Emotional literacy and levels of consciousness in bio-psycho-social-spiritual-ecological (5D) model of human experience.

Abstract

The efficacy of emotion regulation, critical for psychological wellbeing and a transdiagnostic approach to treating mental health, is tightly related to a broader emotional literacy construct. Both concepts are inseparably intertwined with a conceptual framework of emotions, but a generally accepted theory is still missing. This article presents the circular emotional reaction (CER) model by Zoran Milivojevic as a comprehensive framework of emotion psychology and psychopathology that aligns with the latest scientific findings. It further elaborates on the framework by introducing the novel bio-psycho-social-spiritual-ecological (5D) model of human experience, depicted as an iceberg personality metaphor that integrates major psychological functions through the lifespan on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal level, with the CER model as a link between the different domains. Against that backdrop, distinct levels of consciousness are formulated that are informed by moral development and the locus of power, and the main hypothesis is postulated that they are directly proportional to emotional literacy. Despite its complexity, the developed model offers practical tools by laying out the continuum of the structural inadequacy of emotional reactions, serving as the foundation for diagnosing and treating mental health disorders and developing emotion regulation skills crucial for psychological wellbeing and conscious evolution.