Needs
by Peter Shepherd
Before any progress is possible on a spiritual path, motivation must be established. Abraham Maslow identified five types of need which he rated on an ascending scale:
1st - Physiological needs, such as hunger, thirst, sex and shelter are basic to ensuring survival. In addition, health of the body is an essential starting point to case advancement - inadequate nutrition for example can cause profound psychological disturbance. Detoxification by such as breathing exercises, megavitamin therapy, colonic and fasting therapies may be valuable.
2nd - Safety and Security needs, reflect our desire for stability, order and predictability in our lives and work, so we can place our attention on new ideas without distraction.
3rd - Need for Mastery, to have control over things and people, to know the rules, to lead; mastery through enthusiasm, going with the flow, and risk taking. And need for Acceptance, to give and receive love and affection, to have a partner, friends and to belong to organisations and gain colleagues' acceptance, need for support and acceptance.
4th - Need for Self-esteem, to build up our sense of personal worth through reputation, recognition, respect and self-confidence based on our achievements. Also the need for Self-acceptance on a realistic basis.
5th - Need for Self-actualisation or fulfilment - our desire to develop to our full potential, to be creative, to feel we are contributing something worthwhile, to be one's true self, to know the truth, to feel ecstasy.
Lower needs usually have to be adequately fulfilled before higher needs become very important. Higher needs fulfilled, enhance our activity in the 'lower' areas.
Fear is the primary cause of distorted thinking and the resulting inappropriate emotions. When irrational, it is based on imaginary threats to the fulfilment of basic needs. These needs have become compulsive - attachments to people, things, ideas and beliefs which the person cannot bear to be without. Filling their deficiency becomes more important than purposeful growth.
The handling of such compulsions, the cause of negative human emotion and reactions, will inevitably be required, since they are the underlying issues preventing the growth of self-actualisation. This will be enhanced as the individual resolves issues in his case which had previously caused confusion, upset and a poor self-image. Case advance should therefore have a clear and objective interaction with real life issues and relationships.
Move on to The Unified Field.
Return to Transforming the Mind - Contents.