Spirituality and Inner Exploration: Revisiting Jung's Psychology of Ageing in a Contemporary Context

Abstract

Jung's 1931 essay The Stages of Life stands as one of the few early twentieth century works to address the psychological potential of ageing. In this essay, Jung identifies two key developmental themes in later life. First, he emphasizes the importance of shifting one's orientation from outward expansion to inward exploration—a process often accompanied by the confrontation and integration of psychological opposites. Second, he underscores the need for further development of the spirituality which serves as a vital source of meaning and purpose in old age. This paper seeks to analyse these two core propositions, linking them with reflections and ongoing inquiries by post‐Jungian scholars, while also examining their validity through empirical studies—particularly through quantitative data derived from Tornstam's theory of gerotranscendence. In the final section, I present a psychotherapy case to illustrate the multifaceted role of spirituality in the therapeutic process within the Taiwanese Buddhist and Taoist cultural context. I further argue that inward exploration should not be equated with social withdrawal; rather, meaningful and balanced interpersonal connections can facilitate deeper inner work in elderly clients.