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Physiological Needs

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Physiological Needs

Physiological Needs are your body's basic need for the things that sustain biological life. These include the need for healthy food, clean water, air, physical exercise, clothing, sleep, and so on. Physiological needs also include the absence of physical pain.

Concept Map

Key Terms

Lightning Path Human Development Framework > LP Psychological Framework >

Seven Essential Needs >

List of Essential Needs Categories

Seven Essential Needs > Cognitive Needs, Emotional Needs, Environmental Needs, Physiological Needs, Psychological Needs

Notes

Satisfaction of physiological needs has profound benefits for our physiological, emotional, cognitive, egoic, and spiritual well-being.

  1. Physiological Outcomes: Fulfilling physiological needs leads to overall improved health and vitality. Good nutrition promotes immune system function,[1] while regular physical activity can reduce the risk of various diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.[2] Adequate sleep is associated with enhanced immune function, improved metabolic health, and lower risk of chronic diseases.[3] Proper clothing protects the body from environmental hazards, while the absence of physical pain improves quality of life.[4]
  2. Egoic Outcomes:
  3. Emotional Outcomes: With physiological needs met, individuals are less likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression related to survival worries. Moreover, regular physical exercise can lead to improved mood and reduced anxiety.[5]
  4. Cognitive Outcomes: Adequate nutrition, particularly intake of essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins, supports brain development and can enhance cognitive function and slow cognitive decline.[6] Regular physical exercise and good sleep quality are also associated with better cognitive performance and reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases.[7]
  5. Spiritual Outcomes: Meeting physiological needs can free up mental and emotional resources and put the Bodily Ego into Growth Mode, allowing individuals to pursue Alignment and engage in Connection Practice.

A failure to meet physiological needs leads to a host of sequelae, including

  1. Physiological Impairments: Long-term deprivation of physiological needs can lead to various health issues. Lack of proper nutrition can cause malnutrition which in turn leads to structural changes and reduced brain volume,[8] a weakened immune system, and increased susceptibility to diseases.[9] Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health problems.[10] The absence of physical exercise can lead to obesity, heart diseases, and a decreased life expectancy.[11] Constant physical pain can deteriorate overall health and quality of life.[12] Note that physiological deprivations experienced by the mother have negative consequences for the fetus.
  2. Egoic Impairments:
  3. Emotional Impairments: Long-term deprivation of physiological needs can lead to emotional stress, anxiety, and depression, primarily due to feelings of vulnerability and an incessant state of fear and anxiety over meeting basic needs.[13] Chronic stress and anxiety can in turn lead to additional mental health impairments.[14]
  4. Cognitive Impairments: Chronic malnutrition, particularly during the "brain growth spurt," can impact cognitive development and function, causing deficits in memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility.[15] Lack of sleep can significantly affect cognitive functions such as attention, memory, decision-making and problem-solving abilities.[16] Finally, the constant worry about meeting basic needs can put an individual into Deficit Mode. In this mode, the individual's cognitive development, processing, and learning capacity are undermined[17] as cognitive energies are diverted away from growth tasks (Growth Mode) and towards meeting unmet basic needs (Deficit Mode).
  5. Spiritual Impairments:

Adam Smith said an interesting thing about the deprivation of physiological needs, particularly in relation to poverty.[18]

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Footnotes

  1. ↑ Field, Catherine, Glen P. Johnson, and Patricia D. Schley. “Nutrients and Their Role in Host Resistance to Infection.” Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1189/jlb.71.1.16.
  2. ↑ Steven N. Blair, "Physical inactivity: the biggest public health problem of the 21st century," British Journal of Sports Medicine 43, no. 1 (2009): 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2006.030486
  3. ↑ Kristen L. Knutson, "Sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk: A review of the epidemiologic evidence," Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 24, no. 5 (2010): 731-743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beem.2010.07.001
  4. ↑ Paul J. Goadsby, "Recent advances in understanding migraine mechanisms, molecules and therapeutics," Trends in Molecular Medicine 13, no. 1 (2007): 39-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2006.11.005
  5. ↑ Michael W. Otto, Jasper A. J. Smits, "Exercise for mood and anxiety: Proven strategies for overcoming depression and enhancing well-being," (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).
  6. ↑ Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Marshall G. Miller, Nopporn Thangthaeng, Amanda N. Poulose, "Berry Fruit Enhances Beneficial Signaling in the Brain," Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 65, no. 5 (2017): 820-827. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf2036033
  7. ↑ Laura D. Baker, Laura L. Frank, Karen Foster-Schubert, Pattie S. Green, Charles W. Wilkinson, Anne McTiernan, "Aerobic Exercise Improves Cognition for Older Adults with Glucose Intolerance, A Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease," Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 22, no. 2 (2010): 569-579. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2010-100768
  8. ↑ Isaacson, R. L. (1974). The effect of malnutrition on the developing brain. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 27(6), 667–676
  9. ↑ Ann M. Prendergast, and Eleanor M. Riley, "Immune Mechanisms in Malaria: New Insights in Vaccine Development," Nature Medicine 19, no. 2 (2013): 168.10.1038/nm.3083
  10. ↑ Kristen L. Knutson, and Eve Van Cauter, "Associations Between Sleep Loss and Increased Risk of Obesity and Diabetes," Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1129, no. 1 (2008): 287-304. 10.1196/annals.1417.033
  11. ↑ Steven N. Blair, and William L. Haskell, "Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Mortality in Older Adults," JAMA 296, no. 2 (2006): 216-218. 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31828b076a
  12. ↑ Abraham H. Maslow, "A Theory of Human Motivation," Psychological Review 50, no. 4 (1943): 370.
  13. ↑ Mary C. Sutter, "Fear, Anxiety and Worry," Psychiatry 3, no. 2 (2004): 45-48.
  14. ↑ Mark L. Hatzenbuehler, "How Does Sexual Minority Stigma "Get Under the Skin"? A Psychological Mediation Framework," Psychological Bulletin 135, no. 5 (2009): 707. 10.1037/a0016441
  15. ↑ Lynne Georgiadis, Alan Jackson, and Lucy Eaton, "Undernutrition and Cognitive Function in School-Aged Children: A Systematic Review," BMJ Open 10, no. 5 (2020): e035378. 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035378
  16. ↑ Hans P.A. Van Dongen, Greg Maislin, Janet M. Mullington, and David F. Dinges, "The Cumulative Cost of Additional Wakefulness: Dose-Response Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions and Sleep Physiology From Chronic Sleep Restriction and Total Sleep Deprivation," Sleep 26, no. 2 (2003): 117-26.
  17. ↑ Rachel T. Kimbro, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, and Sara McLanahan, "Young Children in Urban Areas: Links Among Neighborhood Characteristics, Weight Status, Outdoor Play, and Television-Watching," Social Science & Medicine 72, no. 5 (2011): 668-76.
  18. ↑ "But poverty, though it does not prevent the generation, is extremely unfavourable to the rearing of children. The tender plant is produced, but in so cold a soil and so severe a climate, soon withers and dies. " Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations - An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Bantam Classics, 2003.
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