Maslow's hierarchy of psychosocial needs

[labelwench]

I found the details that follow of interest.

History and cultural significance

There is an altar dating to 1800 BCE within an astronomically aligned Monte Alto complex in Guatemala.

The solstice itself may have been a special moment of the annual cycle of the year even during neolithic times. Astronomical events, which during ancient times controlled the mating of animals, sowing of crops and metering of winter reserves between harvests, show how various cultural mythologies and traditions have arisen. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites such as Stonehenge in Britain and New Grange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (New Grange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). Significant in respect of Stonehenge is the fact that the Great Trilithon was erected outwards from the centre of the monument, i.e. its smooth flat face was turned towards the midwinter Sun. The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve.

Explanations for parallel traditions

Symbolic

Since the event is seen as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings such as Hogmanay's redding, a New Years cleaning tradition. In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice, and Hades was permitted on Mount Olympus. Also reversal is another usual theme as in Saturnalia's slave and master reversals.

Migration and appropriation

Many outside traditions are often adopted by neighboring or invading cultures. Some historians will often assert that many traditions are directly derived from previous ones rooting all the way back to those begun in the cradle of civilization or beyond, much in a way that correlates to speculations on the origins of languages.

Therapeutic

Even in modern cultures these gatherings are still valued for emotional comfort, having something to look forward to at the darkest time of the year. This is especially the case for populations in the near polar regions of the hemisphere. The depressive psychological effects of winter on individuals and societies are for the most part tied to coldness, tiredness, malaise, and inactivity.

Also, insufficient sunlight in the short winter days increases the secretion of melatonin in the body, throwing off the circadian rhythm with longer sleep. Exercise, light therapy, increased negative ion exposure (which can be attained from plants and well ventilated flames, burning wood or beeswax) can reinvigorate the body from its seasonal lull and relieve winter blues by decreasing melatonin secretions, increasing serotonin and temporarily creating a more even sleeping pattern.

Midwinter festivals and celebrations occurring on the longest night of the year, often calling for evergreens, bright illumination, large ongoing fires, feasting, communion with close ones, and evening physical exertion by dancing and singing are examples of cultural winter therapies that have evolved as traditions since the beginnings of civilization.

[AntonioLao]

There is considerable controversy surrounding the actual date of Jesus' birth

I keep asking myself what's in a day or a few days compare to infinity?

[labelwench]

I keep asking myself what's in a day or a few days compare to infinity?

The human mind can play with the concept of time, thereby fitting infinity into a day or a moment, and enjoying a day unto infinity.

Concepts. All are concepts.

I always know what time it is, even without looking at a clock, although sometimes I don't know what day it is. As long as I am wherever I have promised to be, attending to whatever seems relevant at the time, does it matter?

[AntonioLao]

The human mind can play with the concept of time

This could imply that time is sorely a creation of the human mind while the time of the physical universe is based on rates of transformation between space-time charges of squares of energy, energy, and ordinary matter. The last two are commonly known as Einstein's mass and energy equivalence: E=mc.

I always know what time it is

This reminds me of a Japanese sholdier trapped in the darkness of a cave in the Pacific Campaign ever ready to fight for 20 years, knowing what time it is by his wristwatch but not knowing that the war has already ended.

[labelwench]

This could imply that time is sorely a creation of the human mind while the time of the physical universe is based on rates of transformation between space-time charges of squares of energy, energy, and ordinary matter. The last two are commonly known as Einstein's mass and energy equivalence: E=mc.

This reminds me of a Japanese sholdier trapped in the darkness of a cave in the Pacific Campaign ever ready to fight for 20 years, knowing what time it is by his wristwatch but not knowing that the war has already ended.

From every end comes a beginning, and there is no beginning without end. The two are not a paradox. They are conjoined, one and the same, represented by the circle.

All of the answers we seek are but circles within the circles, ripples on the pond, and written in water.

No matter how quickly we manage to decipher them, they reform anew, and we are unable to hold them prisoner to our will and examine them closely.

This is the frustration of many of the sciences.

They seek cause and effect.

And they find it.

Yet behind each discovery, another cause and effect.

There must be a theory or everything.

And there is.

The answer is just not believable, lol.....

[AntonioLao]

There must be a theory or everything.

A theory that relates unity to infinity, vice versa which is expressed by the simplest rational function and next to simplest rational function.

[labelwench]

Psychosocial needs of our species are expressed differently between individuals. Through the various stages of our physical, mental and emotional maturing, these needs evolve and change, beyond the constant basic physical needs for survival, which sadly, many have little opportunity to develop beyond, in regions of resource scarcity or limited access.

The challenges to existence, those that may occur to us, and those we may willingly seek to learn from, are sometimes met by the formation of support groups, whereby people experiencing or seeking to experience certain criteria, may share and learn through this process.

Some tend to be solitary in their search for understanding, yet even among 'loners', there is a loose grouping, for our species seeks some form of 'connection', even if the intervals are infrequent.

Of what benefit is knowledge, if it is not shared?

[Lloyd Gillespie]

A theory that relates unity to infinity, vice versa which is expressed by the simplest rational function and next to simplest rational function.

The smallest and next smallest rational functions:

Field to wave to particle, and particle to wave to field. Let the center be chiral handednesses, tying and untying knots of wave/matter particle mass energies_hydrodynamically_through wave symmetries and asymmetries of. Now, imagine yourself small enough to enter the smallest possible infinitesimal knot, then imagine yourself large enough to encompass hydrodynamic symmetrical infinity, within conception/perception. Do the functions with real-space-matter fields, and you have the answers...

[labelwench]

Psychosocial needs of our species are expressed differently between individuals. Through the various stages of our physical, mental and emotional maturing, these needs evolve and change, beyond the constant basic physical needs for survival,

Fascinating, this search for 'an understanding', be it the origins of the universe or the meaning of life.

Perhaps it is the means by which we distract ourselves from the inescapable fact of our own mortality?

It is one thing to accept life and death at the logical level of an understanding of the biology, chemistry and mechanics involved.

Emotionally, it is quite another thing to contend with the actual expression of these circumstances when they relate to other persons and beings with whom one interacts closely.

It matters not how capable one is in the management and mitigation of one's own personal situations and surrounds. We are connected, as Mikal notes, to the community that birthed us, and though some may express this connection very little, at the core of our being, loss is experienced when any of these connections is taken away, as by the gradual loss of all the people one has grown up with over their life time.

Spending time with the dwindling number of elders has made me rather pensive.....and aware of the fact that in not so much longer there shall be a new generation of elders.......and so, by means of attrition, one shall eventually find oneself on the front line.......

[AntonioLao]

when any of these connections is taken away

The mathematics of these connections can be described by the probability laws of Markov chains, which seems to rime with Maslow.