All part of the information that you emit unconsciously, and that goes unnoticed by you, but not by others. In all interaction with the environment you are constantly giving signals; signals that do not necessarily coincide with the point of focus of what you do want to transmit.
For several years, many people who only know me virtually through social networks have sent me messages saying “What peace I feel when reading or listening to you!” For me it was a surprise, because beyond working at these levels for decades, I did not observe myself in that way.
To learn to decode this seemingly complex interaction, one of the promoters of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Robert Dilts, developed a model called “Pyramid of Logical Levels”based on the work of Gregory Bateson, anthropologist, linguistics, and social scientist.
For the author, these movements of signals towards the environment have to do with certain logical and neurological models. This is how the 7 level pyramidas a graphical form to facilitate understanding.
The seven levels of the pyramid
level 1: Environment or environment
The first two levels of the pyramid are the planes visible to anyoneand Dilts calls them “remedial” in that they seek to make sense of and remedy the way people influence and behave.
We all live interacting with others. There are close relationships, such as friends, family, work and the neighborhood, and even from a broader perspective, we influence our city, country and the world as a whole in some way through our actions, sayings, opinions and considerations. Just imagine the impact that a message you post on a social network or a reaction from you can have on someone you don’t know.
At the same time, that very interaction influences you. And it is in that round trip where some kind of impact or resonance occurs. It is the level of reaction to what happens.
To learn to recognize it, humans ask ourselves essential questions: What happened? Why? What have you had to do with it? How you feel? In what way have you influenced what happened? It is a phase of questions, answers, analysis, reflection.
level 2: Behaviors
Here you have already taken action, and your way of proceeding in the environment or environment where you are moving is revealed. and you do it with habits, facts, customs, and reflex acts.
The behavior can be conscious (you realize you are doing it) or unconscious (automatic response). In turn, you generate these actions voluntarily or involuntarily, before others or in private; and, definitely, it is influenced by the circumstances, which create a shock wave that touches the environment.
Behaviors are visible to the naked eye (for example, a gesture, words, attitudes, moods), and are also produced internallyinvisible to others (such as internal dialogues and ruminating thoughts, which would be approximately 12,000 per day in each person, according to neuroscience), memories and imagination.
It is at the level of behavior that you build your way of moving, acting or reacting to the world; that is They serve to observe your way of acting. Remember: what others observe is their own interpretation of what you manifest. And what you observe in yourself is your own interpretation, that is, the story that you constantly tell yourself.
To work at this level you can ask yourself: What do I do –when I behave in such a way–?, What prevents me…?, “What do I think about…?”, What else can I do…?
level 3: Capabilities
Entering the generative planes, here you place your resources, mental programs, emotions and qualities.
It is from the time you are born to approximately 6 or 7 years of age that you grow in your relationship with your direct environment, and you begin to determine the causes and consequences of your own and others’ behaviors.
Some questions to elaborate this level can be “How do I achieve…?”, What domains do I activate when…?”, “How can I…?”, “What is the most appropriate choice for…?”. As you observe, It is a level of generation of possibilities and alternativesand awareness of the internal resources you have.
level 4: beliefs and judgments
Beliefs are laws written in the conscious and unconscious plane that we take for granted, whether or not they work for the present moment of life.. They can be enabling or expansion, which help you grow; or limiting and restrictive, that prevent you from moving forward.
Within the latter, judgments about “how things should be” occupy an important place. This is how, in advance, you have already taken a position on yourself, the world, others, your environment. They are generalizations of actions, and what they do is block the opening of possibilities.
Beliefs are an internal representation of what you interpret life and the world to be; That is why no two people act in the same way when faced with the same event: everything is interpretive and subjective according to the perspective of each one. Also, judgments go hand in hand with limiting beliefs.
