Why do we cry when someone dies ?

I think the reason we cry when someone passes away is because we know that we will not see that person, we only have pictures and memories of that person.

[Celera]

Keep in mind that we cry for a variety of reasons. We cry at sad movies. We cry at weddings, graduations, christenings -- these are emotional milestones in our existence. I have a coworker who cried when my dog died (I was actually not crying at the time.)

I have read that when we cry out of sadness the chemistry of the tears is actually different than the tears from when there is something irritating your eye. Crying does seem to affect our biochemistry in some way that can alleviate stress.

[Belle]

For me when my father died there was a whole host of reasons that I cried.

For starters, he was very present with me for a while after his death, wanting a forgiveness. It was, as Lynn said, very beautiful and joyous as finally our relationship became complete. But, bittersweet.

His passing also brought a huge energetic shift and that takes a readjustment.

The loss of physical presence was something I hadn't contemplated and not to be able to hold his hand, to see the gleam in his tired eyes, or hear his wheezy chuckle again - that too made a dent.

I feel the crying for a loved one who passes, is a very human thing.As we are all spiritual being having a human experience, Most of us cry. I feel those who don't are more connected to that part of their spiritually.

I had a experience not so long ago, which changed the way I see things.

A family member was dying, slowly, painfully and there was nothing we could do. I NEEDED a break, so i spent a week camping in a place i believe to be a huge power point. It's a place i have been going to since i was a child but i never really understood it's "powers" until that trip.

While thinking about this family member, while there, It was like this deep understanding, This deep acceptance. Yes it was a little sad but it is what it is and it is life.
In the bigger picture, he has a great, reasonably long life (Could have been a lot longer but could have been a lot shorter too.) He made an impact on many people and he was surrounded by love. I can't explain exactly how i felt but It was way deeper than i had experienced before.

[Native spirit]

I have to agree with lynn no tears here either when anyone passes


Namaste

I don't recall mourning for any family member, however, I vividly recall grieving for my husband ~
It made a major impact on becoming the person I am today; as it should ~
It was a powerful experience in learning deep spiritual lessons that can only be brought about through great personal loss ~
It happens to those who have a cathected relationship/bond w/another ~
It is unavoidable ~
There is more to grieving/crying over the loss of one's soulmate, it's also about losing one's self to find one's self - as it meant to be, as it is meant to happen ~

Simple question to an automatic response we are all hardwired with to process death ~
It strips a person of their old self/identity to become spiritually stronger & enlightened & receive many blessings on the grief journey ~
Not all people have this outcome if they choose not grieve; it only prevents learning life lessons as well as uncovering one's life purpose, making sense of death & bringing meaning to it ~
Some adjustment to their loss negatively or fail to adjust at all ~

Here's just a few reasons I cried ~
Death was unbelievable ~
My heart was broken ~
Crisis of faith - the ultimate test aside from one's own death ~
How he died, where he died, not being present to try to save him, being killed by a drugged driver, the pain he might've felt from his head being crushed, having to put him a coffin, having to make funeral arrangements, going to the cemetery, leaving him at the cemetery, suffering mental anguish, inability to answer the "why" questions w/a truth of the soul, people who didn't show up at the funeral services, people who didn't call, friends & family who abandoned us, people who never checked on us, people who wanted money or his belongings, people who never thought to bring us food when I thoroughly incapacitated by grief, the kids friends who abandoned them, teachers & counselors who were hard on my grieving children, people who told us to "get over it", people who chose not to offer support b/c our grief made them uncomfortable or they just didn't want to have a bad day, neighbors who complained to the association when I couldn't clean up the front yard, people who did harm to us, people who tried to take advantage of our vulnerability ~
I cried for my children & grandchild's loss. I cried b/c I had to accept my kids would not grow up w/their father at their side. I cried b/c they were in immense pain, etc ~
Physical pain in my entire body: non-stop vomiting, diarhea, aching muscles, forgetting to breathe ~
Lethargia from an inability to sleep, inability to relax or calm myself from crying jags up to 10x a day for almost an entire year ~
Tiredness from the weight of grieving for 4 1/2 years ~
Letting go of my old self ~
Letting go of him to allow peace to enter my life once again ~
The years to process grief ~
Okay, so that's alittle insight on why we cry when a soulmate dies; it is unavoidable ~
But easy to talk about objectively w/barely a thought of its depth ~ *wink*

[krishna]

The human form needs to grieve,this is so important.
To cry is to be human,to have a good worthy heart.
In pure light and truth.
Krishna.

[knightofalbion]

Everyone expresses grief in their own way. It can be floods of tears, it can be a serene calm. Whatever helps you through...

The fear and anguish surrounding death has been built up over the centuries by Orthodoxy, to suit its own ends. Menacing threats of damnation if you don't tow their line.
Then you have the counter argument of 'we're only here once' and 'death is the end' - forever.
No wonder some people are scared witless!!!! I might be myself were it not for my spiritual knowledge and understanding.

The transition of the soul is very much like the changing of the seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, winter and then, not death, but spring again. The old and infirm renewed with youth and vigour. Not something at all to grieve or cry about, certainly not for the 'dead' person themselves.

Loneliness and missing the physical presence of a loved one are powerful emotions, not to be belittled. So sorrow to some degree is a perfectly human trait, which even spiritually-minded people succumb to and no shame in that.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

I might be myself were it not for my spiritual knowledge and understanding.

The transition of the soul is very much like the changing of the seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, winter and then, not death, but spring again. The old and infirm renewed with youth and vigour. Not something at all to grieve or cry about, certainly not for the 'dead' person themselves.

************************************************** ********
Death/loss/grief are the greatest challenges/learning lessons one could ever have as a human being ~
It heightened my spiritual being to a level I'm certain I wouldn't have ever achieved w/out the experience ~
Everything else is just practice for this ultimate test as a human being, of one's own faith, beliefs &/or religion ~
No one is immune ~

Ignorance is the reason widow/ers & all in grief do talk about it outside their widowed community ~
Sadly, they encounter everywhere from family, friends, doctors, clinicians, teachers, store clerks, florists, etc. etc, etc, ~
Instead of learning compassion, most people want to either run away, not listen or behave as if the grieving are invisible ~
Some people could care less about extending themself while others don't want to be made to feel uncomfortable, unfortunately death is part of life & people feel pain as well suffer ~

No one understands the impact of loss especially it's sudden ~
Being in shock for 6 months w/dissociation & surrealism followed by 5-8 years of grief; sudden crying jags/gut wrenching, anxiety attacks, throbbing headaches, neck & back pain ~
People talk in platitudes about God, heaven, etc - hollow words people repeat at every funeral ~
Grief is not a choice; the body automatically goes into survival mode - the frontal lobe stops working causing widow brain; the body is flooded w/toxins cerotonin & adrenaline ~
Grievers become highly susceptible to illness & neurosis ~
Who in their right mind would choose that?
We all think in terms of "it won't happen to me" ~
But it does & it will ~
I find my spirituality keeps me balanced, at the same time, living, learning & behaving as a loving human being is just as important ~
We can all be objective, distanced, detached, desensitized in our views about death, but when it personally happens do not surprised to find yourself in fetal position crying holding your gut while dissociated from the world ~
The fact is it happens to everyone ~
JMHO ~

[psychoslice]

Crying is just a part of our emotional make up, there is such thing as healthy crying, and unhealthy crying, one is natural, the other is unnatural.