Webinar

Achieving the proper moisture balance is essential for creating a natural, lifelike appearance in every embalming case. In this webinar, Morgan McWilliams explores the challenges of managing both excess moisture in edematous cases and dehydration in emaciated remains. Learn how to effectively utilize Frigid Fluid chemicals to control tissue moisture, improve preservation, and enhance cosmetic outcomes across a wide range of case presentations. Whether you're facing severe edema or extreme desiccation, you'll gain practical techniques you can immediately apply in the preparation room.

• Learn proven techniques for managing both edematous and emaciated cases while maintaining a natural, lifelike appearance.
• Discover how Frigid Fluid chemicals can be strategically selected and combined to achieve optimal tissue moisture balance and preservation.
• Gain practical, case based embalming techniques that improve viewing quality, reduce preparation challenges, and increase efficiency and confidence in difficult cases.

The Neuroscience of Grief, the Data on Viewing, and the Role of Embalming

When someone we love dies, our brain has to do more than acknowledge the fact, it has to accept it. That acceptance isn’t just an emotional milestone; it’s a neurological process. Viewing the body can be one of the most important steps in helping the brain navigate from the shock of loss toward healing.

The Brain’s Need for Reality Confirmation

Seeing the deceased provides what psychologists call reality confirmation. It’s the moment when the brain’s prefrontal cortex (our logical decision-maker) and hippocampus (our autobiographical memory center) reconcile what we’ve been told with what we can see. Without that sensory input, parts of the brain can remain in an unresolved “search mode,” driven by the nucleus accumbens and reward circuits that still long for the person.

Engaging Memory and Meaning

Viewing also activates the amygdala, the brain’s emotional hub, and stimulates the retrieval of memories stored in the hippocampus. These memories help weave the loss into our life story, a function supported by the medial prefrontal cortex and the default mode network, which are responsible for self-reflection and meaning-making.

Join Ben Schmidt for an enlightening webinar, "Embalming Chemicals in the Wild." As a seasoned embalmer and educator, Ben will take a deep dive into the world of embalming chemicals, uncovering their diverse uses both inside and outside the prep room.

Key topics include: