If we want to improve performance we will need a framework to help us to do so. So in this article I am going to share one of the most important frameworks I have learned in my 20+ years at the DeRose Method. This will form the foundation of the work and maybe – if I can communicate it properly – you will feel like I did, 🤯
This is far from the only way to express this information and there is also a personal take on the information. If you want to know more, as always, you can consult DeRose’s vast archives.
OK so let me start with the picture of my friend Fernando Contreras above.
There you can see him, well, physically and figuratively. And this is really important for the topic at hand.
What you can see in the picture above can be called Dense Physical. It is made up of the skin, muscles, bones etc… But is this all of Fernando? If this was all of him, then what would make him different from a boulder?
The answer clearly has to be that this is not all of him. What you can see, the Dense Physical, can be defined as a layer. Note: there are many other terms that can be used here, which, if you decide to go deeper into learning and practicing the DeRose Method, you will discover and understand, but for right now, it is just going to make this article too long…
So if the Dense Physical layer is not all of him, what else is there? If this layer was all of him then he would be a corpse, really no different than a boulder… but the fact that he is alive is a testimony that there must be more!
The next layer can be defined as Physical Energetic. It is composed of the electric signals, the heat, the magnetism, the energy which powers the Dense Physical. This is layer exists and it takes up roughly the same area as the Dense Physical body — possibly a little more as heat and magnetism can extend beyond the limit of the skin — please note that there is no hocus-pocus or hippie energy business here… this is the very energies described in Physics. There is a pattern between these two layers which is really powerful, and it will also help us to further our understanding of this process… this pattern is one of DENSITY.
The Dense Physical layer is very concrete. You can see it with your eyes, you can feel it, you can poke and prod it, you can interact etc. However, the Physical Energy is less dense. You cannot see it with your naked eye, you cannot touch it… but it is possible to interact (If you have never interacted with this energy send me a message on the comments and I can share a very simple exercise to make you aware of this energy). Let me just make sure that this is really clear…. There Dense Physical layer is unquestionably the densest, all other layers will be more subtle and this has really important implications…
So we have the first 2 layers…. is that all of anyone? No… there are more. The next more subtle layer is the EMOTIONAL. At this point there is usually some argument, so let me tackle this quickly… this is not the ONLY framework, it is a very USEFUL one. I did not created this framework, if you want to read the source material which exposes this let me know and I can prepare you to dig deep in to your studies in philosophy!
Right, back on track. The Emotional Layer is composed by… well… emotions…and it is much more subtle than both previous layers. Let’s explore this a little… The subtlety relationship works like this: in order for you to perceive and experience a layer you need the denser layers to be stable. So let us test this…. imagine that you are feeling very tired and low on your energy reserves… and then walking back home you sprain your ankle… suddenly the pain jolts you and makes the Dense Physical totally unstable. The result? Would you still feel tired or is that sense of low energy vanished and been replaced by something denser? The same is true for emotions. Imagine that you are not feeling great and you go out for a run. This will de-stabilize your Dense Physical again and possibly your energetic at the end. The result? Likely the emotions will not be as intense or even have disappeared all together.
Alright, just a quick sum up… So…. We understood different layers. We understood the relationship between the layers governed by subtlety. Have discussed briefly the concept of stability (or lack thereof) which I will deve deeper shortly. And we have seen 3 layers: Dense Physical, Physical Energetic and Emotional.
The fourth layer is the Rational. Now this can be a bit complex to define and my favorite and simplest explanation goes like this… Your Rational is the result of using one of four tools: intellect, association, memory and logic. If you are processing information using one or more of these four then this is the Rational.
However, not all information is rational… there are things we know that we did not have any prior knowledge or memory…. that we simply know… say a gut feeling. This information is in the next layer: the Intuitional. This is information which we have not used the four tools above, but we “know” just the same.
So how can you access this information?Well if we follow the system we discussed so far of subtlety it becomes a simple exercise of understanding stability and instability. The more stable each layer is the easier it is to perceive the next!
So what makes a layer stable or unstable?
Well, the instability of each layer is generated but its activity… If you are running, or doing some for of exercise, or even just trekking but you need to stay focused on your foothold… then the Dense Physical layer is unstable. If you are comfortable and your body does not demand your attention, then this layer is stable! Notice that stability it is not about ignoring (not being conscious of) the layer, but rather, it is about comfort and not spending resources on it. Similarly, for your Physical Energetic, your Emotional, your Rational… for all your layers… this is how it works!
Alright! we are going to use this framework a LOT and maybe build upon it more in the future. For now this post is already quite long so I will leave it at this point! If you have questions or comments… just click below and leave me a note!