Lexicon of Life Regulation

17 min read Original article ↗
  • Definition: The system of respiratory gas intake and phonetic articulation.

  • Function: Ensuring gas exchange (Oxygen/CO2) and the production of sounds for basic communication.

  • Effectiveness: Enables physical vitality and the expression of internal states to the outside world.

  • Particularity: It is the only vegetative function that can be both unconsciously controlled and consciously regulated.

  • Definition: The intake and utilization of organic and inorganic substances.

  • Function: Provision of energy for metabolic processes and maintenance of cellular structures.

  • Effectiveness: Regulates energy levels, growth, and the long-term health of the organism.

  • Particularity: Nutrition connects biological necessity with cultural identity and pleasure.

  • Definition: The active change of the spatial position of the body or its parts through muscular force.

  • Function: Exploration of the environment, maintenance of motor skills, and physical resilience.

  • Effectiveness: Increases cardiovascular efficiency and releases neurotransmitters for mood enhancement.

  • Particularity: Movement translates internal impulses into visible, physical reality.

  • Definition: The release of metabolic end products and unusable substances.

  • Function: Detoxification of the body and maintenance of homeostasis (internal balance).

  • Effectiveness: Prevents the accumulation of harmful substances and ensures biological purity.

  • Particularity: A highly sensitive system that reacts strongly to stress and psychological well-being.

  • Definition: Psychophysiological reaction patterns to internal or external stimuli.

  • Function: Evaluation of situations regarding their relevance to the individual.

  • Effectiveness: Serve as an internal compass and motivate specific actions (e.g., approach or avoidance).

  • Particularity: Feelings are the bridge between the body and consciousness.

  • Definition: The totality of phenomena associated with the sexual drive and its expression.

  • Function: Reproduction as well as the deepening of interpersonal bonds through intimacy.

  • Effectiveness: Generation of pleasure, relaxation, and emotional connectedness.

  • Particularity: It is a complex interplay of biology, psychology, and socio-cultural norms.

  • Definition: Mental processes of information processing, perception, and reflection.

  • Function: Problem-solving, future planning, and the structuring of world knowledge.

  • Effectiveness: Enables adaptation to complex environments through learning and abstraction.

  • Particularity: Thinking allows humans to detach from the immediate present (mental time travel).

  • Definition: Interaction with the physical environment and the material realities of the world.

  • Function: Provision of living space and raw materials for securing existence.

  • Effectiveness: Creates a grounding of the individual in physical reality.

  • Particularity: This system illustrates dependence on and simultaneous connection with the ecosystem.

  • Definition: The availability of means (material or immaterial) for the satisfaction of needs.

  • Function: Securing autonomy and provision for future needs.

  • Effectiveness: Reduces existential fears and creates room for individual development.

  • Particularity: Property often serves as an extended self-concept and expression of personality.

  • Definition: The goal-oriented application of energy and skills to shape the environment.

  • Function: Maintenance of society and attainment of self-validation by creating value.

  • Effectiveness: Leads to experiences of competence and structures the temporal course of life.

  • Particularity: In work, the transformation of potential into a concrete result takes place.

  • Definition: Structures and processes for ordering relationships and managing differences.

  • Function: Clarification of boundaries and harmonization of coexistence.

  • Effectiveness: Enables stable social structures through clear agreements and constructive engagement.

  • Particularity: Separation is understood here as a necessary instrument for differentiation and the protection of integrity.

  • Definition: Integration into social groups and primary reference systems.

  • Function: Provision of security, protection, and emotional reconnection.

  • Effectiveness: Promotes psychological stability and forms the basis for identity development.

  • Particularity: Family is often the first system in which an individual experiences unconditional acceptance.

  • Definition: The degree of physical and emotional immediacy between persons.

  • Function: Fulfillment of the need for security and intimate validation.

  • Effectiveness: Lowers stress levels (oxytocin release) and strengthens trust in others.

  • Particularity: Proximity requires vulnerability and is the most intense form of interpersonal exchange.

  • Definition: The placement of one’s own life within a larger context of meaning or a value system.

  • Function: Provision of life goals and moral guidelines.

  • Effectiveness: Gives consistency to actions and helps in coping with crises.

  • Particularity: This system is purely mental-spiritual in nature and forms the roof over all other areas of life.

  • Definition: The vertical dimension of human experience, spanning the spectrum from abstract spirituality to physical matter.

  • Function: Categorizes experiences according to their density and abstraction.

  • Effectiveness: Enables the localization of the state of consciousness between vision and implementation.

  • Particularity: It connects the “where from” (inspiration) with the “what for” (manifestation).

  • Definition: The horizontal dimension of perceptual control and psychological processing.

  • Function: Regulation of the intensity with which an individual engages with internal or external stimuli.

  • Effectiveness: Determines the quality of reaction to challenges and life events.

  • Particularity: It highlights how balanced psychological energy is distributed.

  • Definition: The pole of abstraction, ideas, visions, and spirituality within the experience axis.

  • Function: Inspiration and the design of possibilities beyond current reality.

  • Effectiveness: Creates perspective and enables the development of ideals and values.

  • Particularity: “Heaven” is the space of pure potentiality, not yet bound to matter.

