I think there are many unknowns that, maybe, mankind shouldn't need to know. Some believe that those who die are aware of their kin and relatives around their dead body or somehow can see down from heaven or from the grave sense and know who is there to visit. There are many different scenarios one can envision but then the thought that there is no more crying or hurt after death would preclude that because I can only imagine the anguish to know what lies ahead and not being able to warn those you see or are aware of and not being able to do anything about it or them.
Then there are those who cite the section of scripture of one of Jesus parables:
Luke 16:19-31 (NIV2011)
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
There will be those that take these words literally and say that's it is proof that there is instant awareness after death while others contend that Christ was teaching a story with His parables to teach several things with the example and was not being literal and teaching what the afterlife contained. Other's cite what Christ spoke while on the cross to one of the thieves about being with Him in paradise.
As I said before, there is much that I don't know about and would be hesitant about making dogmatic statements about. What I am pretty certain about though is that, as specified by another user, after our physical death our decision making ability ends and we must then accept the decisions we made while conscience and able to make decisions.