after death. For some, it may be a chance to live for a few more years in a futuristic world. For others, it could be a hope that their incurable disease may be cured by advanced medicine in 50 years. There is also the dream of one-day bringing family members from different generations back together in a new utopia.
As far-fetched as it sounds, many people are still willing to give it a shot and make this request in their will. There isn’t anything to lose in giving it a shot, although family and friends may not be so keen on the idea or any costs that come their way.
Who knows, there may be a day when we wake up to the news that the now 150-year-old James Bedford is alive and well once more. Until then, we must continue to treat this phenomenon as pure science fiction.