What triggers the search for spirituality?

Their reasons for doing so are varied, but Peter Emberley, a political science and philosophy professor at Carleton University in Ottawa who has done extensive research on the spiritual habits of boomers, believes part of the answer is disillusionment with the very society they had a hand in creating.

“The ’60s and ’70s were a time of liberation from institutional religious authority and an undermining of the morals and beliefs on which traditional religion had been grounded,” says Emberley. “These decades saw an explosion in economic wealth and social reorganization. Anything seemed possible. As a consequence, many people thought that the energetic pursuit of worldly possibilities was an alternative to the spiritual life. They felt that the wholeness we all seek could be fulfilled in the here and now.”

But the promise of the ’60s and ’70s seemed to fade out in the ’80s and ’90s, when notions of peace and love were replaced by global consumerism and anything-goes behaviour. And as the dreams of the ’60s crumbled and social structures began to falter, Emberley suggests a number of disappointed and disillusioned 50-plus Canadians began poking around religion and spirituality, trying to find something to fill the vacuum.

Many began what he calls a “spiritual walkabout,” which saw them sample various traditional and non-traditional religions, looking to restore some order. And while a few found their way back to the church down the street, others eschewed mainstream religion and undertook much longer journeys, devising a do-it-yourself spirituality.

Take the example of the 64-year-old public relations executive from Vancouver whose spiritual search took her all the way to Tibet where she finally found inner peace with the eastern mysticism of Buddhism. “I was raised in a secular Jewish family and I never really practised the faith,” says Pema Yangzom (her Buddhist name). “When I was older, I met some Tibetan monks and was so impressed by their spirituality. I was attracted to it because it wasn’t institutional or judgmental. My newfound spirituality is a very personal one, which lets me get in touch with something beyond the ordinary and provides me with the tools to handle damaging emotions, such as job stress, blame or anger.”

So why are some boomers suddenly rejecting their humanistic beliefs and commencing a journey that seeks to awaken the long-dormant spirit that lies within? Demographically speaking, this wealthy and healthy cohort is often portrayed as being more interested in the almighty dollar than an almighty God.

It seems there’s a major factor that eludes our control – age. Nothing triggers spiritual awareness like the realization of one’s own mortality. “When we’re young, we think we can live forever,” says 55-year-old Deb Fortin Brown of Oakville, Ont., who belongs to Munn’s United Church. “But in the past few years, I thought maybe I needed to have some sort of structure in my life. I’m more aware now of my mortality, and my faith in God has helped me through some personal losses and challenges.”