Body Language!

"Every physician, at one time or another is struck by the sheer elegance and intricacy of the human body. But, few laypersons get a chance to experience such wonder. This exhibit is a rare opportunity for the layperson to share in this privileged view of ourselves." -Dr. Neil S. Wagner, M.D., UCLA Medical Center

On Saturday, we went to "Body Worlds" at the San Jose Tech Museum. Developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the exhibit features individual organs and entire bodies of preserved human specimens.

The cadavers have been through a process called "plastination." The key goal of the show is nicely worded in the Body Worlds brochure: "For the medical enlightenment and appreciation of lay people."

The same things that make the Body Worlds display compelling (real bodies in real poses) are the same things that make it controversial. But I thought it was respectful and definitely educational.

We saw livers that were calcified and ruined by alcohol consumption and lungs that were dark and shrunken by cigarette smoke. The correlation between our lifestyle choices and our bodies was very apparent.

The exhibit overall was actually smaller than I expected and while impressive it wasn't amazing. But it absolutely gave me a renewed respect for these incredible machines, our human bodies. I'm more inclined to live a healthier life in both diet and exercise after seeing "cause and effect" consequences on actual bodies.

And, the miracle of the human body is more indelibly imprinted on my psyche. After viewing our internal organs and understanding the specific functions of each organ, it's mind-boggle astonishing to me that anyone could view the intricate detail of our bodies and not see the influence of a higher power!

"The glory of God is found in the human fully alive. The human body is essential to our humanity - to our personhood - and any growth in the understanding and knowledge of our human body leads to a greater appreciation of our dignity as human persons." -Father Richard Benson, St. John's Seminary, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles