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The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life
Many excellent volumes have been devoted to some of the key chapters in our lives, from classics on early childhood and the teen years to bestsellers that identify pivotal phases in adulthood. But renowned educator, parenting expert, veteran workshop leader, and successful author Thomas Armstrong, PhD covers the entire journey.
With Dr. Armstrong, we can travel through the first stirrings of life in the womb to the anticipation of death and even beyond. In a unique synthesis, he draws on a wide array of sources from various disciplines and cultures to fashion a compelling narrative. Scientific and psychological knowledge combine with personal accounts, literary passages, myths and legends, and psychospiritual perspectives to help enrich our understanding of the broad sweep of life. The result is a comprehensive, groundbreaking view of our development.
The core of this enlightening guide consists of twelve chapters, each describing of a different period of life, with its own unique changes, struggles, and growth. A final chapter poses the possibility that the voyage may even continue after physical death. Additionally, Dr. Armstrong includes a comprehensive bibliography with further reading, list of organizations, practical activities, and a filmography.
With Dr. Armstrong, we can travel through the first stirrings of life in the womb to the anticipation of death and even beyond. In a unique synthesis, he draws on a wide array of sources from various disciplines and cultures to fashion a compelling narrative. Scientific and psychological knowledge combine with personal accounts, literary passages, myths and legends, and psychospiritual perspectives to help enrich our understanding of the broad sweep of life. The result is a comprehensive, groundbreaking view of our development.
The core of this enlightening guide consists of twelve chapters, each describing of a different period of life, with its own unique changes, struggles, and growth. A final chapter poses the possibility that the voyage may even continue after physical death. Additionally, Dr. Armstrong includes a comprehensive bibliography with further reading, list of organizations, practical activities, and a filmography.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
38 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Armstrong
54 books108 followersI am the author of 20 books, including my latest The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Neurodivergent Brain (Completely Updated and Revised Second Edition), which is a complete rewrite of a book I wrote with a similar title but slightly different subtitle in 2010.
My other books include: The Myth of the ADHD Child, 7 Kinds of Smart, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, and The Power of the Adolescent Brain. I've also written for Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and the AMA Journal of Ethics.
I see myself as a reader as much as, or even more than, a writer. Some of the books which I've enjoyed recently include Joseph and His Sons by Thomas Mann, The Story of the Stone/Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, the complete Arabian Nights (3 volumes), translated by Malcolm C. Lyons, The Studs Lonigan Trilogy by James T. Farrell, and From Here to Eternity by James Jones.
Beyond literature and writing, my hobbies and pursuits include improvising on the piano, doing mindfulness meditation, watching great movies on The Criterion Channel, doing yoga, and cooking Mediterranean cuisine.
Married for twenty-five years, and now divorced, I live in a cute Victorian style home on a hill in Sonoma County, California with my dog Daisy.
My other books include: The Myth of the ADHD Child, 7 Kinds of Smart, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, and The Power of the Adolescent Brain. I've also written for Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and the AMA Journal of Ethics.
I see myself as a reader as much as, or even more than, a writer. Some of the books which I've enjoyed recently include Joseph and His Sons by Thomas Mann, The Story of the Stone/Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, the complete Arabian Nights (3 volumes), translated by Malcolm C. Lyons, The Studs Lonigan Trilogy by James T. Farrell, and From Here to Eternity by James Jones.
Beyond literature and writing, my hobbies and pursuits include improvising on the piano, doing mindfulness meditation, watching great movies on The Criterion Channel, doing yoga, and cooking Mediterranean cuisine.
Married for twenty-five years, and now divorced, I live in a cute Victorian style home on a hill in Sonoma County, California with my dog Daisy.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 1, 2019
The book walks you through the 12 stages of life by giving the basic descriptions of each level and bringing some scientific studies along with other info to them. I love the concept of stages of life, and was looking for something deeper. This is more of an introductory book to the concept.
The following are my favorite excerpts from the book:
“Frequently in his writings Jung used the metaphor of the sun sweeping through the sky to describe midlife (noon) as a significant marker between the first and second halves of life. “In the morning [the sun] rises from the nocturnal sea of unconsciousness and looks upon the wide, bright world which lies before it in an expanse that steadily widens the higher it climbs in the firmament… At the stroke of noon the descent begins. And the descent means the reversal of all the ideals and values that were cherished in the morning.”
