Another innovation which extended lifespan is indoor plumbing and general hygiene. The next wave of
lifespan expansion, I believe, will be in the adjustment of our belief systems.

Most of us expect to live not much longer than the average lifespan. This belief may cause us to age
prematurely, as we expect the logical changes in our body that would support the belief that we are
meant to live 75 years. As we know, belief precedes reality - and trumps genetics and
statistics. Fortunately, changing the 75-year belief has a relatively low threshold. Logic and
reason jibe with the notion that we are meant to - that we can - live to be 120 to 140 years of age.

Most animals live to be 7 times the age at which they finish puberty. Humans exit puberty somewhere
around 18 to 20. Multiply by 7 and you get 126 to 140. People have lived that long, so we
have the white crow which proves that not all crows are black. The precedent has been set.

If we round up the current average lifespan to 80, we can divide it into 4 parts: childhood, from
1 to 20; young adulthood, from 21 to 40; middle age, from 41 to 60, and old (crone), from 60 to
80. If our lifespan is adjusted to 120, then childhood could be 1 to 30, young adulthood from
31 to 60, middle age from 61 to 90 and old from 91 to 120. That means that only those of us who are
past the current average lifespan are senior citizens.

When look at this way, we can have the appearance and vitality of someone who is 2/3 our age. Or is
it that most people have actually aged 50% faster than is natural? At 60, a Magician can look like
a 40-year-old muggle[g].

I am VERY confident that at 60 you will look like a 40 year old Muggle, since at 45 you are still getting carded on occassion.

Your concept also bears economic implications. Since most people retire or are forced into retirement at age 60 to 65, and most financial planning is done with that thought in mind, if we are as a generation planning to double that lifespan, we need to develop new financial strategies as well, to allow for our extended years.

I like the idea of planning that still allows for retirement at ages 50 - 65, but provides financial abundance through the rest of the years to allow for more recreation. I do believe though, that humans desire to be active and creative and that being so contributes to longevity, but my thinking is that our activities in the second half of our extended lives would be
free of the burden of "necessity" and ripe with the joy of freedom of expression.

Maybe it's time to start a new financial advisory for Magicians!!

Yes, it does change the economic equation, doesn't it? Especially if we are to be forcefully retired at an abitrarily young age. However, I think the personal power required to extend our lives can also help us to have dominion with our finances. Certainly, if we can buck the consensus regarding longevity, then we can also create our own economic paradigm.

I like your idea of creating wealth by preference rather than by necessity. That in itself lowers stress and creates a motivation to stick around awhile longer.