Pyramid to transcendence

Love is not static, it is an exquisite and dynamic notion which elegantly captures the complexity and simplicity of our existence, evoking the feeling, anticipation, and novelty that brings joy into our lives. We should think of love as being at the depth of all fundamental human experiences.

The dynamics can be seen all around us in nature. I feel deep exultation and love when walking alone in a garden or traversing a peaceful forested valley or glen. Joy is observing animals romping, wide open spaces, leaves whistling and whispering as the wind kisses and caresses the treetops. The leaves litter mother earth as the seasons welcome the dance of life, death and resurrection. For they know and accept that we are all part of this ever evolving cycle of life. Conceived, born...we emerge from our various gestated cocoon stasis to play our part in creation, then we too must to dust return and become fodder for the new crop of evolution. Love blossoms as nature prances merrily along.

During this lifetime that we are given, we must be provided with many different types of stimuli which are required to make us whole and open to the enfolding and enveloping of our psyche in 'love'.

Abraham Maslow recognized it as one of our basic needs for thriving, fulfillment and happiness. Love isn’t merely a dreamer’s notion; it is a real force that shapes our connections, bonds, and well-being. Whether it’s the joy of sharing mundane moments or the deep soul-level connection with someone, love enriches our lives in innumerable and immeasurable ways.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow aptly describes this hierarchy of needs as portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the largest, most fundamental needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization and transcendence at the top. In other words, the idea is that an individual's most basic needs must be met before they can become motivated to achieve higher-level needs. It is recognized that love is entangled at the center of it all.

Esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs must be met in order to proceed to the next level– except for the most fundamental (physiological) need – or the individual will feel anxious and tense. Deprivation is what causes deficiency, so when one has unmet needs, this motivates them to fulfill what they are being denied.

"Metamotivation" describes the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of basic needs and strive for constant betterment.

Before love can be truly attained and returned between two or more individuals, one's whole psyche must be attuned on a psychological level of peace and harmony. An imbalanced and riotous heart cannot freely give or receive love in its pure form. The same can be said about feeling safe and whole. Providing a safe environment from which to emerge from a great night's sleep feeling refreshed and ebulliently joyful is a sure magnet for love.

Feelings of belonging and love leads to very high self-esteem, which in turn improves our cognitive functions, feelings of love usually render us more open to kindness, patience and a willingness to show empathy towards our fellow human connections.

The aesthetics of self-love materializes on an apex of our imaginations. Everything in one's life shines brighter, and the world transforms when self love meets outer love in another human encounter of close personal happiness and joy. This now leads to the acceptance of all other outer beings as they are now basking in the glow of inner beauty seen through the eyes of love.

A heightened sense of existence now leads to SELF-ACTUALIZATION: self-realization, self-fulfillment, self-discovery, self-exploration, introspection, self-awareness, self-reflection, soul-searching, self-esteem and self-examination.

The euphoria of that constant state of being in love takes us to the plateau of TRANSCENDENCE, an experience beyond the normal or physical levels of human existence.

Love is such a many faceted enigma, sometimes used at the whim and fancy of those willing to barter a good time at the expense of the pain and suffering of others. Yet we cannot allow the base nature of the few to dim our pursuit of the closest thing to heavenly bliss that we can ever experience.

Empowering oneself with acceptance, inner strength and positive thinking allows us to view love as encompassing every aspect of living.

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