Organismic Processes: The Drive Towards Self-actualization
Carl Rogers, in his person-centred approach to therapy, emphasized the inherent potential for growth within each individual. He believed that individuals possess a natural drive towards Self-actualization (Rogers, 1961), a process of becoming the best version of oneself. This drive is rooted in what he called Organismic Processes – the innate, biological tendencies that guide our development and well-being.
The Organismic Self: Our True Nature
Rogers distinguished between the organismic self and the ideal self (Rogers, 1959). The organismic self represents our authentic core, encompassing our feelings, experiences, and instincts. It’s the part of us that knows what we need to thrive and feel fulfilled. It’s the organisms “real” self, as opposed to the current awareness’s understanding of it’s “real” self, which is shaped by additional layers of understanding and also refusal to understand, due to mental “blockages”, which cause the individual to become blind to assumptions, or to become over-optimistic by failing to see an influence as being impactful on the situation at hand.
Perhaps more importantly, the Organistic Approach accepts that humans are organisms and not machines, the increase in complexity meaning that human’s who approach potential solution to problems from an organistic approach will have more success in finding easier solutions that become instinctual in the nature of applying it. Deep Learning as opposed to a superficial decision resulting in repetitive false starts and the resulting self-blame for not simply being able to jump to the logical conclusion and assume that this is all the work that is needed.
An organistic approach, for example, will raise the importance of repetitive learning, and of the little-by-little, tentative approach of breaking down complex problems and challenges into “baby steps“.
The Organismic Valuing Process: Our Inner Compass
The Organismic Valuing Process (OVP) is a key concept within Rogers’ theory. It refers to the internal mechanism that helps us evaluate our experiences and determine what is beneficial for our growth (Rogers, 1959). It’s like an inner compass that guides us towards experiences that feel right and authentic, rather than those dictated by external pressures or societal norms.
A key part of developing the awareness of our thinking and responses and actions is my adopting a tentative, mindful approach to observing ourselves and our interactions with the environment and others.
The Holistic View of the Individual
Rogers viewed individuals as whole organisms, not just collections of thoughts or behaviours (Rogers, 1951). He believed that understanding the individual requires a holistic perspective, considering their emotional, physical, and social dimensions. This aligns with his emphasis on the importance of experiential learning (Rogers, 1961) – the idea that we learn best through direct experience and reflection.
A complexity, however, to Rogers’ thinking, is that there is the base level organismic self of our “instinctual”, lizard brain, and the whole organismic self, which includes our experientially learnt, and hopefully, actual responses.
“the instinct wants to pull the hand from the Gom Jabbar, the knowledge of certain death might prevent it.”
Therefore, there are two versions of what we might call “The Organismic self”: The one that we are born with, and the one that has modified that instinctual behaviour with rational thoughts and rulesets.
Understanding this difference is key, in order to allow that core organismic self to be trained by the greater organismic self.
Implications for Personal Growth
Understanding Organismic Processes has significant implications for personal growth and development. It encourages individuals to:
- Embrace authenticity: To live in accordance with their true selves, rather than conforming to external pressures.
- Trust Their Inner wisdom: To listen to their own feelings and intuitions, rather than relying solely on external guidance.
- Seek Experiences That Promote Growth: To actively engage in experiences that feel authentic and contribute to their well-being.
References
Rogers 1959: A Theory of Therapy, Personality, and Interpersonal Relationships: As Developed in the Client-Centered Framework
- This work is considered one of Rogers’ most comprehensive statements on his theories regarding therapy and interpersonal relationships. It lays the foundation for his client-cantered approach.
Rogers 1961: On Becoming a Person: A therapist’s View of Psychotherapy
- This seminal book explores Rogers’ humanistic approach to therapy, emphasizing personal growth and the therapeutic relationship. It is highly regarded and has influenced many in the field of psychology.
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