Grief beyond physical death: a psychoanalytic analysis of existential losses and their elaboration.

Abstract

This study aimed to understand experiences of loss beyond physical death, analyzing their psychological implications from both psychoanalytic and contemporary perspectives. It is a qualitative, bibliographic study based on classical and current authors from the human and health sciences. The findings indicate that experiences of loss go beyond concrete death, encompassing symbolic and existential dimensions, such as affective ruptures, identity changes, and transformations across the life cycle. These processes involve subjective reorganization, reconstruction of meanings, and adaptation to new realities, manifesting both emotionally and in everyday practices. It was also observed that sociocultural factors, such as the silencing of suffering, contribute to the invisibility of these experiences, making their elaboration more difficult. It is concluded that expanding the concept of grief allows for a broader understanding of human suffering.