Many people bereaved by a sudden and traumatic death think it is important to see the body of their loved one. However, within a family there will be different attitudes; some bereaved relatives may want to view, but others will not, and some will find viewing helpful, but others may find it distressing.
Examination of the problem through study and observation shows that viewing the body is helpful to the family and friends because it helps the bereaved test the reality that this death has indeed occurred and provides the comfort and means of support as well.
Common Reactions
It's normal to experience such reactions as discovering or witnessing someone's death is confronting and unsettling. Emotionally, you may feel shock, disbelief, confusion, horror, and fear. Some people feel guilty for not stopping it somehow, even if there was nothing anyone could've done.
We think this is an urban legend. We've witnessed many cremations and never heard a scream. But then again, cremation retorts aren't silent either. Now, bodies do make all kinds of gnarly noises.
A viewing is typically for friends and family to see the body of their loved one a final time to say their goodbyes. A viewing is normally held at a public place, such as the funeral home or church, where the service will be soon following.
A body presents little threat to public health in the first day following the death. However, after 24 hours the body will need some level of embalming. A mortuary will be able to preserve the body for approximately a week. Regardless of the embalming, decomposition will begin after one week.
You are not required to actually view the body at a funeral viewing. Many people are a bit uncomfortable with the idea of attending a viewing, but keep in mind that funeral viewing etiquette does not require you to actually look at or spend time with the deceased if you are not comfortable doing so.
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
Yes, the coffin is also cremated. A deceased person is not safely placed within a crematory unless a coffin is used.
Hindus believe that the soul of the deceased stays attached to its body even after its demise, and by cremating the body, it can be set free. As a final act, a close family member forcefully strikes the burning corpse's skull with a stick as if to crack it open and release the soul.
Some factors that increase risk for PTSD include:
Getting hurt. Seeing another person hurt, or seeing a dead body.
Grief can make you feel very anxious. Sometimes this can result in feeling breathless, having heart palpitations or even a panic attack. This can be very scary. If you start to have these regularly, it's a good idea to contact your doctor.
If you have an adult with you at the funeral home, it is ok to touch a dead body, and you will not get in trouble. You are naturally curious, and sometimes when you see and touch a dead body it helps you answer your questions. Remember to be gentle and have an adult help you.
aCremation often gets asked if it is possible to view an unbembalmed body. In most cases – yes – if held soon after the death occurs. It's important to remember that decomposition begins immediately. The longer the time between death and the viewing, the greater the chance that viewing will not be recommended.
The ancestor photo as per Vastu should not be kept in any place in the middle of the home. The photos should not be placed at any place from where they can be seen directly while leaving or entering the house. You should not place photos of a dead person in your bedroom or at multiple places in your house.
How long does a cremation process take? Cremations last between one and three hours with cooling taking a further one or two hours. This depends on cremation temperatures, the size of the deceased, and coffin material.
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.
Crematoriums never reuse coffins
After we die, our bodies can spread bacteria, which can contaminate the coffin. Burning the coffin is the best way to keep harmful bacteria at bay. From an emotional perspective, many people would be uncomfortable with crematoriums reusing coffins, and would consider it disrespectful.
The Impacts Of Traditional Cremation
Cremation is a fossil fuel driven process with high carbon emissions. The two primary environmental issues are that the process involves high energy usage and contributes to air pollution.
Do teeth burn during cremation? Teeth usually burn up during the cremation process. Tooth fragments that are not burnt up will be ground during the ash processing.
The Regulation does not allow more than one body to be cremated in the same crematory retort at the same time to ensure that the ashes they receive are not a mixture of ashes from different people. It is for this reason that cremation authorities no longer attempt to separate wood ash from human ash.
Stealing anything from a deceased person or their family is obviously a no-go. Even “just a flower or two,” is also disrespectful.
Attending a visitation can be the hardest part for people to attend, because it involves talking to the deceased's family. A good recommendation is to say something simple such as “I am sorry about your loss”, especially if there are many other guests waiting to share their condolences.
Unless explicitly requested by the deceased's family, it is best to avoid taking photographs at a funeral or memorial ceremony. Taking candid photos of the relatives in their most vulnerable moments of grief might cause stress and destroy the mood during the service.