Eupsychia

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Eupsychia

First articulated by Abraham Maslow within the context of Humanistic Psychology, Eupsychia represents a scientifically grounded, needs-satisfying society aimed at the full actualization of human potential. Eupsychia is an ideal, psychologically healthy society in which all individuals are free to actualize their full potential. It refers to a needs-satisfying, self-actualizing social structure that fosters Human Flourishing, creativity, and collective well-being, rather than perpetuating oppression, hierarchy, and control. It is one of many cultural visions—including the Age of Aquarius, Shambhala, and the Garden of Eden—that point towards the universal ideal, potential;, and desire for a Harmonic Social Structure.

Concept Map

Key Terms

Eupsychia >

• Eupsychian Education
• Eupsychian Management
• Eupsychian Psychology
• Eupsychian Theory
• Eupsychian Therapy
• Humanistic Psychology
• Transpersonal Psychology

Syncretic Terms

Eupsychia is Maslow's term for a utopian social order. Such an order has been referred to many times over the course of centuries. Here are some various terms used to refer to future utopian social order.

• Age of Aquarius
• Divine World Order
• Eupsychia
• Garden of Eden
• Good Society
• Heaven
• Heaven of Reality
• New Creation
• New Earth
• Pure Land
• Shambhala
• Zion

Related LP Terms

Eupsychia > Graduation, Harmonic Social Structure, Pathfinder Educational Model

Non-LP Related Terms

Eupsychia > Abraham Maslow, Humanistic Psychology

Maslow's Principles of Eupsychia

Maslow's thinking on Eusychia was advanced, but undeveloped, left unsystematized, underappreciated and under reported.

Nevertheless, in a unpublished document entitled "Higher Motivation and New Psychology," he set out the principles of a new Eupsychian psychology (one beyond Humanistic and Transpersonal), one that would help actuate full Human Potential. All the following quotations are from that seminal unpublished article.

1. "Every human individual has a higher nature, far better than we have ever suspected."
2. "Human beings can improve psychologically and do improve psychologically." In other words, they can heal and grow that psychology (and society) should be devoted to helping them do do exactly that.
3. Human society can be improved. "It can be improved, and it does improve" and that, as with improving human beings, the "task is up to us," and that we are up to it--that we "can learn how to accomplish this effectively," hopefully before we blow ourselves up.
4. That being healthy and "fully functioning" is better than being neurotic.
5. That "all persons have a right to actualize their [full] potential" and that human society has obligations to help them do so by, for example, eliminating "unequal opportunities" and meeting their Essential Needs.
6. That "all humans compose a single species" and that because of that "it would seem to make sense that we should be able to develop a one-world kind of politics."
7. That all humans possess "certain underlying [empirically substantiated] needs and values" that, if denied, denigrated, or unfulfilled" lead to illness and Metapathology.
8. That "heaven" is a state of consciousness most often experienced in "transient and brief" "peak or mystical experiences."

LP Principles of Eupsychia

1. Humans, like all living organisms, require Sufficient Satisfaction of all their Essential Needs
2. Humans have Seven Essential Need categories.
3. Eupsychian is a society exclusively devoted to the satisfaction all Seven Essential Needs of all human beings.
4. When needs are Sufficiently Satisfied, infants grow to express their true nature and realize their full Human Potential.
5. Expression of our nature and realization of our potential are the foundations of human health, happiness, and evolutionary potential.

Notes

Originally articulated by Abraham Maslow within the tradition of Humanistic Psychology, Eupsychia was conceived as both a psychological ideal and a socio-political model. Maslow envisioned Eupsychia as the foundation of a new, scientifically informed Eupsychian Theory—a theory intended to replace outdated religious, capitalist, and authoritarian systems with structures that actively foster healing, connection, and the Full RealizationHuman Potential

Maslow's vision of Eupsychia was not limited to psychological theory; it was a blueprint for societal transformation. He explicitly argued for the development of a new psychology and a new social order aimed at human well-being, needs satisfaction, and planetary peace. In his words:

“There is now available a new conception, of a higher possibility, of the healthy society. There are tools now available to judge and compare societies. One society can be judged to be better than another society, or healthier or possessing more ‘growth-fostering-potential.’ We can talk about the value of the society, or the function of the society—that is, the greatest coming to fulfillment of the people in the society.”

According to Maslow, Eupsychian theory would provide new systems of meaning where religion has so thoroughly failed and would contribute to a reconceptualizaton of “every area of human knowledge: e.g., economics, sociology, biology, and every profession: e.g., the family, education, religion, etc.” He was explicit about his goals and active in developing curriculum. He was also clear that even though the work that had been done as of 1970 was only the “bare beginning,” nevertheless progress had been made. In 1969 he writes that “There is now available a new conception, of a higher possibility, of the healthy society. There are tools now available to judge and compare societies. One society can be judged to be better than another society, or healthier or possessing more ‘growth-fostering-potential.’ We can talk about the value of the society, or the function of the society-that is, the greatest coming to fulfillment of the people in the society” .