Some generative questions that you can ask yourself, for example: “What for…?”, “Does this belief move me closer to or further away from the result I want to achieve?”, “What is the judgment towards myself or towards others? others or situations, that appears when this limiting belief arises?”, “How can I change the belief that limits me and the underlying judgment for a more contributive one?”.
level 5: Values and attitude
Connected with those answers about the previous point, the dimensions of values and attitude.
Values are those pillars that support your non-negotiable positions and you act based on them. They make up your why, and give reason and direction.
The attitude depends on your internal state (sometimes called state of mind), and the environment and circumstances, and is basically based on your emotional space: how you connect with the emotion and feelings that appear before certain events. Related to the attitude appears your motivation -which is neither more nor less, “give reasons”-. So, the motivational level you generate will depend on your attitude.
Some questions may be: “Why do I do such a thing…?”, “What important internal value for me is this decision based on?”, “What value is transgressed when I feel uncomfortable with such a fact?”
Regarding the attitude: “How do I connect with this experience?”, “Why does my attitude of -such behavior- arise in the face of this situation?”, “What can I learn from this?”, “Since where am I observing the present situation, and what happens if I move/change position to observe?”, “What is the role I play in the face of what is happening to me?” There are interesting conclusions you could come to.
level 6: identity
This other step responds to the deep questioning “Who am I?” and “Who am I beyond what I think I am?”
Since we are interpreting what we believe we are, it would be more accurate to speak of identity as a set of beliefs, values, behaviors, actions, and relationships with the environment and with yourself, which define who you are, from your point of view.
Robert Dilts’ proposal invites us to explore here the theme of life mission, of the purpose and the legacy that you will leave when you are no longer on this physical plane. It is the prelude to the transcendent plane.
Identity is much more than the label that people usually wear when saying “I am a doctor”, “I am a teacher”, “I am a worker”, “I am a coach”, “I am a technician”. What it does is put a social role before the true essence. By talking about the capabilities you have, you avoid expressing something deeper, such as making a statement of identity.
To reflect on this level, it may be helpful to ask yourself these questions: “Who am I?”, “Who do I think I am?”, “In what circumstances do I know exactly who I am and in which circumstances am I not so sure?” and why do you think you do that internal process. I also suggest reviewing the belief patterns about identity that could have been instilled from family, education and the environment where you grew up and even where you currently move.
Level 7: Transpersonal Spirituality
At the top of the pyramid of logical levels, the author invites delve into higher planes of consciousness. He associates it with the moment of internal awakening, the awareness of the Being.
When the word ‘spirituality’ is mentioned, it is not done from a religious perspective or from certain cults; although many agree that we are all spiritual, because we have something internal that moves us.
‘Spirituality’ can be about a force, drive, soul, spark, divinity, or whatever you want to call it, if this idea works for you. The denominations do not matter, but the essence of the concept does.
Transpersonal spirituality is everything that transcends you as a human being and connects you with other dimensions of Being. It is what facilitates a “wow” or “aha” moment, when you have worked intensely on yourself and an answer appears, a an indication, an intuition, a vision that opens the way.
For example, it is the relational field where you expand your consciousnessand, as a consequence, you become aware that you positively influence other people, you produce improvements in yourself and in each relationship you have, and it could be said that an improved version of the existence of living and Being is achieved in all their expressions.
It does not have any dogma to follow: simply, it is what it is, in complete coherence and congruence between what I think, what I feel, what I say (what I declare) and what I do.
It is also a level of deep clarity of consciousness; there is a kind of ‘transparency’ in every thought and action, completely aligned with who you are in essence.
To work this level, you can explore your inner emotional state. If you are in balance for at least 90% of each day, you may already be experiencing it. And, in this case, more than questions, sensations, clues, emotional clues that reveal visions, next steps, feelings of gratitude and a deep inner connection and with your environment appear spontaneously. It is the state of flow (flow) with what is present, without offering any resistance.
By developing your personal knowledge on these seven levels, you will be closer to knowing or intuiting what others know about you; and, at the same time, you will be in a process of personal improvement to take you to a higher level of consciousness.