Secrets of the Skeleton

In this seminal study of human bone forms, Dr. Mees reveals the skeleton as an articulate work of art. But who is the artist? Using a blend of phenomenological observations and artistic intuition, the author carefully explores the anatomical facts of the human skeleton, with the beauty of many bones impressively described and illustrated through numerous parallel photographs and illustrations. Dr. Mees discovers numerous intriguing correspondences of form, especially between bones of the lower body and those of the skull. Interpreting the gestural language hidden within the skeleton from the background of Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual science, the author reaches startling conclusions concerning those correspondences—conclusions that support the reality of reincarnation and the concept of a body of formative forces, or what some call the human “etheric body.” The book also contributes a discussion of polarity and intensification—the essential laws of metamorphosis, as discovered by Goethe and revealed in his writings.
Mees clarifies the various types of metamorphosis as characterized by the living realms of plant, animal, and human, and this, in turn, sheds new light on the creationist vs. evolutionary controversy, as well as several other contemporary spiritual dilemmas. Contents: * 1. Diversity of Shapes * 2. Metamorphosis in the Vegetable, Animal, and Human Realms * 3. Metamorphosis in the Human Skeleton * 4. Viewing Our Discovered Phenomena in a New Light * 5. The Tripartite Human Being * 6. Metamorphosis and Evolution * Conclusion

Author Biography

Leendert F. C. Mees, M.D. (1902-1990), was born in Amsterdam and studied medicine before becoming a student of the anthropologist Louis Bolk. At the time, he also met Rudolf Steiner and became a lifelong student of Anthroposophy. From 1930 on, he practiced general medicine in The Hague and was also a doctor and teacher at the Waldorf school there. In 1959, he and his wife established a clinic for artistic therapy in Dreibergen. In 1969, he began writing extensively and lecturing worldwide on medicine, evolution, education, and other topics. Leendert F. C. Mees, M.D. (1902-1990), was born in Amsterdam and studied medicine before becoming a student of the anthropologist Louis Bolk. At the time, he also met Rudolf Steiner and became a lifelong student of Anthroposophy. From 1930 on, he practiced general medicine in The Hague and was also a doctor and teacher at the Waldorf school there. In 1959, he and his wife established a clinic for artistic therapy in Dreibergen. In 1969, he began writing extensively and lecturing worldwide on medicine, evolution, education, and other topics. David Adams holds a PhD in art history education and has taught art history at state universities and art schools for eight years. He has written numerous published articles, essays, and art exhibition booklets. He is currently an adjunct faculty in art history at Sierra College, director of the Center for Architecture & Design Research, and a freelance writer and editor.