Psychology

Maslow

Fig 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs in the typical pyramid formation

The concept of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs says we are unable to progress up the pyramid until we satisfy our lower needs first.

Redefined by Maslow in 1970, physiological needs were; the need to breathe, the need to drink water, the need to sleep, the need to regulate body temperature, the need to regulate homeostasis, the need to eat, the need to dispose of bodily waste and the need for sexual activity.

If we now consider what we require to satisfy these needs we will see we need AIR to breathe, WATER to drink, DARK (-LIGHT) to aid sleep, HEAT to regulate body temperature, BALANCE to regulate homeostasis, without any one of AIR, HEAT, LIGHT or WATER, we would be unable to grow food to eat and therefore there would be no bodily waste and as we would not be alive sexual activity is irrelevant.

We suggest the bottom line can be redefined even further to the absolute needs of AIR, HEAT, LIGHT, WATER and BALANCE. Air, heat, light, water & homeostasis Fig 2 homeostasis – the balance between external environment stimuli and our desire for essential nutrients

Air, heat, light, water & homeostasis

Fig 2 homeostasis – the balance between external environment stimuli and our desire for essential nutrients

Hypothalamus

Our ability as humans to stay alive is controlled by the hypothalamus, positive and negative feedback from our vital organs to create desire for our essential nutrients, water and comfort. As the hypothalamus is on the body side of the blood-brain barrier these actions are therefore unconscious. We can consider; given essential nutrients and water, humans can stay alive without the actions of our brain.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB)

We think about the brain in a somewhat novel way. Our understanding works on the principle there is a distinct dividing line between brain and body, the blood-brain barrier.

The brain we suggest can be considered as all areas containing cerebrospinal fluid; cerebral cortex, cerebellum, central nervous system (CNS) including brain stem, 3rd, 4th and lateral ventricles. All other areas can be thought of as body.

We believe the BBB consists of our circumventricular organs. These organs all innervate hypothalamic areas and are on the body side of the BBB. It is on the external part of these organs where tightly packed endothelial cells protect the brain from dangerous invading organisms and noxious chemicals entering. It is understood only molecules less than 500Da are able to cross the BBB.

It is here we have some radical thinking. We believe SOL has the ability to cross the BBB. In which case the production of serotonin and melatonin can take place on both sides of the barrier.

With the latest understanding of neuro-science and the use of fMRI scanning we believe analysts do not take account of a potentially important factor. What they may well be observing is effect but not the cause of the effect.

Unconscious actions

We consider all our basic actions to maintain life, are unconscious. It is only after we have maintained a state of homeostasis, or made provision to create equilibrium that we have the ability for thought, learning, emotions and memory.

3 States of mind - Neural flow

Conscious – we are fully aware of our actions, we have the ability for thought, learning, emotion and memory. This is caused by superior neural flow across the BBB.

Subconscious – we are not fully aware of our actions, but with certain triggers of our memory we gain the ability for thought, learning and emotion. This is caused by inferior neural flow across the BBB.

Unconscious – we are not aware of our actions, we have no, thought, learning, emotions or memory. There is no neural flow across the BBB.