The Journal of Humanistic Psychology and the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, both of which Maslow helped to found, were originally intended (as indicated by the prominence of Maslow's seminal contributions to these journals (first article in the first issue of both) as steps towards a Eupsychian psychology and society.

Quotes

It is now quite clear that the actualization of the highest human potentials is possible-on a mass basis-only under "good conditions." Or more directly. good human beings will generally need a good society in which to grow. Abraham Maslow.

What I am doing is to explore the theory that you can find the values by which mankind must live ... by observing the best of humanity...Our task is to create an environment where more and more of these innate instincts can find expression. That is what I would characterize [as] Eupsychia.

In a certain sense, only saints are mankind [sic]. All the rest are cripples [sic]. Abraham Maslow.

LP Context

The Lightning Path acknowledges the foundational work of Maslow and integrates Eupsychian principles into its broader project of planetary healing, human flourishing, and the construction of a new global paradigm of education and developmen, the Lightning Path Human Development Framework. Here, eupsychia is understood as a culturally and historically specific expression of the broader, scientifically-grounded concept of a Harmonic Social Structure. It is one of many cultural visions, including the Age of Aquarius, Shambhala, and the Garden of Eden, that point toward the universal ideal of a connected, empowered, and flourishing planetary society

Why Eupsychia Matters

The Regime of Accumulation and the Accumulating Class have long maintained systems of oppression that block human potential and collective progress. Eupsychia offers a radical, yet scientifically grounded alternative that:

• Rejects the exploitative systems of capitalism and hierarchy.
• Centers education, governance, and economics on human well-being.
• Creates conditions where individuals can truly flourish.

Readings

1. Abraham H. Maslow, "Eupsychia—The Good Society," interview by Trevor Thomas, Pacifica Foundation Radio, August 1960, transcript, Journal of Humanistic Psychology 1, no. 1 (1961): pp. 1-11, https://doi.org/10.1177/002216786100100202.

In a radio interview transcripted in 1960 Maslow's and given as the foundational article of the Maslow's new "Journal of Humanistic Psychology (Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 1)" Maslow articulates Eupsychia not as a prescriptive blueprint, but as an emergent property of widespread psychological health. His perspective shifts the focus from designing perfect institutions to fostering the conditions for individual growth, from which better societies will naturally arise. This interview and its inclusion as the seminal article in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology the humanistic and optimistic groundwork for all subsequent Eupsychian theory. His initial thinking established several core principles:

• A Response to Affluence: Maslow argued that as a society satisfies basic material needs (food, shelter, security), it naturally turns its attention to "higher" psychological and spiritual needs, making the conception of a Eupsychia not only possible but necessary.
• Rooted in "Human Nature": Eupsychia is not built upon external dogma or ideology but is derived from the innate, instinctual "higher needs" within human beings. Maslow posited that by studying the healthiest individuals, we can discover the universal, cross-cultural values (truth, beauty, goodness, justice, spontaneity) that should form the basis of a good society.
• The Primacy of Psychological Health: The central features of such a society would be determined by the characteristics of psychologically healthy ("self-actualizing") people. These include:
  • Perceptiveness: The ability to see truth clearly, unclouded by fear, convention, or hypocrisy.
  • Spontaneity & Creativity: The capacity for natural, uninhibited expression and the courage to defy tradition and generate new ideas.
  • Respect for Individual Differences: A democratic, even anarchistic, tendency to allow others to grow in their own unique style.
  • Transcendence of Tribalism: Healthy individuals feel a brotherhood with all of humanity, moving beyond destructive nationalism.
• "Weak Instincts" for Good: A critical insight Maslow offered is that our innate impulses toward goodness, truth, and beauty are not overpowering but are "weak, subtle, and delicate." They are easily overcome by a pathological culture, fear, or "counter-morality." Therefore, the primary function of a Eupsychian society is to create an environment that protects, encourages, and strengthens these fragile good instincts.
• Path to Eupsychia: In addition to needs satisfaction, Maslow identified psychotherapy and deep self-knowledge (e.g., through self-therapy and education focused on inner discovery) as the primary tools for individuals to overcome fear and connect with their intrinsic human nature. He believed that as more individuals achieve psychological health, they naturally form the nucleus of a global Eupsychia, capable of generating a healthier culture.

Note, this early articulation is crucial as it establishes Eupsychia not as a prescriptive blueprint, but as an emergent property of widespread psychological health. It shifts the focus from designing perfect institutions to fostering the conditions for individual growth, from which better societies will naturally arise. This interview lays the humanistic and optimistic groundwork for all subsequent Eupsychian theory.

