The Neurological Levels concept was developed by Robert Dilts (1990) taking much
of his inspiration from the work of Gregory Bateson (leading anthropologist, philosopher
and seminal figure in the early development of NLP) - particularly his Logical Levels
of Learning construct (1972). For this model of abstracted levels of what we learn
and how it affects us, Bateson himself drew on the Logical Typing of mathematician
and philosopher Bertrand Russell.
Taking his cue from Bateson, Dilts conceived a hierarchy of levels the mind uses
to order its relationship with the world. Dilts linked these 'Logical Levels' to
neurological functions and structure of the brain. Thus, Neurological Levels!
While the supposed 'logicality' of the model has been attacked and Dilts' use of
neurology is sometimes open to question, almost everyone who has worked with the
model testifies to its power to describe what we might call Nominal Level Adaptation.
In other words, the match of Identity - and the Values & Beliefs which flow from
Identity - to the Environment in which we find ourselves.
The key to a healthy psyche, according to Dilts, is to align the levels from top
to bottom so that the Identity has the Values & Beliefs to acquire the necessary
Skills & Knowledge to demonstrate Behaviour appropriate to the Environment. For example,
someone who is a teacher (Identity) would almost certainly behave differently in
the classroom (Environment) to when they were being a worshipper (Identity) in a
church (Environment).
Where the neuroscientists have found Dilts' attribution of brain structures to functioning
of the levels to be phenomenally perceptive is in the relationship between Values
& Beliefs and Skills & Knowledge.
Skills & Knowledge (aka Capability) involves higher level processing primarily in
the cerebral cortex of the brain. Here mental maps are formed from sensory information,
other mental representations and imagination and plans are made.
However, Values & Beliefs - which relate to the question, 'why?' - are also associated
with the limbic system and, in particular, the amygdala's stimulation of the hypothalamus.
The limbic system's integration of information from the cortex and regulation of
the autonomic nervous system means that physiological changes such as tingling of
the skin and increase in heart rate often occur when we are operating at this level.
However, the amygdala can react to certain sensory information faster than the cortex
can evaluate and plan, resulting in what Daniel Goleman calls 'emotional hijacking'.
People can act before thinking and without any sense of consequences when their Values
& Beliefs are challenged!
See Dilts’ Brain Science for further information on the neurological workings of
the model.
Interestingly, again drawing from Bateson's work, Dilts also identified different
linguistic patterns and vocabulary associated with each level. (This is reflected
in the words on the right hand side of the graphic above.)
In the Dilts hierarchy, the higher the level change takes place at, the greater the
impact upon the whole. Which doesn't rule out change at the lower levels impacting
upwards - though this is far less likely and is also less likely to be sustainable.
A
Frame for Spiral Dynamics
Not only do Neurological Levels form a powerful model in
their own right but they form an excellent frame for understanding the relationship
between the vMEMES of Spiral Dynamics. and the Life Conditions - what's going on
- in the Environment.The dominating vMEMES are related to the sense of Identity and
will influence the formation of Values & Beliefs. We might call this Deeper Level
Adaptation. (Ian Lavan reputedly was the first to use Neurologlical Levels as a frame
for Spiral Dynamics.)
However, vMEMES can also relate to the Skills & Knowledge level - see the Gernia
Variation of 4Q/8L.)
It is the association between the higher neurological levels and vMEMES which provides
the central core of Integrated SocioPsychology.
From my own experiences, an example of using Neurological Levels this way...
A few years ago I was 'walking' 'Harry' through his neurological levels - an exercise
Dilts developed for gaining enlightenment from the Unconscious Mind. When he reached
the Identity level and I asked him what his mission in life was, Harry turned around,
tears streaming from his eyes, and said, "Mission? I don't have any mission. I don't
have any idea what I'm doing here. I just live day to day. Like a dog." That confirmed
to me what I already suspected: that Harry was stuck in a RED state.
Such is the power of the Neurological Levels model that it can be applied across
4Q/8L's Lower Quadrants to groups and organisations as well as individuals. A number
of consultants and business advisers have used it as an analytical tool on business
planning projects. The results of one such analysis I carried out can be viewed here.
Identity
and Spirituality
Identity is a key issue in many psychological theories, making another
reason for Neurological Levels being so important to the development of Integrated
SocioPsychology.
For example the effect of Identity upon Behaviour means neurological levels have
implications for understanding modelling in Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory.
Identity is also especially important in the work of Carl Rogers, Erik Erikson and
James Marcia.
Although it is not always represented in depictions of the model, Bateson and Dilts
do acknowledge a level beyond Identity: Spirituality. Bateson described this as:
"The individual mind is immanent but not only in the body. It is immanent in the
pathways and messages outside the body; and there is a larger Mind of which the individual
mind is only a sub-system. This larger mind is comparable to God and is perhaps what
people mean by 'God' ,but it is still immanent in the total interconnected social
system and planetary ecology."
With this, Bateson certainly allows for a 'collective consciousness' and a sense
of 'interconnectedness'. Dilts has acknowledged the therapeutic value of the spiritual
dimension on many occasions. However, neither has really taken the concept as far
as Ken Wilber does in his Integral Psychology (2000) and Integral Spirituality concepts.
Click here to learn about Integrated SocioPsychology ‘open’ workshop programmes which
use Neurological Levels as a key structure.
Neurological Levels Resources
