There are hints about spritual development as a definition of aging in some of the psychological theories, for instance in discussions of a meaning for existence.
Leo Buscaglia, educator, writter and lecturer on the subject of love and relationships, has a theory on personality development that discusses the mature person`s relationship with God. In his description of the fully functioning old person, Buscaglia discusses inner resources and the emergence of the “true self”.
Anthropologist and social biologist Ashley Montagu describes a progression of “goodness” in personality development that might be considered spiritual.
Theories of aging as spiritual development, more than any other aging theory, look at aging as an individual matter. Here is one spiritual definition of aging as a normal process: Aging is a winding down of the body and a spiraling up of the mind and soul. Physical capabilities diminish so that one can eventually sit still. It becomes harder to see and hear the distractions of the world so that one can focus on the internal environment of values, beliefs, and feelings.
The outcome of this process is determined by how one adapts to the reality of approaching death. In this respect, aging as a spiritual process is controlled by the individual. When one accepts death as natural and normal, it is possible to find an answer to the universal question, “Who and why am I?”.
Reference :
Farrell J : Nursing Care of the Older Person, J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1990.
