Glossary / Lexicon

Making real the implications of death is helping the bereaved to grasp the importance of the death; often implemented through formal activities of separation from the deceased. Making real the implications of death is sometimes described as seeking "realization " or achieving "separation" from the deceased. This task which is usually addressed by funeral and memorial rituals is not so easy to someone who is not personally involved in the process. Disentangling realistic and unrealistic or symbolic and literal elements in bereavement shortly after a death is really difficult for many persons.