As He Releases a Book on Extending Life, Leading Researcher Sam Parnia Explains Why Resurrection Is No Longer Science-Fiction

Charlotte Lytton
27 August 2024 | 1:53 PM BST

Sam Parnia, M.D., Ph.D., is no stranger to challenging conventional wisdom. As an associate professor of medicine at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, Parnia has spent over 30 years studying the science of death and the possibility of resurrection. His latest book, Lucid Dying, delves into his pioneering research, offering compelling evidence that the line between life and death is not as clear-cut as once thought.

While breakthroughs in cancer, heart disease, and diabetes have dramatically changed how we treat these conditions, one medical boundary has remained mostly static: death. But Parnia believes this is about to change. “What we believe about death is fundamentally wrong,” he argues. “It is not the end, but a reversible state.”

A New Era of Scientific Discovery
Parnia’s groundbreaking research challenges deeply ingrained societal views of death. “People used to think you could never go beyond the boundaries of flying, let alone beyond the atmosphere of the Earth,” he explains. “If you always believed that, you’d never try. Similarly, we’ve believed death is final, but that belief has held us back.”

For decades, death has been seen as an irreversible process. But with recent advancements, especially in the realm of cardiac arrest resuscitation and organ preservation, Parnia contends that there is now solid evidence that reversing death may not be as difficult as we’ve been led to believe. In his book, Lucid Dying, he outlines not only the current state of resurrection science but also the potential for extending life in ways we previously thought were impossible.

Revolutionary Resuscitation Methods
One of the most eye-opening aspects of Parnia’s research is his focus on cardiac arrest cases. In 2012, the resuscitation rates at his hospital were a staggering 33%, far surpassing the U.S. average of 16%. This success was due to innovative treatments, such as administering drugs that preserve pig organs after CPR, which have significantly improved survival rates.

Parnia’s work shows that brains remain “salvageable for not only hours, but possibly days,” challenging previous assumptions about how long the brain can survive after death. He recounts a particularly striking case where brain cells retained full function 48 hours after being removed from a person’s body. This breakthrough, despite complications like the melting of ice used to preserve the organ, has proven to be a “game-changer.”

The Resurgence of Organ Function
Research in the last few years has produced some shocking results that support Parnia’s thesis. A Yale University study from 2019 demonstrated how decapitated pig brains could be revived up to 14 hours after death. Similarly, a 2022 study by Yale showed that a combination of drugs and heart-lung machines could restore organ function in pigs. “It is just a matter of time before these results can be replicated in humans,” Parnia insists.

While these experiments are still in the animal realm, they offer a promising glimpse into what may be possible for human beings in the future. With advancements like these, Parnia is hopeful that the medical community will soon recognize the potential for extending human life and reversing certain aspects of death.

Cryonics: An Unproven Dream or a Possible Reality?
As the conversation about reversing death continues to grow, cryonics—the preservation of bodies at extremely low temperatures in the hope of future reanimation—has become a hot topic. Recently, the launch of Tomorrow Bio, Europe’s first cryonics startup, reignited interest in this controversial field. Cryonics enthusiasts believe it is possible to freeze the body and revive it when technology advances. However, Parnia remains skeptical of this method, calling it “wishful thinking,” although he acknowledges that cooling the body can help protect organs for future revival.

He cites a case in 2019 where a British woman, who had developed hypothermia while hiking in Spain, had her heart stop for six hours. After being treated with advanced life support technology like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), she was revived. “That’s way past what we consider dead for humans,” Parnia points out. “Yet, she was brought back to life because the right intervention was made in time.”

Death Is Not the Final Stop
Parnia is particularly passionate about challenging the social and medical conventions that lead to premature death declarations. “Why give up so soon? Just because someone has stopped breathing doesn’t mean they’re beyond saving,” he argues. He believes that many people who die unexpectedly while in otherwise good health—such as victims of violent crimes or sudden cardiac arrest—are potentially salvageable. In these cases, Parnia suggests, medical professionals need to be more open to using advanced techniques to preserve life.

However, he does acknowledge that not everyone who dies should be revived. Those with multiple organ failure, for example, are unlikely candidates for revival. But, for those who are young and healthy, he insists, there is hope.

The Future of Resurrection Science
Despite the complexities surrounding life extension, Parnia is excited about the future. “In the future, people who would be declared dead today will be routinely brought back to life,” he predicts. While he acknowledges that widespread adoption of resurrection science may not occur in his lifetime, he remains optimistic. “I’m excited to see what discoveries the next few decades will bring.”

Parnia’s vision of reversing death isn’t ghoulish or morbid, as some might think. Instead, he sees it as “hopeful, astonishing, and life-affirming.” Just as CPR was once thought to be an unrealistic fantasy, Parnia believes that one day, we will look back on the idea of death as simply a temporary state—something that, with the right medical intervention, can be reversed.

In the end, Sam Parnia’s work isn’t about playing God. It’s about expanding our understanding of the boundaries of life, challenging outdated notions, and giving people a second chance when technology and science can make it possible.