Contemplative Aging

Contemplative Aging is for men and women age 60 and beyond who want to experience a more peaceful, aware way of being through contemplative practices and transcend the many causes of suffering inherent in later life. It presents a way of being that has received little attention in most popular and professional books on aging, yet adds a different and deeper dimension to complement and strengthen the active, healthy older age promoted in the popular media.

Contemplative Aging is for men and women age 60 and beyond who want to experience a more peaceful, aware way of being through contemplative practices and transcend the many causes of suffering inherent in later life. It presents a way of being that has received little attention in most popular and professional books on aging, yet adds a different and deeper dimension to complement and strengthen the active, healthy older age promoted in the popular media. Contemplative Aging also provides a contemplative way of dealing with the and transcending many of the physical decrements and emotional losses of loved ones that are so much a part of later life. Extensive research evidence exists for achieving such a way of life – called “gerotranscendence” – which is clearly described in Contemplative Aging along with the psychological and philosophical foundations and practices that can lead to the existential and spiritual benefits of gerotranscendence. Based on the author’s ongoing work with older adults and the timeless literature on contemplative traditions throughout the world – expressed by poets, psychologists, philosophers, mystics, and rationalists – Dr. Sherman presents a range of contemplative practice methods and exercises designed for individuals already 60 years or older and the millions of “baby boomers” about to enter their later years of life.

Edmund Sherman, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus, State University of New York at Albany, where he was a Professor of Social Welfare. Prior to his retirement he taught graduate courses in aging, human development, and research as well as clinical practice and theory in Social Work. He also conducted research on aging in the Institute of Gerontology of the university at Albany. He is a Fellow go of the Gerontological Society of America, and he has authored numerous articles and several books on aging, including Counseling the Aging: Working with Older Persons; Meaning in Mid-Life Transitions; and Reminiscence and the Self in Old Age.