by Bert Gambini

We improve as we grow older. That’s the main idea of a new study by a University at Buffalo psychologist who explored narrative self-transcendence in the life stories of a group of late-midlife adults shared over eight years.

“This research supports the idea that late midlife is a time of possible positive change and that one has the power to work towards personal growth, fulfillment, understanding, and acceptance,” says Hollen Reischer, PhD, visiting assistant professor of psychology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and corresponding author of a new study published in the Journal of Personality. “Late midlife is an opportunity for increased self-transcendence, especially acceptance of oneself and one’s life – and it’s associated with many positive effects,” says Reischer, an expert in narrative identity and self-transcendence.

“Self-acceptance isn’t an endorsement for the bad things that have happened, nor is it ‘just’ an attitude. It’s an active understanding of how one’s life experiences have contributed to an understanding of oneself in the present.” Self-transcendence is a term psychologists use for the experience of connection beyond the self. It can have spiritual implications, but self-transcendence also relates to personal connections. It’s a multifaceted process, evolving over the life course, that involves greater attention to the meaning of one’s own life and to the perspectives of and connections with others.

High self-transcendence is associated with increased well-being, better mental health, coping skills, and optimism. Narrative self-transcendence refers to the indicators or aspects of self-transcendence that surface when people talk about their lives. Unlike self-report measures that rely on fixed questions, narrative self-transcendence shows up in the open-ended articulation of a life story. Rather than being limited to the choices presented to them, as with self-reporting, participants in this case provide researchers with a richer account of experiences and reflections.

Most of the time, participants are narrating stories from their lives that have little to do with self-transcendence, at least on the surface. “The increases in narrative self-transcendence we observed suggest one path for healthier and happier aging,” says Reischer. “What’s interesting about this narrative approach is that how people interpret their lives may be more impactful than what they experienced in life.”

Reischer’s longitudinal study is the first to explore how self-transcendence changes in adults through life story narrative techniques. “Aging is challenging, both personally and socially, so it’s important to highlight the positive aspects within reach and recognize that we can influence our well-being,” says Reischer. “There are certain ways to interpret and tell our lived experiences that are linked to thriving and finding meaning.”

Reischer’s research draws on data from a longitudinal study at Northwestern University, where three in-depth interviews were conducted with 163 participants as they aged from 56 to 65. Her team then coded these interviews for closure (low regret) and self-actualization (realizing your full potential) based on predictive narrative themes for self-transcendence that she had identified in earlier research.

Bert Gambini is a writer at the University at Buffalo.