The Unity Code - Where Science Meets Energy, Consciousness, and Spirit.

The Maslow Effect: Why Your Readings Might Be Missing the Mark

• Medium Nicole • Season 1 • Episode 135

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Ever feel like your spiritual readings aren't hitting the mark with certain clients? The answer might lie in elementary school psychology. Maslow's hierarchy of needs—that familiar triangle from your school days—could be the missing framework for understanding why some client connections feel misaligned.

When we examine this hierarchy through a spiritual lens, something fascinating emerges. The pyramid begins with physiological needs (food, water, shelter), builds through safety, love/belonging, and esteem, finally reaching self-actualization at the top. As metaphysical practitioners, we typically position our services at that upper tier—helping clients fulfill their potential, connect with departed loved ones, or understand their soul's journey. But what happens when your client is actually focused on the bottom rungs?

The current sociopolitical climate has created a collective downward shift on this pyramid. Many who were previously concerned with self-actualization now worry about affording groceries, securing housing, or maintaining healthcare. Even those whose personal circumstances remain stable are absorbing collective anxiety, creating a psychological focus on more fundamental concerns. When someone comes to you worried about losing their job but you're prepared to discuss their soul contracts, the disconnect is inevitable.

This misalignment doesn't mean these clients aren't meant for you. Rather, they've been guided to you precisely because your unique perspective can help them navigate these challenges. They may not be your "ideal client" yet, but Spirit has determined you're exactly the practitioner they need right now. By meeting clients where they are—addressing immediate concerns about employment, health, or relationships—you create the foundation that eventually allows them to climb back toward spiritual growth.

Ready to transform your practice? Start recognizing where your clients fall on Maslow's hierarchy and adjust your approach accordingly. When you channel exactly what each client needs in the moment, regardless of where it falls on the pyramid, you'll discover deeper connections and more meaningful impact. Your spiritual gifts aren't just for those already at the top—they're for helping everyone climb higher.

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Nicole Pope is an internationally-trained Evidential Medium and Soul Integration Guide dedicated to helping others reconnect with their higher self, awaken their gifts, and remember who they truly are.

To connect with Nicole, book a reading, or access her social media accounts: http://mediumnicole.com/links

Speaker 1:

Hello everyone, welcome back to empower your soul. We're going to go back in time today to elementary school to talk about I know you didn't expect me to say this, but Maslow's hierarchy of needs. We are going there because this came up in a recent recent mediumship mastermind coffee and chat session that I had with the lovely ladies and it was really interesting to talk about maybe some of those more difficult clients and or clients that were deemed not your target audience and how that impacted your reading or how the reading overall was maybe not your best reading and spirit. Immediately, as everyone was talking about misaligned clients, misaligned readings, readings that didn't feel good, it was really interesting to see in my head the Maslow's hierarchy of needs from spirit and I brought it up and we talked about it in the mastermind and I just I love this so much that I wanted to talk about on the podcast with all of you today. So we're going to talk about how this triangle, this hierarchy needs, impacts your readings, whether you like it or not. I'm so sorry about that. So, just as a reminder as we go into go rewind time back to elementary school.

Speaker 1:

Maslow's hierarchy needs is a motivational theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow. So it organizes the human needs into five different levels and it's often visualized as a pyramid. So this, this is a hierarchy that suggests that human motivation progresses from basic survival needs to complex physio, physiological and self fulfillment goals. Okay, so it is a triangle. It is split horizontally biggest at the bottom, smallest at the top into five different sections and I'm just as a refresher because I know it's been a while for all of us. The five different rows, starting from the bottom, are the physiological needs first. So these are needs related to your physical body, what your body needs to survive. Okay, so, as we start at the bottom, this is food, this is water, this is warmth, this is rest. This, you know, and this is things that your physical body needs to stay alive. This is our caveman brain, everybody. Again, these are very basic needs that we need. As we go up to the next row, this is your safety needs. This is security, this is safety, making sure you have a home, making sure that you have the physical space around you that makes you feel safe. Again, very, very basic need as we go up above safety is belongingness and love. So this is you're needing to have relationships, intimate relationships, friend relationships, and we're starting to get into, like, the physiological needs a little bit here as we move up.

