Self-Actualization
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
“Self-actualization” (SA) is a term coined by psychologist Dr. Abraham Maslow that describes the pinnacle in the hierarchy of human needs. Individuals have one basic motivational drive, to become self-actualized (reach full potential and capabilities). SA is used today for personal development, management training and for understanding motivation.
When basic lower order “deficiency needs” are met (physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem), individuals reach for higher order “being or growth needs” (personal potential, growth, self-fulfillment, peak experiences). Most people’s motivational set includes characteristics of all levels of motivational drivers. Individuals who have reached self-actualization are spontaneous, creative, inventive, seek peak experiences, have a nonhostile sense of humor, are socially compassionate, and accepting of self and others.
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This is the need we may call self-actualization…It refers to man’s desire for fulfillment, namely to the tendency for him to become actually in what he is potentially: to become everything that one is capable of becoming,” writes Maslow.
Peak experiences are important moments: Creative, unifying, transcendent, mystical, which bring a sense of individual purpose. Self-actualized individuals have peak experiences frequently while non-self-actualizers have them occasionally. “Not only are these his happiest and most thrilling moments, but they are also moments of greatest maturity, individuation, fulfillment—his healthiest moments,” Maslow described when defining the episodic nature of self-actualization. “He becomes in these episodes most truly himself, more perfectly actualizing his potentialities, closer to the core of his being.”
Meditation, self-hypnosis and imagery are sources for inner exploration that can lead to self-actualization. For more information contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :
“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne
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January 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
You are absolutely right! I never really thought about it that way. Even though I am IN the self help industry, I never really considered a self actualized state to be anything much.
Now that I found this post…even occurrences as recent as today are making complete sense. I’ve been visualizing through a dream board I created, and these “mystical” occurrences have definitely occurred.
April 27th, 2008 at 5:21 am
I had read Maslows book “Towards a psychology of Being” and must say it was one of the most profound and interesting book I ever read. Althought is it to logically that we can be happy only by developing our full potentialities as creativity.
Werner