Ten-Year Course of Cosmic Transcendence in Older Adults in the Netherlands

Objectives Gerotranscendence is defined as a transition from a materialistic and rationalistic perspective to a more cosmic and transcendent view of life accompanying the aging process. Would gerotranscendence levels still increase in later life? The current prospective study investigates 10-year trajectories of cosmic transcendence (a core dimension of gerotranscendence). Methods Four interview cycles of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam with 3-year intervals from 1995 to 2006 provide data on cosmic transcendence, demographics (ages 57–85), religiousness, health, sense of mastery, and humor coping. Data are available for 2,257 respondents and 1,533 respondents in multivariate models. Results Latent Class Growth Analysis shows three course trajectories of cosmic transcendence: stable high, intermediate with a decrease, and stable low. Higher levels are predicted by age, importance of prayer, Roman Catholic affiliation, a low sense of mastery, higher cognitive ability, and humor coping. Similar results were obtained for the respondents who died during the study ( N = 378). Discussion Although levels of cosmic transcendence do not show much change during 10 years of follow-up, the oldest respondents nonetheless attain the highest cosmic transcendence levels. An inclination toward relativism and contemplation may facilitate cosmic transcendence. However, lower cognitive ability probably impairs the development toward cosmic transcendence.

Towards a Dialogue with Traditional Aboriginal Religion

To prepare ourselves as westerners for a dialogue with the traditional Aboriginal religion will demand an ability to “pass over” to what is clearly quite a different mentality. There are two obstacles to this “passing over”. First, where westerners have predominantly developed the intentionality mediation of meaning, Aborigines developed the symbolic or aesthetic mediation of meaning. Secondly, the profoundly metaphorical or aesthetic cast of Aboriginal mentality and their religious experience of cosmic manifestations is at odds with western outlook. The Aboriginal religion should be accepted within the tradition of kataphatic manifestation. This understanding should help us accept that the sacred mystery should be approached as intra-cosmic Immanence as well as meta-cosmic Transcendence.