Chapter One
Early Grief Experiences
The child's sobs in the silence curses deeper
than the strong man in his wrath.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The death of a loved one reactivates our very first experiences with separation and grief. People who grow stronger during times of loss are willing to explore their early encounters. Therefore, in this chapter we will examine five events that continue to influence us into adulthood: prebirth sensations, the experience of birth, attachment and loss, the introduction to the concept of death, and, finally, beliefs about mortality that were formed during childhood.
Prebirth Influences
Early on, psychologists disregarded prebirth recollections, insisting that fetuses were too underdeveloped to carry repercussions from intrauterine events. Numerous claims, however, have brought the issue forward. Mothers who were grief stricken du ...
read full excerpt from Life After Loss ebook
