The Hindu scripture Garuda Purana mentions many important rules and signs related to beliefs about life, death and the afterlife. One of these topics is whether it is appropriate to use personal items of deceased relatives like clothes, jewelry and watches etc.
According to classical beliefs, after the death of a person, his material objects are not considered to be just ordinary objects, but they are considered to be connected to the energy and memories of his life. Therefore, many traditions recommend that special religious procedures or purifications be performed before using these items.
Garuda Purana also believes that directly using objects associated with a deceased person may lead to experiencing conditions like mental imbalance, emotional attachment or disturbance in the home environment. However, this belief is based on religious and faith viewpoint.
According to religious scholars, not using these items or donating them is considered a way of maintaining mental and spiritual balance. Many families either keep them safe or donate them to the needy after some religious ritual.
Apart from this, it is also said in some traditions that if it is necessary to use an object, then it should first be sanctified through purification, worship or chanting mantras. This is believed to reduce the impact of negativity.
From a modern point of view, psychological experts relate it to emotional attachment and grief process. According to him, it is natural to generate emotional reactions after seeing a loved one’s belongings, which can sometimes cause mental stress.