Digital Asceticism and Transcendent Aging: Reframing late Life through Monastic Wisdom and Humanistic Psychology.

Abstract

This study responds to a longstanding disconnect between psychological theory and contemplative spiritual practice by examining the convergence of Abraham Maslow's concept of self-transcendence and the Christian monastic tradition. Using comparative textual analysis, we demonstrate how these seemingly divergent traditions ultimately align in their vision of human flourishing, particularly in later life. We introduce two conceptual frameworks: (1) transcendent aging, which critiques the limitations of productivity-centered models of successful aging and reframes later life as a spiritually formative passage, and (2) digital asceticism, which adapts monastic disciplines to help older adults navigate technological saturation and reclaim attention sovereignty. These frameworks contribute to an integral lifespan model of development centered on spiritual depth, surrender, and terminal clarity. This scholarship offers a radical reorientation to gerontology, reframing aging as an opportunity for transcendence rather than a period of decline.