#gerotranscendence

Gerotranscendence  (continued)       It is a way of aging in the latter stages of life, in which there exists both greater indwelling and considering—“with continued attention”—the meaning and experience of one’s own being.    In one sense, this is an existential or philosophical kind of attention, not as formal philosophical study, but as viewing one’s life in toto, from past to present to future, especially “in the moment,” so as to understand or comprehend it to the extent possible.

Gerotranscendence:       A recent theory in the field, called gerotranscendence, raises these same questions, and claims that old age has its very own character, meaning, and values quite different from those of mid-life (Tornstam, 2005).    Rather than assume that correct or successful aging means to maintain a mid-life pattern of activity well into old age, there is evidence of a continual development of the person into a different mental and behavioral pattern in later life. This different pattern involves a redefinition of the self and relationships to others, as well as a new understanding of basic existential questions concerning life, death, time, and space.