Waiting time to cremate after passing away?

[uncrase]

My dad passed away and one of the wishes he has conveyed to my mom was related to that he did not want his body
to be disturbed and/or cremated for a specific amount of time after death. We think it was one week.

She does not recall the details and what exactly it was based on, but it came from his filosophical / meditative / spiritual
nature - not extreme, just loosly something he was into.

This came up for example when he was considering donating his body to sciece, from which he backed out because it would mean his
body would need to be opened and disturbed already a few days after passing away.

Does anyone have any clues what religious or spiritual stream this relates to, or it may have been come from?
We're not sure how much of this was his own making, and/or religious "rule" or thought it was based on?

Any input would be appreciated

[Papus79]

I don't know about a full week, for anyone whose spent any time in AMORC they recommend 72 hours. Maybe some practicing Daoists or Buddhists here might have some idea.

[Jklint]

There are people who are supremely afraid of being buried alive which actually has happened in the past when medicine was far less efficient in discovering that someone seemingly dead is still alive. But the fear persists nevertheless whether by cremation or burial. Obviously, can't know if this was the reason but often a delay testifies to the fear of being prematurely disposed of.

[Gee]

My dad passed away and one of the wishes he has conveyed to my mom was related to that he did not want his body
to be disturbed and/or cremated for a specific amount of time after death. We think it was one week.

She does not recall the details and what exactly it was based on, but it came from his filosophical / meditative / spiritual
nature - not extreme, just loosly something he was into.

This came up for example when he was considering donating his body to sciece, from which he backed out because it would mean his
body would need to be opened and disturbed already a few days after passing away.

Does anyone have any clues what religious or spiritual stream this relates to, or it may have been come from?
We're not sure how much of this was his own making, and/or religious "rule" or thought it was based on?

Any input would be appreciated

Well, I don't know of any specific religious doctrines that require a person to wait a week to dispose of a body after death, nor any philosophies that would require the same. But I do have some thoughts on this, and you did say "Any input would be appreciated".

I suspect that your father understood that death is not an event; it is a process. Just like birth is not an event; it is a process. Most people don't consider this, but apparently your father did. Why he chose a week, I don't know, but there are some things about death that I do know.

While studying NDE's (near death experiences) I learned that death occurs either when a person stops breathing, or when their heart stops, or when the brain dies from lack of oxygen minutes later, or when all the cells in the body die many hours, or possibly days, later. Then there is also the possibility that consciousness leaves when the body breaks down chemically. I found it interesting to note that religions seem to want to preserve the body, or to dispose of the body, often through burning, and that which procedures they apply reflect their differing theologies about consciousness after death.

I suspect that your father thought it would take a week for him to put his consciousness in order and to accept the next step in death, whatever he believed that to be. You, no doubt, have his gratitude for giving him the time he required, and you have my sympathies for your loss.

Gee

[Steve3007]

For my part, I quite like the idea of not being cremated at all, and being buried, so that archaeologists can dig me up in thousands of years. But if that's not possible, no worries.

[Sculptor1]

My dad passed away and one of the wishes he has conveyed to my mom was related to that he did not want his body
to be disturbed and/or cremated for a specific amount of time after death. We think it was one week.

Don't you even know?
Surely this is the basis of your question.
But the main thing you are failing to mention is what sort of religion did he have?

[Sculptor1]

For my part, I quite like the idea of not being cremated at all, and being buried, so that archaeologists can dig me up in thousands of years. But if that's not possible, no worries.

I'd love to be buried in a large cyst full of grave goods, including digital media. I studied archaeology for years.
However, it is not possible to guarantee the protection of the land in perpetuity, unless you are an aristocrat or royal.
This is, of course a breach of the UNDHR.

[Steve3007]

I studied archaeology for years.

As a student I knew loads of archeology students. You weren't at York University by any chance?

[Belindi]

I would like my dead body to be disposed of on open and deserted moorland where birds of prey and other wild life would eat it and leave my dry bones.

[Papus79]

I suspect that your father thought it would take a week for him to put his consciousness in order and to accept the next step in death, whatever he believed that to be. You, no doubt, have his gratitude for giving him the time he required, and you have my sympathies for your loss.

Yeah, with most eastern and western esoteric systems it's about withdraw / separation time and estimating the completion of that process mostly.

[Sculptor1]

I studied archaeology for years.

As a student I knew loads of archeology students. You weren't at York University by any chance?

No.
I did it as a mature student in UCW Lampeter, when Lampeter was one of the best places to go for archaeology.

[Terrapin Station]

I always thought it would be cool if I could be taxidermied and displayed in a relative's home. (I'm actually kind of surprised that no human culture has done this routinely.)

[Jklint]

I would like my dead body to be disposed of on open and deserted moorland where birds of prey and other wild life would eat it and leave my dry bones.

In India the Parsees have for many generations raised their dead on what is known as Towers of Silence for Vultures to consume transforming dead flesh into living flesh. Unfortunately the vulture population was rapidly collapsing and the dead remained uneaten and started to decompose polluting air and water. There were hardly any recyclers left to do the job. Our habits were killing them off and hardly anyone gave a damn because they're only ugly vultures except the Parsees when their Towers of Silence became truly silent.

[Belindi]

When I used to dress peoples' dead bodies I packed their mouths and nostrils with cotton wool and set their jaws in the closed position. This at least would ensure they could not breathe and so were properly dead.

[Steve3007]

This at least would ensure they could not breathe and so were properly dead.

. I hope you're joking!