2. Abraham H. Maslow, "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature," Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 1, no. 1 (1969): pp. 1–9.

In this seminal lecture, Maslow notes that a broad philosophical revolution (paradigm change) a Humanistic Revolution, is underway. In this article seminal article in his new Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Maslow outlines this transition and gives it a push forward, arguing for a fourth force psychology (Transpersonal Psychology) while simultaneously providing the philosophical foundation for his Eupsychian vision. The article grounds Eupsychia in several key ways:

• The Importance of Needs satisfaction: Maslow makes it clear that the key to human development and human flourishing is satisfaction of all one's basic needs.
• From Deficiency to Being: A New Motive Base: Maslow clarifies that once basic needs (safety, love, esteem) are "fairly well satisfied," a new realm of motivation emerges. He calls this the "transhumanistic" or "transpersonal" realm, where individuals are motivated by "Being-values" (B-values)—truth, beauty, goodness, perfection, justice, etc. This shift from "deficiency-motivation" to "growth-motivation" or "metamotivation" is the psychological precondition for a Eupsychian society; it describes the citizenry of such a culture.
• The "Instinctoid" Nature of Higher Needs: Maslow strongly argues that higher human needs (for love, dignity, self-respect, self-fulfillment) are biological and genetic, or "instinctoid." This refutes the idea that Eupsychian values are merely cultural constructs or utopian fantasies. Instead, they are intrinsic to human nature, and their frustration leads to pathology just as surely as a lack of vitamins does. A Eupsychian society, therefore, is one that recognizes and nurtures this biological potential for goodness via full satisfaction of an individual's needs.
• "Growing-Tip" Statistics as a Method for Eupsychian Vision: Maslow defends his method of studying the healthiest 1% of the population (the "growing tip") as a way to understand human potential. He argues that these self-actualizing individuals represent "what the whole human species can be like" under optimal conditions. This methodology provides an empirical basis for Eupsychia; it is not a pipe dream but a projection of observed human possibilities onto a societal scale.
• A Scientific Basis for Judging Societies: Crucially for Eupsychian theory, Maslow explicitly adopts an evaluative stance toward cultures. He states that "one society can be judged to be better than another society, or healthier or possessing more 'growth-fostering-potential.'" This provides a scientific justification for the very concept of Eupsychia—a "good society" is defined by its capacity to foster the fullest development and "fulfillment of the people in the society."
• Resacralization and the Eupsychian Atmosphere: Maslow identifies this new psychology as a "resacralizing" force, countering the value-neutral, desacralizing tendency of traditional science. By taking peak experiences, transcendent states, mystical experiences, and ultimate values as legitimate objects of study, it opens the door to creating a society where all of life can be "religionized," "educationalized," and "aestheticized"—a core characteristic of a Eupsychian way of life.

• This article is the critical bridge between Maslow's hierarchy of needs and his Eupsychian ambitions. It provides the scientific rationale for moving beyond a theory of individual motivation to a theory of societal health. By establishing that higher values are biologically based and that the highest human potentials are empirically observable, Maslow grounds the Eupsychian ideal not in wishful thinking, but in a new, evidence-based "image of man."

Core Principles of Eupsychia in LP Context

Coming soon. For a run down of the LP's construction of Eupsychian theory, see

• Mike Sosteric, “Eupsychian Theory: I Reclaiming Maslow and Rejecting The Pyramid - The Circle of Seven Essential Needs,” 2024, https://www.academia.edu/76834401 and
• Mike Sosteric “It Takes a Village: Advancing Attachment Theory and Recovering the Roots of Human Health with the Seven Essential Needs,” Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, ahead of print, 2022, https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol34iss1id887.

Abraham Maslow Terms

Aggridant, B-Cognition, B-Needs, B-Realm, B-Values, Being-Guilt, Big Problem, D-Cognition, D-Realm, Deficiency Diseases, Diminished Human Being, Eupsychia, Eupsychian Education, Eupsychian Management, Eupsychian Psychology, Eupsychian Theory, Eupsychian Therapy, Good Chooser, Good Person, Good Science, Good Society, Good Specimen, Growing-Tip Statistics, Hierarchy of Basic Needs, Hierarchy of Cognitive Needs, Horticultural Model, Human Diminution, Human Motivation, Human Potential, Humanistic Psychology, Inner Signals, Intrinsic Conscience, Jonah Complex, Metapathology, Motivation, Normalcy, Normative Biology, Peak Experience, Plateau Experience, Real Self, Sculptural Model, Self-Actualization, Transcending Self-Actualizers, Transhumanistic, Transpersonal Psychology

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Footnotes

References