Culture, Rituals, and Coping with Loss
摘要
Grief rituals are important in the cultural (and religious) lives of people around the world. Yet conventional grief models and theories do not explicitly point to the role of grief rituals, in coping with the pain of a loss and/or in making it less burdensome on bereaved persons to move on with their lives. A ritual is not a random act but has meaning to the person performing it. In a situation of uncertainty such as happens after a loss, grief rituals help to provide control and reassurance (Neimeyer & Harris, Encyclopedia of mental health, vol. 1. Elsevier, Academic Press, pp. 204–211, 2023). Rituals are learned behaviors and could be verbal or nonverbal. When a survivor has more than one belief system (e.g., both traditional religion and Christianity), grief rituals could conflict with each other. However, grief rituals become easier when a survivor can find common grounds between both systems of belief. A bereavement counselor/healthcare professional could help a survivor with more than one belief system to explore common grounds or find the saliency of one belief system over the other in grief rituals. Some grief rituals are never too late if not performed at the appropriate time. When performed after its appropriate time has passed, grief rituals could serve a redemptive function to the survivor. Also, a bereavement counselor/healthcare professional can help a survivor to explore a redemptive grief ritual. In this regard, the decedent’s prospective act when alive such as a last will and testament, a living will, or a verbal instruction could serve as a redemptive grief ritual for the survivor. A bereavement counselor/healthcare professional can help a survivor in exploring the decedent’s prospective acts when alive. Through grief rituals, also, a survivor is able to maintain continuing bonds with the deceased loved one.