In midlife, modern society can seem a lonelier place than the world that preceded it. In fact, studies have shown that between 30-40 percent of people around the world report being constantly lonely. In just the USA, over one-third of adults over 45 report feeling lonely.

Our society, particularly the media, associates feelings of shame with being physically isolated, thus manipulating the meaning we give to loneliness. This contrasts, however, with the early history of Christianity, whereby spending time by oneself was revered as a way to be connected to the most satisfying sources of meaning in the universe.

Nonetheless, in our modern world, loneliness has been repeatedly linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and many other unpleasant outcomes. So, it's a jungle that definit ...