In life we often choose between two options. Paper or plastic? Sweetened or unsweetened? Burial or cremation? But as science progresses so do our choices for final disposition. An increasing number of people are adding plastination to their list of burial or cremation options.  What is plastination? And who is signing up for it? Why would a person want to be plastinated?

Plastination is a process invented by German scientists Gunther  von Hagens in 1993 whereby he replaces body fluids and fat with plastic. Then he sells the bodies from $200-$60,000 to academic institutions or Body Worlds exhibits. About 800 people on North America and 8,600 people worldwide have signed up to donate their bodies to the Body Worlds donor program.  Most donors sign up for reasons of education and enlightenment, believing that putting their dead body on display will enable others to learn. Of course the donors and their families don’t make any money (and of course you and I are on the high end of being worth that $60,000, not the $200).

This is however a very controversial program in that it is often questioned where the bodies for the exhibits actually come from, legitimate donors, or victims of torture and execution from Chinese prisons. Legislation is pending in several states to make Body Worlds prove donor consent before they open in museums for public display.

I attended a Body Worlds exhibit in Denver several summers ago and have to admit that it was beyond fascinating. As a college instructor of Embalming I truly learned a lot about several of the different body systems. However, the group of high schools out on a field trip where not as impressed as I was, as they spent most of their time being loud, pointing, and laughing at the displays.

Plastination is new enough that right now I would classify it as a fad; whether Von Hagens is able to teach his methods to enough interested people that in the future it would become a more common type of disposition remains to be seen. But my guess, this too shall pass.