How does Cremation affect the grieving process? Cremation is just another means of disposal; it is what is done between the death and the final dispostion that really matters. Studies have shown that those who have no ceremony often fail to go through a proper grieving process. Memorial services, funeral services, or even an informal ceremony help survivors to work through their grief. A service is really for the living, not the dead. A service is a recognition of a life lived and a process that allows survivors to share their loss.