Jung suggested that midlife marks the time to begin cultivating whatever was neglected during the first half of life. (pg. 168)
Erik Erikson said that middle adulthood (from age 34 to 60) is a time when generativity becomes the chief developmental task and stagnation, or failure to generate, is the main obstacle to further psychological growth. (pg.177)
Carl Jung referred to middle-age stagnation when he wrote: “Anyone who fails to go along with life remains suspended, stiff and rigid in midair. That is why so many people get wooden in old age; they look back and cling to the past with a secret fear of death in their hearts. They withdraw from the life-process, at least psychologically, and consequently remain fixed like nostalgic pillars of salt, with vivid recollections of youth but no living relation to the present.” (pg.188)
Only 10 percent of 25 year olds have experienced the death of a parent, but by age 55, 50 percent of us have lost both parents, and by age 62 this figure goes up to 75 percent. In one survey of midlife adults who had experienced the death of a parent, most reported that the death changed their outlook on life. …“There’s the feeling that you’re next in line, and there’s nothing between you and the abyss.”- (Linda Waite)
Seeing parents die can bring up all kinds of issues from the past, including positive memories of being cared for and loved as well as negative memories of a parent’s abuse or lack of availability. (pg.195)
The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once noted that in youth we see the dazzling embroidery of life from the front, while in old age we see the stitchwork from behind.
…Part of what characterizes cognitive growth in mature adulthood is the way in which heart and head become more balanced. Along with greater insight comes a more positive feeling towards others and a warmer attitude about life in general. One longitudinal study of ageing noted that as members grew older, they were more forgiving, more able to meet adversity with cheerfulness, and less likely to take offense from others. (pg. 197)
As Jungian analysts Jeffrey Satinover and Lenore Thomson Bentz have pointed out, “The enlargement of personality that can occur in the second half of life is almost universally experienced as a diminishment of one’s own egotistical sense of importance and a growing awareness of the presence of G-d.” (pg.198)
The following are my favorite excerpts from the book:
“Frequently in his writings Jung used the metaphor of the sun sweeping through the sky to describe midlife (noon) as a significant marker between the first and second halves of life. “In the morning [the sun] rises from the nocturnal sea of unconsciousness and looks upon the wide, bright world which lies before it in an expanse that steadily widens the higher it climbs in the firmament… At the stroke of noon the descent begins. And the descent means the reversal of all the ideals and values that were cherished in the morning.”
Jung suggested that midlife marks the time to begin cultivating whatever was neglected during the first half of life. (pg. 168)
Erik Erikson said that middle adulthood (from age 34 to 60) is a time when generativity becomes the chief developmental task and stagnation, or failure to generate, is the main obstacle to further psychological growth. (pg.177)
Carl Jung referred to middle-age stagnation when he wrote: “Anyone who fails to go along with life remains suspended, stiff and rigid in midair. That is why so many people get wooden in old age; they look back and cling to the past with a secret fear of death in their hearts. They withdraw from the life-process, at least psychologically, and consequently remain fixed like nostalgic pillars of salt, with vivid recollections of youth but no living relation to the present.” (pg.188)
Only 10 percent of 25 year olds have experienced the death of a parent, but by age 55, 50 percent of us have lost both parents, and by age 62 this figure goes up to 75 percent. In one survey of midlife adults who had experienced the death of a parent, most reported that the death changed their outlook on life. …“There’s the feeling that you’re next in line, and there’s nothing between you and the abyss.”- (Linda Waite)
Seeing parents die can bring up all kinds of issues from the past, including positive memories of being cared for and loved as well as negative memories of a parent’s abuse or lack of availability. (pg.195)
The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once noted that in youth we see the dazzling embroidery of life from the front, while in old age we see the stitchwork from behind.
