By Hal Stevens
• How does cremation work? Does the body turn to ash?
Cremation is a method of reducing the human body to bone fragments using intense heat and flame. Then, it is followed by a process of refining the remains. The result is not "ash" in the sense of cigarette or fireplace ash, but rather a refined product called "cremains." Cremation is not the final disposition of the remains in the way that a burial is. The cremains will need to be disposed of in a respectful and proper way.
• My family is interested in being present at the cremation. Is this possible?
Talk with your cremation provider. In many cases, cremation providers will allow family members to be present when the body is placed into the cremation chamber especially since some religious groups have made witnessing the cremation a part of their funerary custom.
• Do all religious groups accept cremation as a means of disposition?
With the exception of the Orthodox Jewish community, Islamic people, Eastern Orthodox faith and a few Fundamentalist Christian faiths, today, most religions overall do accept, or at least, tolerate cremation. However, some faiths may have specific guidelines for handling the cremated remains. For example, the Catholic Church accepts cremation as long as it is not chosen for reasons that go against their overall teachings. Please check with a faith leader in your community before proceeding. He or She will be able to answer your specific questions.
• What Can Be Done With The Cremated Remains?
Myriad options exist these days from traditional placement in an urn (inurnment) which can either be kept in the home, in a special spot in a cemetery, buried, entombed or placed in a mausoleum to less traditional options such as being converted into a piece of jewelry, encased in glass or even shot into space.
• Does the cremation take place at the funeral home?
That depends on the funeral home. Your funeral director will be able to answer your questions fully. Usually, most funeral homes subcontract this delicate procedure out to a third party provider. Often the crematorium is in an entirely different location. When contracting a cremation through a funeral home many times the family will be charged further expenses for transporting the body and may have to undergo an unnecessary delay that could be avoided by going directly to the cremation provider. Your choice depends on what kind of services you plan before or after the cremation.
Hal is the author of several critically acclaimed eBooks specifically written to help people deal with end of life issues. His eBooks include topics such as: cremation, writing and delivering a eulogy, eco-friendly green funerals, funeral planning, organ donation, and buying and selling cemetery plots. To find out more about his CemeterySpot family of free services and resources, to learn more about his books, and to get a free gift, please visit: http://www.cemeteryspot.com.
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