Aging is often associated with a series of losses. But these can be redeemed by a vision of the significance and value of later life. In this regard, I examine the deficiencies of certain of our cultural models of a ''good old age,'' and suggest an alternative paradigm from ancient India. In a Hindu notion of the four-staged life cycle, the elder years are set aside for spiritual development. The losses of aging are recontexualized as modes of liberation, and as the stimuli to self-development. To foster this creative alchemy in the West I suggest the formation of ''Elder Spirit Centers''-spiritually-oriented communities and resource centers for older adults. After exploring in detail how such model centers would work, I discuss the needed reformation of existing institutions. The goal is to better support psychospiritual growth in later life.