…Part of what characterizes cognitive growth in mature adulthood is the way in which heart and head become more balanced. Along with greater insight comes a more positive feeling towards others and a warmer attitude about life in general. One longitudinal study of ageing noted that as members grew older, they were more forgiving, more able to meet adversity with cheerfulness, and less likely to take offense from others. (pg. 197)
As Jungian analysts Jeffrey Satinover and Lenore Thomson Bentz have pointed out, “The enlargement of personality that can occur in the second half of life is almost universally experienced as a diminishment of one’s own egotistical sense of importance and a growing awareness of the presence of G-d.” (pg.198)
March 15, 2021
Armstrong navigates the twelve stages of life, sometimes awkwardly or dramatically, but nonetheless very engagingly. Many diverse cultural perspectives are merged to create the story of a human life. I enjoyed the insights of some chapters more than others, but found meaningful tidbits throughout.
February 4, 2016
A few minor issues with the editing. But overall, a must-read for every human, in any stage of their life.
January 20, 2023
In my early 50s, I started noticing a change in myself. I felt a strong inner call for solitude and contemplation time, a need to slow down and stop taking on high-pressure work. It became clear I was entering a new phase of life, and I started to explore this through astrology, spirituality, and psychology.
The Human Odyssey is an exceptional blend of human development ideas. It is lighter on physical (body up) changes and more focused on psycho-social and spiritual development (spirit down) development. Armstrong pulls in ideas from various cultures and mythological archetypes as he describes the phases of life. He includes information about how role transitions are recognized, honored, and used. I loved the appendices, including book, tv, and film depictions of life phases. I've watched several of the films he lists to broaden my understanding. I would love to see a more current depiction of middle to late adulthood films that focus on the female experience - most of the films are dated and focused on traditional male roles.
If you want to learn more about how culture and ritual play a role in human development, this is a good companion read to David DeSteno's book, How God Works: The Science behind the Benefits of Religion.
I'm going to keep this text on my bookshelf to use a resource, and would recommend it to anyone working with people - especially those in healthcare professions.
The Human Odyssey is an exceptional blend of human development ideas. It is lighter on physical (body up) changes and more focused on psycho-social and spiritual development (spirit down) development. Armstrong pulls in ideas from various cultures and mythological archetypes as he describes the phases of life. He includes information about how role transitions are recognized, honored, and used. I loved the appendices, including book, tv, and film depictions of life phases. I've watched several of the films he lists to broaden my understanding. I would love to see a more current depiction of middle to late adulthood films that focus on the female experience - most of the films are dated and focused on traditional male roles.
If you want to learn more about how culture and ritual play a role in human development, this is a good companion read to David DeSteno's book, How God Works: The Science behind the Benefits of Religion.
I'm going to keep this text on my bookshelf to use a resource, and would recommend it to anyone working with people - especially those in healthcare professions.
March 7, 2021
“The spiritual outlook will expand our horizons beyond the daily grind of existence.”
Well researched and took the author 15 years spanning the three different stages of early adulthood, midlife and mature adulthood.
The intertwined forces of biology and the spiritual.
The paradox of life itself.
Two modes of being: Remembering and adapting
Remembering pays attention to who we in our essence of non material beings.
Encompasses all aspects of life that look back on our spiritual origins
Wealth of knowledge and insightful. He referenced neuropsychology, anthropology, folklore, paranormal, religion, human psychology, literature, sociology and arts. At the end of each chapter there are lists of the ways that you can contribute to yourself, support others in your circle and society during each stage of life.
The ritual of selecting the next incarnation of the Dali Lama in Tibet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2018
They say in a near-death experience, one's life flashes before one's eyes, very quickly. This book is a tour of the entire journey, beginning at conception and ending in the afterlife, including not just the usual birth-to-death observations.
Doctor Armstrong artfully draws from various sources and cultures in discussing the challenges we face in each stage of life. The citations and anecdotes are practically their own motivation for someone to read this book, alone, even if one is discommoded to the subject of developmental psychology.
Doctor Armstrong artfully draws from various sources and cultures in discussing the challenges we face in each stage of life. The citations and anecdotes are practically their own motivation for someone to read this book, alone, even if one is discommoded to the subject of developmental psychology.
February 10, 2022
tbh I fully bought this book to base the beliefs of a circle of the spores druid for a dungeons and dragons game on but as someone who finds death absolutely terrifying it has actually been hugely comforting, an accidental but helpful read.
May 29, 2013
What a fabulous book! If you've ever wondered what the motives were that led to certain actions, decisions, or ways of thinking at any stage of your life, this book gives fascinating explanations.