Speaker 1:

One more thank you spirit. We have our esteem needs. So this is feeling important, this is feeling accomplishment, this is prestige, right? This is you feeling like I've done a good job. And then, as we get to the very top, this is self-actualization. So this is achieving one's full potential, including creative activities.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so, as we look at this triangle, we're again at the bottom. We're starting with, like, our basic human needs, we're moving into maybe more social, loving relationship needs, and then, at the very top, this is our personal self-actualization, our self-fulfillment needs. And isn't that really interesting? No, not really, but we're going to get there. So, as we're talking about these different rows within the triangle, wait, wait, wait, hang on, I have someone coming in interrupting me in the spirit world. Please hold just one moment. Please enjoy this awkward pause for a moment.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and so they want me to start with what's been going on in society lately first, and I really feel like I have Mr Maslow here himself. Hello, mr Maslow, because he's he's kind of putting a circle around all of it and he's saying that this is a cycle. So, even though. Thank you for validating that spirit, because what I'm seeing as he's really like drawing a circle and he's like, at any given moment you can be in every one of these. And I think the basic of this theory is that if you have your food and water and sheltering, and if you have your safety, you know, then you're kind of working on the next one, and then you're working on the next one, and then you're working on the next one, but they all go together is kind of what he's telling me, and it goes in a cycle. Some days you're going to feel really good about your relationships and then something will happen, and then you're going to go down, right, you're going to go back into that loving and belonging category that needs a little more work, that that need goes away. So it's almost like it shouldn't be a triangle, but we're going to leave it as is for a moment here, but it is. It is this cycle across all of these things that at any given moment you can kind of be in one and then down, dip down, two levels, and then it's. It's not. It's not linear, I guess is the way that I want to say it. Thank you for clarifying that.

Speaker 1:

So, as we talk about what has been going on recently, let's say this year, with what's been going on. So I'm going to, I'm going to say it before Trump went in office, I think we were all feeling relatively okay, probably before he was elected, let's be honest, and we were all feeling probably good. We, you know, I know, things were a little more expensive in terms of groceries and gas, right, but generally we all had food, we all had water, we all had shelter, we all had, you know, jobs, we had security right. We all had a very predictable lifestyle with our family, with our friends, and we were probably more in as collective, in like the self esteem, like confidence, achievement, respect of others, that kind of thing. So a lot of the clients then were really focused on like probably the top two self esteem, self actualization, because we were feeling really secure with everything that was going on.

Speaker 1:

Now, fast forward probably a year at this point, and now we have been through the ringer, socially, economically. I mean you're everything that's going on in the world today wars, etc. You know I don't have to revisit that, but there has been a lot going on that make us feel a lot less stable. So, as historically, we've been feeling more good about everything that's going on and we're just working on our self-esteem and self-actualization. That's not necessarily true anymore as a society. Now we're really focused on literal food and water. Right, groceries prices are through the roof right now. Right, clothing prices are through the roof right now.

Speaker 1:

A lot of people are stressed about basic needs, basic physiological needs to just stay alive. We have a lot of safety and security issues. Right, with Medicare getting gutted. Right, with these systems in place that have gotten gutted, that had provided a lot of services to people who needed them. A lot of our safety and security structures have been kind of torn apart a little bit, and so that doesn't feel so good either. And then, in terms of loving and belonging, I think that right now this is why Spirit this year has focused on the idea of community is because I think a lot of people are not feeling so great about safety, security and physiological needs, and so it's like, hey, let's try to bring everybody together to help everybody. So I do see, I do see that loving and belonging at least for me personally I'm seeing that being a little more strong than the previous two that I mentioned.

Speaker 1:

But when it comes to this triangle, here you have to think about the collective as a whole, worrying in about the stability and safety and physiological needs, about going on. And so when you're talking about the collective energy, where do you think it is Right? Why do you think you wake up every day like anxious for no good reason when in your life you're looking around and nothing and everything feels like it's okay and it's in place? But as a collective energy, we're feeling really anxious because of all of these systems and structures and basic needs that we need are being changed and pulled out from under us and even if it doesn't impact you now, there's this feeling of insecurity with it, there's this feeling of lack of stability with it. And so this is where you're going to see a lot of people in this space. Let me rephrase that You're going to see a lot of people who just don't feel as well off as they used to. So we might see, as a trend, people more in that lower half of the triangle, this physiological, the safety, the love and belonging that need more attention and affection there, versus maybe the self-esteem and self-actualization. Now, I know this is a very broad statement and I don't think and I barely want to go into this, but I think they're going to make me.

Speaker 1:

But reality can be very different than mindset, right? Because reality for a lot of us not everybody, so for those of you that this is not true, I apologize, but the reality is, for a lot of us, things haven't changed too much in since the beginning of the year. It has felt very uncomfortable, but when you look around you, do you still have food and water and shelter, right? Do you still have health benefits? Do you still? Are you still employed? Right? Do you still have your property? Right? Do you still have your relationships? Do you still have that sense of connection with people?

