According to Abraham Maslow, who coined the word self-actualization, we each have three levels of need. There are physical needs and social needs for each mortal incarnation for the purpose of physical survival and social survival. Beyond the mortal set of needs, lies the immortal soul and its meta-needs -- some call this the Higher Self, Higher Mind, God Within or Divine Mind.
We experience wisdom in two ways. The first is the accumulated wisdom that we inherit from past lives that we call "instinctual wisdom". This carries forward into the present to connect with incoming new wisdom which we know as the "aha" experience. This is a "knowing" in contrast to a believing in the social ego mind. What we believe to be true can be dissolved in that moment of "knowing" -- if it is contrary. Beliefs are mortal thought forms we keep alive with "attention".
Each one of us is a pair of spirit and soul. The spirit is the life of the soul or its essential will. As a spirit we can serve the mortal ego or the immortal soul with our choices and decisions.
Among the twenty seven meta-needs of the higher self, or soul, are also needs for justice, harmony, beauty, and truth through wisdom. These are universal to human being, no matter what society of culture they are found.
Philosophy is defined as a "search for wisdom". "Philo" -- the seeker or lover of -- "sophia", wisdom.
Here is a symbolic image to use for understanding meta-needs. A round building on a hill with a domed top. The walls are twenty seven doors hinged together, with the meta-needs as labels. If we approach this building we will be drawn to the one meta-need that meets our daemon or genius. If we are able to open that door and enter we will find that the interior is all of them united as ONE, or each part of one evolution of intelligence and wisdom.
The intelligent will has the power of focussing attention on a goal and relating to that goal benevolently or malevolently. Free will allows us to remain enclosed in a mortal world or choose to include the immortal world of our soul and its meta-needs. The mortality of ego, mind and body is fundamental to incarnation, but for the spirit to exercise the will in service of the immortal soul, the desire to do so must be aroused.
The life forces are flowing in two directions. The familiar one is a "time" which includes past and present. The other life flow is from the future to the present where new wisdom is attracted to spirit.
We are all free spirits, born of our own soul which is of the "family of souls" and in constant communion with each other -- we call this telepathy, when two souls communicate wordlessly. From the unmanifest potential in each of us, our personal genius, flows the life force carrying what is already prepared for us in our soul. Unmanifest soul bodies contain the vibrating consciousness of higher planes As we evolve, these "prepared" bodies are ready to serve our soul by bringing to birth the meta-need satisfactions for justice, truth, beauty, humor and wisdom.
Meta-needs are beyond our social heritage of the need for status, power and control over others. When our attention is focused on social needs for economic status, they will rule our motivations and intentions.
If we desire to change into a pursuit of meta-needs, we need only to ask for that change and/or pray for it with sincerity and deep feeling to have it come about in the appropriate time. The soul is not governed by social rules or laws, but is ruled by appropriateness. In each moment there is the exactly appropriate action to take. The soul is concerned with "what works for the best" outcome. If you use the pendulum, your instinctive wisdom can work to relay the higher wisdom of what is appropriate at any given moment. What we believe is best is often contrary to what is most appropriate.
The mind of each of us can either be a servant of the mortal, social ego and control us through an internalized social conscience full of "shoulds" and "should-nots" or be master of our spirit and soul. The mind can be what it was created for -- a servant of the immortal soul.
The life force is named in Hawaii as "mana". "M" is the soul and "n" is the mind. Soul leads. Mind follows its commands. A magician that uses wisdom is a "kahuna mana loa". A sorcerer uses the dualistic mind only and can bless or curse the target. "Kahuna ana ana" -- sorcerer. To bless is to appreciate, to curse is to depreciate. We each choose continually to do one or the other. When we appreciate, we bless all those who are the recipients of our attention, including our own selves. When we depreciate, our selves and our or others' values are less -- which is harmful or hurtful.
Some feel that the meta-needs "call to us" resulting in a "calling" felt to fulfill a destiny or fate. The call to wisdom gives us the impulse to find ways to become wise and share what wisdom is gained with others. If justice is our calling, then our minds must be trained to observe injustice and have the ability to bring justice to bear. If we are called by the need for beauty, we will bring our talents to bear on what is not beautiful and transform it. We see today a lack of soul-activity fulfilling soul meta-needs. Capitalism is a system that serves ego-minds desiring power and control over others.
To convey the idea of self-actualization by pursuit of meta-needs is not to eliminate the necessity of physical and social needs being taken care of. All needs can be harmonized into one work of an individual. When spirit and soul are lovers, we get the living forces of will and wisdom in a "love relationship" which bonds them together into "one being".
The divine trinity is Will, Love and Wisdom.
Enid Hoffman is a lecturer, workshop holder, mentor and author of many books on psychic skills and huna. Bradenton ,Florida.(941) 755-5023