This is a large book and seems somewhat daunting at the first "flip-through", but I was pleased to discover that the topics were so interesting that I could actually sit and read for awhile without getting bogged down with language or information barriers. The author uses numerous examples, including from his own life, where he demonstrates his theories on why we think the way we do at certain stages in life. The stories are fun and intriguing, and I could easily find correlations from my own life.
Thomas Armstrong uses research and studies to back up his theories, and his arguments were solid. However, he tries his best to incorporate many different genres of thinking so as to give a very rounded out explanation for each stage. He speaks from a spiritual level, an emotional level, a practical level, and a physical level. Some of it was a little bizarre, such as his explanations of the prebirth stage, but that's only because I've never put so much thought into that part of my life and what I was experiencing in the womb. :) It's interesting to consider, though. And, if you have strong religious beliefs about what happens before birth or after death then some of his ideas may not match yours.
He describes a person's life in 12 stages: Prebirth, Birth, Infancy, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Late Childhood, Adolescence, Early Adulthood, Midlife, Mature Adulthood, Late Adulthood, Death & Dying, and Beyond Death (now I'm a bit confused, because I just listed 13 stages, but that's how the book is laid out!). As you can see there are a lot more stages in youth than in adulthood. His stages correlate largely with physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
I confess I have not read the entire book. I skimmed through the earliest stages, read more about early and middle childhood (where my kids are right now), skimmed through adolescence, then read early adulthood word for word. I glanced at the rest of the book, enough to see that it continued to be interesting. I plan to read more sections of the book in detail when they are more relevant to me.
Anyway, if anyone is struggling to understand the changes they're experiencing in their own life, or the stages of their children, I highly recommend you get this book to AT LEAST read those sections relevant to your situation. It's interesting to skim through other stages of life as well.
(from my blog review)
“The end of the twenties brings with it a definite shift in perspective for many young adults. You’ve been going along for several years on your own, laboriously cobbling together a life structure made up of work experiences, social relationships, perhaps a marriage and some children. Suddenly the big 3-0 looms up ahead of you. Now the pressure of time begins to kick in. What have I done so far in my adult life? Has it been any good? Where do I go from here? Many individuals in their late twenties experience a crisis of sorts at this point.”
This is it! This is the validation I’ve been looking for. When I was 27 1/2 I experienced a very rapid change within myself. I felt like I was not being proactive enough in my life, and I suddenly wanted to improve myself and make things happen instead of just letting things happen to me. I started actually researching issues I was discovering were more important to me than just a passing thought. I started to make some very crucial decisions about my future, and I finally started to understand and define who I was apart from all of the influences around me.
It’s been so refreshing to finally stand up for myself and be happy with who I am and who I want to be.
This is a large book and seems somewhat daunting at the first "flip-through", but I was pleased to discover that the topics were so interesting that I could actually sit and read for awhile without getting bogged down with language or information barriers. The author uses numerous examples, including from his own life, where he demonstrates his theories on why we think the way we do at certain stages in life. The stories are fun and intriguing, and I could easily find correlations from my own life.
Thomas Armstrong uses research and studies to back up his theories, and his arguments were solid. However, he tries his best to incorporate many different genres of thinking so as to give a very rounded out explanation for each stage. He speaks from a spiritual level, an emotional level, a practical level, and a physical level. Some of it was a little bizarre, such as his explanations of the prebirth stage, but that's only because I've never put so much thought into that part of my life and what I was experiencing in the womb. :) It's interesting to consider, though. And, if you have strong religious beliefs about what happens before birth or after death then some of his ideas may not match yours.
He describes a person's life in 12 stages: Prebirth, Birth, Infancy, Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Late Childhood, Adolescence, Early Adulthood, Midlife, Mature Adulthood, Late Adulthood, Death & Dying, and Beyond Death (now I'm a bit confused, because I just listed 13 stages, but that's how the book is laid out!). As you can see there are a lot more stages in youth than in adulthood. His stages correlate largely with physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
I confess I have not read the entire book. I skimmed through the earliest stages, read more about early and middle childhood (where my kids are right now), skimmed through adolescence, then read early adulthood word for word. I glanced at the rest of the book, enough to see that it continued to be interesting. I plan to read more sections of the book in detail when they are more relevant to me.
