Do you know what the human being needs so that we can be alive? What motivates us the most? Why do we do a certain thing? What are the key elements that move us towards the things we want? We will understand this better when we learn about basic human needs.

The best known theory about the needs of the human being is perhaps the theory put forward by Abraham Harold Maslow, 1908-1970, American psychologist and philosopher. His theory of the hierarchy of needs is known as the theory of self-actualization psychology. The theory opened the new era of psychotherapy. The theory strongly suggests that the goal of psychotherapy should be the integration of the “self.”

According to the Encyclopedia Britanica, Maslow studied psychology at the University of Wisconsin and Gestalt psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He later joined the faculty of Brooklyn College in 1937. In 1951 he became head of the department of psychology at Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts), where he remained until 1969. Influenced by existentialist philosophers and literary figures, Maslow was a important contributor in the United States to humanistic psychology, which is sometimes called the “third force.”

Maslow argued in his work “Motivation and Personality” that each person has a hierarchy of needs that must be satisfied. Needs include physiological needs, security needs, love needs, self-esteem needs, and needs for personal updating. The five needs can be explained as follows:

1 Physiological need: man needs food, shelter, sex, heat, water, air and clothing. These basic elements are commonly known to be essential to be alive. There will be no progress in other areas of life if these needs have not yet been met.

2 Need for security: human beings want security in life. He wants to be safe from all dangers and he wants to make sure that we can go on with our life without any uncertainty.

3 Need for love and relationship: man wants to be loved and want to relate to others. We cannot live alone and we need to be recognized by our loved ones. The need for love is so strong that it is the main mold of character in childhood and is the main ingredient that shapes human life in psychological theory.

4 Need for self-esteem: it is understood that this level of needs is for inner fulfillment. The man wants to know that it is important. Also, you want to feel that sense of importance through yourself. That is why it is called “Self Esteem”.

5 Need for self-realization: The highest level of needs requires that the human being understand himself and see the value in himself. He tries to find himself through religion and his spiritual guide. This is the area that has the most meaning in human life.

The first two levels are more physical. The last three are more about emotional value. As each need is met, the next higher level in the emotional hierarchy dominates conscious functioning. Maslow believed that truly healthy people self-actualize because they met the highest psychological needs, fully integrating the components of their personality. The area can have the greatest motivational force if used correctly. Understanding the hierarchy of needs can help us know how to use the right motivational techniques for ourselves and others.

Motivation is a complex subject that encompasses virtually all areas of psychology. No theory is capable of explaining everything we know about motivational processes. Some reasons such as hunger, thirst and sexual activity seem to be better understood from a biological point of view. Other motives seem to be learned, and those motives help explain the diversity and complexity of human activities. Still other motives are influenced by the cognitive processes in which we participate. Our interpretation of the events around us influences our future motivations.

Visualizing ourselves fulfilling all the above needs will allow us to be closer to what we want in life. This will attract the circumstances and attributes that we need. Visualization will make our achievement more possible and much easier according to the law of attraction.