Memento Mortuorum: The Necrosociality of Whole-Body Donor Remembrance Ceremonies.

Abstract

This study explores whole-body donor remembrance ceremonies as secondary mortuary rituals within medical education, analyzing their role in transitioning donors from educational tools to persons reintegrated into a framework of respect and reverence. Through participant observation, textual analysis, and symbolic interpretation, the research investigates themes of gratitude, personhood, and symbolic exchange. The ceremonies are contextualized within anthropological frameworks of liminality and necrosociality, highlighting parallels with global mortuary practices. We observe that these rituals serve not only as acts of commemoration but also as pedagogical tools, fostering professional empathy and reinforcing societal trust in anatomical donation programs. By addressing the social and ethical dimensions of body donation, the study emphasizes the ceremonies' role in humanizing medical education while affirming the cultural significance of death and remembrance. This work contributes to a broader understanding of the intersection between ritual, education, and the social construction of personhood.