Anyway, if anyone is struggling to understand the changes they're experiencing in their own life, or the stages of their children, I highly recommend you get this book to AT LEAST read those sections relevant to your situation. It's interesting to skim through other stages of life as well.
(from my blog review)
“The end of the twenties brings with it a definite shift in perspective for many young adults. You’ve been going along for several years on your own, laboriously cobbling together a life structure made up of work experiences, social relationships, perhaps a marriage and some children. Suddenly the big 3-0 looms up ahead of you. Now the pressure of time begins to kick in. What have I done so far in my adult life? Has it been any good? Where do I go from here? Many individuals in their late twenties experience a crisis of sorts at this point.”
This is it! This is the validation I’ve been looking for. When I was 27 1/2 I experienced a very rapid change within myself. I felt like I was not being proactive enough in my life, and I suddenly wanted to improve myself and make things happen instead of just letting things happen to me. I started actually researching issues I was discovering were more important to me than just a passing thought. I started to make some very crucial decisions about my future, and I finally started to understand and define who I was apart from all of the influences around me.
It’s been so refreshing to finally stand up for myself and be happy with who I am and who I want to be.
July 28, 2011
This is a must have in anyone's library who is into the self-help movement or interested in spirituality, psychology, and/or personal development. Thomas Armstrong combines into one book, the twelve stages of one's own lifetime; starting with Prebirth all the way to The Afterlife. He infuses history, literature, psychology, spirituality, science, and media to help back his ideas up with facts and to help one better understand their own true nature. Throughout reading this book, I learned so much about who I am as a person, where I came from, why I am the way I am, and this world we all live in and life we share, that it would be way too much to write it all down on here. I highly doubt that the knowledge i've gained is even transmutable into words. Did anyone know that while you are being born and still developing in the womb, that your mother not only feeds you physically as in the with the nutrients she eats, but also emotionally and psychologically with the way she feels and is thinking at the time you are being concepted? Her hormones are also delivered into you as you grow. That's just one of the things that really blew me away while reading this book. I had to consult with my mom and and ask her some things about my development as a fetus which answered and confirmed a lot of questions I had about myself. Prebirth was by far the most interesting chapter, but as the book progresses, and we progress our selves through life, and there are many more other things that we learn and absorb from our environment. Each phase of life, has certain characteristics of ourselves that we are most strong at and basically highlight that particular phase. For example Wisdom in our elderly years and Imagination throughout childhood. Thomas Armstrong explains more about that at the end of each chapter along with giving some ideas and tips on how you can better yourself and serve the community from what you've learned. All in all, this was a very informative, educational, and enlightening read, that I am no doubt going to purchase and have accompany me throughout this journey we all call life.
January 7, 2013
A treatise on all the stages of life and beyond - as the book also deals with what comes before life and the possibilities of an afterlife - attempting to construct a comprehensive, integrated view of a whole life. It's a very nice book, a bit whimsical at times for my tastes, but striving above all to be practical and useful. I think this book will be far more useful to those who have a strong spiritual component to their current lives and personality.
September 29, 2010
One of the best books I have read describing the stages of human development from birth to the afterlife. I would recommend this book to anyone trying to understand human nature and why we act the way we do.
June 26, 2008
Very thorough synthesis of the physical, psychological and spiritual movement through all the life stages. LOTS of information, well-written, makes a lot of sense and gives a lot of insight.
May 9, 2011
Surprisingly un-flakey for a flakey book.
April 1, 2017
Wrote a paper on this book years ago for a psychology class. Profound, remarkable, notable wealth of information. A real mind bender. If you are a deep thinker, this would be a good read for you. (no pun intended)
March 21, 2019
This is very well done. The publisher stuck its neck out its blurb, which is a long set of off-the-charts praise, so the bar is set unusually high right out of the gate. But it mostly lives up to the hype. The author is brilliant and brings a huge amount of detail to the story of our biological and other parts of our lives. I'll keep this short since there are probably many reviews for this +10 year old book that can provide better insight. But this is really worth one's time. You'll learn a ton, and walk away with new insights and perspectives. Highly recommended.
It was a privilege to read an advanced copy for review!!
It was a privilege to read an advanced copy for review!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews