Man as a biopsychosocial creature has three ultimate needs: individual well-being, social alliances, and the need to seek existential meaning. He may sustain injuries in pursuit of this quest. An attempt is made to provide insight into and understanding of the nature of the trauma and possible amelioration of pain. The 1974 Donald P. Kent Award Lecture delivered at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society, Louisville, Kentucky, October 29, 1975. (Author)