Speaker 1:

And so the reality of what can be going on around you can be very different than maybe how you feel about what's going on around you, because maybe you feel, as a collective, you're picking up on the energy of the war in Israel and Gaza, and so maybe you are worried about that, and that takes a hit to your physiological needs, right? You feel like, mentally, you feel like there's something to worry about there, when in reality, you're here in your 3D self, looking around you saying I have food and water, I'm okay, right? Maybe you're looking around. You're hearing all these reports about the housing market and how, like, our kids are not going to be able to afford homes. Right, people today are not able to afford homes, that rent is through the roof, the interest rates are really high, and then all the news is talking about how a lot of people are having trouble with housing and homelessness.

Speaker 1:

But reality is, is that you, you are still OK, right and no offense, the fact that you're listening to this podcast right now tells me you're probably not homeless, right, like, I'm sorry, right, like. The reality is that you're probably doing okay in terms of the collective right, and that's not a judgment. I don't mean that to sound like an asshole like you know, pulling a coal here, but the reality is, if you have time and the technology to listen like you know, pulling a coal here but the reality is, if you have time in the technology to listen to podcasts, you're probably okay, right, but it doesn't mean that you're not feeling the impact of collective energy that does have physiological needs that have not been met, that does have safety concerns, that does feel like they're not connected to a community, and so the reality is going to be very different than the mindset in some of these cases, and that's okay. And so, like, this is a really complex idea and thought pattern that we have to be aware of when it comes to our clients. Because, when it comes to our clients, we don't know where they are showing up on the spectrum. We don't know if they have true physiological needs, like, do they have enough food and water, you know, are they about to be kicked out of their house, right? We don't know if they've lost their job or if they have major health issues. Maybe we do, if we're psychic, I don't know. We don't know if they've lost the big romantic relationship of their life or if somebody had passed, because, and you know, someone that was really important to them had passed and we're going to go connect with them in an evidential mediumship, reading, right. We don't know what their community around them looks like, whether they have support or not.

Speaker 1:

And so I think it's really interesting because, as a whole, I want to say and this is going to be a big jump I want to say as a whole, me and what I do, I feel like I'm more in the self-actualization triangle, like I want people to become their best selves. I want people to live their soul's journey. I want people to live their soul's journey. I want people to have the self-esteem and confidence to go after what they want, right. I want to be able to connect people with love and belonging with their departed loved ones. So a lot of my personal service offerings are at the top half of that triangle, ideally the very tippy top, because that tells me that you have everything else done, sorry, but, and you're just trying and you're still not happy. So what's going on? So addressing that in the top half, right?

Speaker 1:

And so when a client comes to me, or if you're similar to me and you want to focus more on helping people live their best lives or healing their trauma so that they can really feel that love and belonging that they have, that self-esteem, helping them live their best lives in terms of self-actualization, if those are your typical clients, but the collective is worried about safety and security and physiological needs, there can be a really big disconnect in terms of the clients that you're getting. This is why I'm going to say it pricing is so important and the people who want your $20 reading are going to be the people at the bottom of the triangle. I'm sorry, but it's true, because they don't have enough money to pay for water and shelter or safety needs, and so, oh God, I sound like such an asshole, but it's true. But what I'm saying is fact and it doesn't change the circumstances of what people are in. But if you are finding that you are getting people from the bottom half of this triangle and that's not the typical demographic of the people that you serve, then you need to look at how you're marketing, how you're selling, what your prices are, because that means you're not reaching the right people. And this is a giant slap on the wrist for me too, because I keep saying things are really slow. I mean things are.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to say there doesn't feel to be as much demand on the marketplace overall. I know that's true in pockets and not true in others. That's fine. I'm seeing it across all the different people that I talked to. I'm seeing that there's not as much demand in the marketplace as there was before Trump came in office, and I think that's absolutely true because I think some of the people that were in the top of the triangle or maybe now at the bottom, and I think that has shifted a little bit, but the reality is I've never marketed to the bottom of the triangle anyway.

Speaker 1:

Right, we as metaphysical practitioners, we wouldn't. Right, we wouldn't. Because if you were catering to the bottom half of the triangle, wouldn't you be like an electrician and a plumber right? Or a carpenter, or somebody that does physical, like somebody that's maybe like I don't want to say a teacher, but kind of like a teacher right, like because you are caring for basic human needs at that point, yeah, and so I don't even know where I'm going with this, but isn't this an interesting idea in theory that check yourself, check yourself in these readings. If you are coming in hoping that you're reading, for example, akashic Records I love those is at the top half of the triangle and your client's coming in with, oh my God, I just lost my job Like you have to pivot because nothing that you say from you can be your best self. You're so amazing. I'm going to keep you know, working on their confidence, their achievement, etc. It's going to fall on deaf ears when they don't have their basic, you know, employment needs met.

