BIOENERGETIC LAYERS
IN A PERSON
EGO LAYER DEFENCES
1)Denial 2)Mistrust 3)Blaming 4)Projection
5)Rationalization
BEFORE THERAPY
MUSCLE LAYER (ARMOUR)
Chronic muscular tension supports the Ego Defences and protect against
the underlying layer of suppressed feelings forbidden expression.
Defensive role of injuries and psychosomatic illness.
EMOTIONAL LAYER
Suppressed feelings of
1)Terror, Panic. 2)Rage 3)Pain, Sadness , Despair.
REPRESSED CORE FEELINGS
Feelings from the heart. Longing to Love and be Loved
EXPRESSED CORE FEELINGS (TRUE-SELF)
All feelings would flow from the heart. One loves (is passionate) about what
one does whether it is work, play or sex
EXPRESS ALL THE FEELINGS
Fear, Pain, Sorrow, Anger, Pleasure, Joy, Love,
Contentment, Good Feelings. Passion. Compassion
MUSCULAR LAYER
Graceful coordinated action. Every movement is ergonomically perfect.
There is no waste of energy. The art of being in the “Flow”.
AFTER THERAPY
EGO LAYER OF CONSCIOUSNESS (ADULT)
Self-Awareness, Self-Assertion, Self-Possesion, Self-Respect.
A sense of Personal Vision and Personal Mastery.
BIOENERGETIC LAYERS OF DEFENCES
The above diagram illustrates the four layers a person has. The top half of the diagram corresponds to a person who has
not been treated and illustrates typical defensive attitudes. The bottom half of the diagram shows how someone after
therapy could be. This is of course an ideal result. How this is achieved is explained below.
A verbal psychotherapeutic approach is limited to working with layer 1 ego defences. But although one can help a person
become conscious of his defensive patterns and his tendencies to deny, project blame or rationalize, these conscious
insights rarely affect the muscular tensions in layer 2 which are blocking the release of the underlying suppressed feelings
in layer 3. If the muscular tensions are not affected, the conscious insights can easily degenerate into a different kind of
rationalization with an accompanying altered form of denial and projection.
In bioenergetic therapy one works with the muscular layer (layer 2). The bodywork is transferential bodywork .The therapist then has the option of talking (layer 1) about the effect of releasing the muscle tensions and why they were necessary
in the first place or go deeper and let the client feel the underlying emotions (layer 3). Releasing the underlying feelings is
crucial. But catharsis may not be enough so one tries to give the client intellectual insight too.
Thus by moving from bodywork to talking to feeling all three layers are worked upon. The blocked off energy is released
and used in the new personality growth process. The ideal is to gain insight (layer 1), armour release and permanent body
change (layer 2) and access to feelings and ones core or true self in the centre.
www.drcarloschan.com