[Neurons] 2026 Neurons #8 SYMPTOMS ON 3 LEVELS

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2026 Neurons #8

February 23, 2026

Problem Solving Expertise #10

                                                          

SYMPTOMS ON

THE THREE META LEVELS

 

In the last blog we explored the three meta-levels of problems and because
of those three meta-levels (Neurons #7), each level also triggers different
kinds of symptoms.  Knowing this enables you to identify a symptom's level
and whether it is time to reframe, refer to a coach, and/or refer to a
therapist.  Symptoms, as expressions of meanings, and the conceptual
constructs that generate the problem, make up a lot of the noise that an
expert problem-solver has to cut through.  Without the ability to identify
and distinguish symptom from problem and the different levels of symptoms, a
person can waste a lot of time trying to get a handle on the real problem.
So you are facing some symptoms, at what level do the symptoms occur?

 

Primary Symptoms

On the first-level are the primary symptoms.  These result directly from the
meaning of one's thinking or believing.  Here the symptom is also the
emotion that results from the thinking.  If you are thinking fearful,
dangerous or overwhelming thoughts, symptomatically you will experience
fear.  If you are thinking that something is a threat to your self or to
your values, symptomatically, you will experience anger.  So also with
thoughts of loss generates sadness. Thoughts of violating your values or
doing something wrong will generate shame or guilt. 

 

With first level symptoms, you can easily infer the meaning construct
creating the problematic symptom.  And you know it is a first level symptom
when the symptoms quickly goes away when you reframe the meaning.  These
symptoms tell a well trained Manager (or any person) that he or she can deal
with the problem by renaming, re-classifying, reframing, belief change,
upgrading of an understanding, re-deciding a decision, etc.  Further, at the
level, things can change very quickly and is the basis for the 5-Minute
conversation. 

 

Second Level Symptoms

Now things get complicated.  Here the kind of thinking that generates the
symptoms are not direct and immediate thoughts, but layered thoughts-
thoughts-about-thoughts.  Here as a person reflexively think-and-feels a
second time about a first level thought, emotion, or experience, thinking
becomes layered.  For example, fearing your fear generates paranoia, anger
at your fear generates self-contempt, hatred of your fear may generate
self-hatred.  Here the multi-ordinal nature of thinking create multi-layered
meanings making it much more difficult to say what you feel or address the
symptoms which result.

 

Ask, "What do you feel?" to someone who fears his anger, and shames himself
for his fear-of-his-anger, and he will struggle to clearly identify what he
feels.  He feels a number of things.  When this layering process continues
and habituates, gestalt states arise which are "more than, and different
from the sum of the parts."  This is what enables we humans to create all
sorts of pathological states that can't be explained by the parts.
Psychotherapists have described the resulting states as "knots" and
paradoxes-obviously a much more complex problem to solve. In the same way,
there will be not just one but a multiplicity of symptoms.

 

Symptoms at the second level are seldom solved quickly.  Here a single
reframe or even multiple reframes seldom create a resolution so the symptom
goes away.  That's a good indication that you're dealing with a second level
symptom and it's time to refer.  Here refer to a well-trained coach or
counselor who will have more advanced problem-solving skills- skills which
may take a full 60-minute session or multiple sessions to resolve.

 

Sometimes at this level, the person's may have found a fast and quick
solution to his problem.  He does this with a positive intention, seeking a
quick way to eliminate the symptom or generate a sense of protection.  And
in the short-term it works.  In the long-term, however, it generates more
problems, more severe consequences, and distress.  The short-term 'solution'
of denial does this.  It makes the problem go away.  But not really.  So
also with other pseudo-solutions like blaming and cynicism.  They seem to
release one from shame and guilt, but not really.  A solution like hate,
aggression, prejudice, etc. seems to build up one's sense of worth and
value, but again, the solution is dysfunctional and even toxic.  

 

Third Level Symptoms

While the second level problems and symptoms are mostly unconscious, they
can fairly easily be made conscious and worked with.  Not so with the third
level.  The unconscious assumptions and presuppositions that make up the
conceptual constructs at this level are mostly absorbed from our cultural
environment and learned behaviorally through the rules and rituals that we
practice long before we can question them.  We thereby embody these premises
and inhabit them kinesthetically which makes them mostly outside of
conscious awareness.

 

These assumptive understandings about life, self, knowledge, reality, etc.
are the 'life scripts' that we pick up from family, friends, religion,
school, etc.  Ideas like "Life is unpredictable and chaotic."  "Trust no
one."  "People are selfish and cruel."  "People do not actually change."
Often these arise due to traumas or emotional wounds and arise as a
pseudo-solution for protection and survival.  As a result, the symptoms that
arise from this level are usually much deeper inside of one's body as a deep
kinesthetic feeling of being helpless, hopeless, suicide ideations,
destructiveness, etc.

 


These symptoms require a well-trained psychotherapist and typically involve
ten to twenty sessions.  The therapist has to have psychological skills of
eliciting the unconscious assumptions and dealing with them.  Here because
the conceptual constructs of the person requires the symptoms and maintain
them, getting to them is essential for solving assumptive level problems.

 

Next time you ask about someone's symptoms and then hear them-question
yourself, "At what level is this symptom?"  "At what level of constructing
meaning would this symptom arise?"  That will indicate how deeply to engage
your meta probe into the person's mind-body system.

 

 

 

 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ISNS

738 Beaver Lodge

Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA

meta at acsol.net

 

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