ABSTRACT
Of the great religions, Hinduism uniquely proposes a sequence of lifecourse stages, although these are restricted to merchant, warrior and Brahmin castes. Robert Atchley claims that spiritual development can occur both 'naturally and consciously' as one ages, representing the 'higher possibilities of adult development' and that a spiritual narrative can be particularly valuable in understanding lifecourse change. The theory of gerotranscendence is one position that has gained increasing popularity in the study of ageing, and, unusually for social gerontology, it draws on phenomena very close to spiritual awareness. It is impossible to talk about the development of an ageing identity without interrogating the question of wisdom. Wisdom and spirituality overlapped in the areas of emotional components, self-transcendence and sense of well-being. But things can get very 'listy'. 'Living up to the emotional standard of wisdom can have the damaging consequence of suppressing the experience of appropriate anger'.
