This paper postulates the universal occurrence in older people of an inner experience or mental process of reviewing one's life. I propose that this process helps account for the increased reminiscence in the aged, that it contributes to the occurrence of certain late-life disorders, particularly depression, and that it participates in the evolution of such charasteristics as candor, serenity, and wisdom among certain of the aged.
この役割は高齢者の内的経験または自らの人生を振り返る精神的プロセスの普遍的事実が前提となる。このプロセスは高齢者の増えてゆく回想の評価や晩年の特に鬱病をはじめとするある種の不調を診断、さらには高齢者に特有の穏やかさや知恵の発達に役立つことを提言する。
