Life review can yield complicated emotional and cognitive results.

With support, a review late in life or nearing end of life can enhance psychological well-being.

Research reveals valuable benefits of life review also for young adults.

When you hear “life review,” you might think of an older person thinking back over their lifetime, remembering events and experiences that stand out as special or important. Or you might think of someone replaying key life events as they confront the impending end of their life or in the wake of surviving a near-death experience. Many accounts have documented life review in circumstances involving aging or nearing the end of life. Being acutely aware of one’s mortality can prod one to look back, as looking forward can feel frightening or futile. Looking back can be comforting or unsettling, depending in part on what is found while searching the contents of one’s life. The impact of a life review can also depend upon how the search is done. When looking through a cluttered attic for a specific item, such as an old toy, one might not notice at all the myriad other things—some valuable, others worthless—that fill the space.

Is a life review helpful for everyone?

Early research highlighted the different outcomes that are possible when life review occurs as a natural part of aging. Review is more common among those who perceive death as more proximal. For many, it is beneficial as it can be cathartic and meaningful. It can help put regrets and feelings of guilt somewhat to rest as they are viewed within the broader context of an entire life history. On the other hand, when there are many unresolved conflicts, regrets, and pieces of unfinished business, an overall life review can contribute to depression,........

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