The "Hottest" thing in museum exhibits these days is a travelling show called "Body Worlds." It features preserved dead bodies in a variety of poses - some called "artistic." According to Jeff Greenwald, in an article from Tricyle - The Buddhist Review, (Fall 2005), Gunter von Hagen, the pioneer of the process of "Plastination," which basically replaces bodily fluid with clear silicone, has become very wealthy from these exhibitions, which have drawn millions of visitors and netted nearly a billion dollars, so far, worldwide.

Although most of the reviews have been positive, and carefully worded museum guides justify the exhibit as beneficial to learning more about disease prevention and preservation of life, I get very "creeped-out" whenever huge sums of money get associated with exploitation of the human body - especially dead ones!!

To me this whole thing sounds like politically correct "bodysnatching." Although I understand the value of "plastination" to the medical profession as a much better alternative to dissection, because the body parts and organs maintain the characteristics of living tissue. However, parading the bodies in exhibitions as a form of "scientific art" seems to be going a little far.

According to Gunter von Hagen, there are thousands of volunteers who wish to donate their bodies to the process of plastination, but I wonder how long it will be before less capable imitators of von Hagen start "buying" bodies off of E-Bay!!!

Perhaps the thought that best sums up my feelings about this issue come from a written comment left by a visitor to the exhibition in China:

"To the beings on display here, we hope that your contribution to our understanding was voluntary."

I add my prayer from the Orthodox tradition:

Give rest eternal, O Lord, in blessed repose, to the souls of Thy departed servants, and make their memory eternal.