Speaker 1:

And so, even though I know, as metaphysical practitioners, we get the shit at the top of the triangle, every time we connect with people, we see people at that soul level we see people for the potential of who they are, what they're meant to do right, how they can live their best life. They can't get there without solving the bottom half of the triangle first, and so sometimes we are going to get people at the bottom of the triangle first, and so sometimes we are going to get people at the bottom of the triangle, and that's okay. But I don't want that to scare you. If it's a one-off anomaly, I don't want that to make you raise your prices, right. But I also need to say that those people are coming to you for a reason. So, for some reason, if there is a disconnect between you always providing self-actualization services and someone coming in because they've lost their job, they have health issues, et cetera, there's a reason. They have landed in your lap. What is that reason? You are probably the only person that Spirit, thanks can get through to them to give them that loving guidance, perspective. But also you need to meet them where they're at and they can get guidance from you in terms of their job, in terms of their health, right, and I think that's so important for a lot of people to get that help. Important for a lot of people to get that help and maybe once they get that help and they've secured the bottom rung of this triangle, maybe they'll come back to you when they're ready.

Speaker 1:

For I'm hearing in my mind the I was listen. I was nine when the Lion King came out. I loved that movie. I was obsessed with that movie. I'm hearing the Scar song of be prepared. So just be prepared that some clients are going to come in that maybe you wouldn't typically see, because maybe they used to be at the purple, but now they've gone down to the or sorry, I'm looking at a colored chart. They used to be at the self-actualization level or the self-esteem level, but now they've moved down to safety and physiological needs, just given the current administration, and they're normally up there at the self-actualization level, and so they might still need to come to you right now to make them feel good, to know what clear next steps are, to help them get jobs, find the health care provider that they needed and be ready for that.

Speaker 1:

And don't think that that's dumbing down your skill set or your services, because there's some reason again. They have landed in in your sessions with you because they trust you, and instead I want you to think differently about clients that are coming to you that feel like they're not your ideal client, because that that just means they're not your ideal client, because that just means they're not your ideal client yet. In case you couldn't hear that they're not your ideal client yet, but spirit has deemed them the ideal client for you. So take that, no matter where they fall in this triangle, obviously do what we all do with integrity and show up and give them your best reading and know that they're with you for a reason and trust that even if it's not your best reading or even if it's not your ideal reading, it was still valuable for the client who needed it at the time, and so I guess I take back. See, I'm so fast at letting spirit slap me across the face, so I take back what I said, so fast at letting spirit slap me across the face. So I take back what I said before because you're right, I'm not necessarily marketing towards the safety and physiological, physiological needs people, but there are people who used to be my target demographic that are having difficulties right now and we have to show up, no matter what, regardless of where they are in this triangle, so that they can get back to their best life and where they're supposed to be. So, yeah, super interesting, right, I like, I feel, I feel like it was really really helpful.

Speaker 1:

Because if, as I look back at some of my past readings of, as I think back at those readings that really were not me hitting out of the park, I think back that it was my personal ego driven expectation that I want, I want all the self actualized clients. I want to help you, I want to look at your contracts. I want to, I want to do this with you. I want to make sure we are on your best path. But really they needed me to help them with very basic things Because they trusted me as the practitioner for something that was so important to them, so important to their literal basic needs and livelihood basic needs and livelihood. And so that was 100% my ego getting in the way of a reading and thinking that this client was misaligned to me.

Speaker 1:

But they actually weren't, because a lot of those clients who felt misaligned in the first session because I was reading basic needs have become my ride or dies and they are amazing, fucking people who were just having a moment where they needed help to get back up to the self-esteem, self-actualization, part of the process, and so we can't judge people by their worst moments. We can't judge people by 60 minutes, 45 minutes in a session, because they've come to you because they have a problem and that problem can fall anywhere on that triangle and your job is to channel spirit to help them move up to the next part of the triangle. So, yeah, don't judge it. Don't judge it. I've learned very hard not to judge it, as you can hear, I will continue to try hard not to judge it. I've learned. I've learned very hard not to judge it, as you can hear, I will continue to try hard not to judge it.

Speaker 1:

But I hope this helps. I hope this framework with the Maslow's hierarchy of needs helps give you a basis for understanding of maybe where your clients at, maybe where you're at, seeing if there's a disconnect there, but really it doesn't matter, because spirit will show up regardless of where on the triangle your client is, because they know exactly what your client needs to be their best self and to help them in their journey. So, just again, let spirit lead, as always. Trust them, trust that the clients have landed with you for a reason and give it your all, as always. All right, that's all I had for today. I hope you have a wonderful day. Take care.

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