While it may not be a consciousness, it is a little of their energy that stays behind, almost like someone's perfume that lingers in the air even after they have left the room. That is the energy that people look for and cling to when they hold on to a loved one's cremation ashes.
Cremains contain what is known as rest energy, sometimes referred to as free or dormant energy. This type of energy is still subject to the restraints of natural law, and can have no physical or spiritual impact on those around it.
According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy can not be created or destroyed. Instead, it simply changes from one form to another. However, many believe the cremation process frees the spirit from its physical body. And so the soul energy leaves the ashes to return to nature.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
Cremation occurs at such a hot temperature all micro-organisms are destroyed, and the remaining ashes are inert. After cremation there are no public health risks associated with handling ashes.
The actual ashes are thus useless as they will not contain DNA. It is the bones and teeth that could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis. However, after the cremation, the bones and teeth left behind are turned into a find powder (a process known as pulverization).
Can You Get DNA From Cremated Remains? Yes. DNA testing is often done on the bodies of the dead, even after they've been cremated. The immense heat of the cremation ovens breaks down the body's organic matter, leaving bone fragments and teeth behind as they don't disintegrate during the cremation process.
Some people worry it's bad luck to keep ashes in their house, or it might mean the spirit or ghost of the person will stay in the house. Whatever your beliefs, there is no right or wrong when it comes to handling the ashes of a person who's died.
Your loved one's ashes don't have to stay together either. Families can choose to split the ashes of the deceased among the wider family, where the individual families can choose what they want to do with them.
Yes, it is generally okay to open an urn. Most say that cremated remains are sterile, so you shouldn't have to worry about your health or safety from opening an urn. There are no legal reasons why an urn can't be opened either unless there is a question of who legally owns the cremains.
IDENTIFICATION DISK
Before the body goes into the oven, a stainless steel disk around the size of a quarter with a unique number is placed with it. That number is then recorded on the paperwork of the deceased. Since the disk doesn't melt, it will remain in tact with the ashes that you receive.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
Ashes are heavier than some people expect
But human ashes aren't the same type of ash - they're made of bone. Bones are made of various acids, minerals, and salts, which means they're heavier than many people expect.
As a general rule, ashes following cremation will weigh between 4 to 6 pounds, or around 3.5% of the person's original weight. In the case of children, ashes weigh about 2.5% of the original body weight.
The cremation process for humans takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. The body is placed in a retort, which is then heated to between 1400 and 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the body burns, and the bones turn to ash. After the body has been cremated, the ashes are placed in an urn and returned to the family.
There are no set implications of keeping ashes in the house. By keeping ashes in the house, you will be allowing the psychic connection between the deceased loved one and the remaining family members to continue, which often helps grieving families come to terms with their loss.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
As we scatter his (her) ashes, we commit his(her) body to you and pray that he finds eternal rest for the glory of your holy name. Lord, forgive us where we have strayed during this grieving season. Fill us with thanksgiving for his well-lived and full life. In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen.
Although a dignified method of attending to our deceased, for some families, this has created some unexpected drawbacks. Unlike burials, where loved ones must be laid to rest soon after death, cremation doesn't require the immediate “letting go” of a loved one's body into the ground or mausoleum.
There is no requirement to keep ashes on the forehead all day or for any period of time after they are given, but many Christians choose to keep them on their foreheads throughout the day on Ash Wednesday.
The law considers ashes to be the same as a body, so is unwilling to rule for separating them amongst different parties.
Are Cremation Ashes Heavy? A box of adult human ashes can be surprisingly heavy. If you are still expecting the remains to be like that of a campfire, the weight might be unexpected. Human cremation ashes include crushed bone, which makes them denser than ash from wood and therefore heavier.
Poison detection in the ashes of a dead person is only possible in a forensic toxicology lab. From sample handling to poison testing is all done under the supervision of forensic experts. Finding poison traces from the cremains of the ashes of a dead person could be a game-changer in most criminal cases.
Human ashes are like sand and they do not float. They will not dissolve in the water; instead, they will descend into the ocean until they hit the floor. Can we have a service or a mariner's farewell ceremony before we scatter ashes?