Moscow State University of Technologies and Management named after K.G. Razumovskiy
The article presents the results that help to understand the psychological impact of Orthodox traditional funeral rites on the loved ones of the deceased. It has been suggested that the traditional sequence of ceremonial traditions such as body preparation, funeral service, and memorial cycle may well act as a kind of regulator of a person's disturbed mental state in a situation of acute grief. A survey of 614 people was conducted. The target sample is people between the ages of 18 and 80 who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It is based on the author's questionnaire. The results are presented with elements of qualitative analysis. It is shown how Orthodox multi-stage rituals perform a systemic facilitating function, contributing to a person's adaptation to loss. The conclusion is substantiated that Orthodox funeral rites represent a multi-level social and psychotherapeutic institution, and not just a confessional tradition. Their preservation helps to optimize the period of bereavement, reduces the risks of psychopathologization of grief and strengthens the psychological stability of the individual in the face of overwhelming grief.
religion, loss, psychology of grief, ritual, Orthodox funeral rites, ritual, crisis states, psychological adaptation, semantic formation, cultural practices
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