  • Definition: The central instance of the experience axis; the place of the immediate present and experiencing.

  • Function: Integration of impulses (Heaven) and their grounding (Earth) through sensory perception.

  • Effectiveness: Acts as a resonance chamber and filter for all life-historical experiences.

  • Particularity: Only through the body does the abstract idea become a felt reality.

  • Definition: The pole of matter, physical implementation, and biological instincts.

  • Function: Securing the foundations of existence and the factual realization of projects.

  • Effectiveness: Provides stability, structure, and the necessary weight for sustainable action.

  • Particularity: This is where the final shaping occurs; it is the realm of consequence and tangibility.

  • Definition: A state of minimal attention where aspects of experience are excluded from consciousness.

  • Function: Short-term protection against overwhelm through distancing.

  • Effectiveness: Leads to long-term alienation from one’s own needs or the environment.

  • Particularity: Repression creates a “blind spot” that unconsciously restricts the ability to act.

  • Definition: A state of maximal, excessive attention where distance to the experience is lost.

  • Function: Attempt at full control or merging with a situation/feeling.

  • Effectiveness: Often results in emotional instability as an observer perspective can no longer be maintained.

  • Particularity: The individual “becomes” the feeling or the problem instead of just having it.

  • Definition: The state of optimal attention control between ignorance and obsession.

  • Function: Enables an appropriate, flexible response to the demands of the moment.

  • Effectiveness: Produces a sense of coherence, presence, and inner peace (flow).

  • Particularity: Harmony is not a static point but a dynamic balancing process requiring constant readjustment.

  • Phenotype: Unobtrusive presence (Being quiet).

  • Belief: “I must not take up any space.”

  • Development: Child learns to swallow needs; parental tone is dampening and warning.

  • Young Adult: Adaptability to the point of self-sacrifice; avoidance of conflict.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “silent sufferer”; dutiful functioning without complaint.

  • Deathbed: A lonely, quiet fading out; often without unresolved conflicts, but also without expression.

  • Phenotype: Dominant articulation (Being loud).

  • Belief: “Only those who scream are heard.”

  • Development: Constant burden of justification; parental tone is demanding and loud.

  • Young Adult: Urge for self-presentation; excessive presence in discussions.

  • Old Age (1950s): The blustering patriarch or the wailing matriarch.

  • Deathbed: Dramatic staging of the farewell; demands the attention of the surroundings until the end.

  • Phenotype: Asceticism (Lack of appetite).

  • Belief: “Hunger is a sign of weakness.”

  • Development: Eating is experienced as purely functional intake; emotionally cold table atmosphere.

  • Young Adult: Neglect of physical needs in favor of performance.

  • Old Age (1950s): Thinness as an expression of discipline and modesty.

  • Deathbed: Emaciation; the body gives up its substance without resistance.

  • Phenotype: Compensation (Gluttony/Fixation).

  • Belief: “Food is the only safety.”

  • Development: Love is substituted exclusively through food; “Eat so you grow big.”

  • Young Adult: Emotional eating; body weight as a protective armor.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “bon vivant,” for whom prosperity is visible through physical girth.

  • Deathbed: Death by lifestyle diseases with a full fridge; fear of scarcity until the end.

  • Phenotype: Rigidity (Immobility).

  • Belief: “Don’t attract attention by fidgeting.”

  • Development: Sitting still as the highest virtue; Tone: “Sit properly!”

  • Young Adult: Physical lethargy; avoidance of sports and physical expression.

  • Old Age (1950s): Early physical stiffening; the “couch potato.”

  • Deathbed: Immobility leads to complications in bed; a freezing of the life spirits.

  • Phenotype: The Driven (Hyperactivity).

  • Belief: “Standstill is regression/death.”

  • Development: Praise only for physical performance; Tone: “Keep going, don’t go soft!”

  • Young Adult: Competitive athlete or workaholic; defines self through action.

  • Old Age (1950s): Restless retiree who does not accept decline.

  • Deathbed: Sudden cardiac death or accident from excessive exertion.

  • Phenotype: Retention (Constipation).

  • Belief: “I keep everything to myself.”

  • Development: Toilet training as control; feelings of shame regarding the body.

  • Young Adult: Inability to let go of the old (materially and emotionally).

  • Old Age (1950s): Stinginess and emotional closedness.

  • Deathbed: Agonizing departure by clinging to the physical shell.

  • Phenotype: The Uncontrolled (Diarrhea/Lack of boundaries).

  • Belief: “Everything must come out immediately.”

  • Development: Lack of regulation; no boundaries for emotional output.

  • Young Adult: Lack of impulse control; “venting” problems to everyone.

  • Old Age (1950s): The uninhibited elder who no longer knows social filters.

  • Deathbed: Loss of body control perceived as undignified in the final phase.

  • Phenotype: Affective coolness (Stoic).

  • Belief: “A brave soldier knows no pain.”

  • Development: Crying is punished or ignored; Tone: “Don’t make a fuss.”

  • Young Adult: Functional professionalism without empathy for oneself.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “stony” head of the family.

  • Deathbed: Lonely death behind a mask of bravery.

  • Phenotype: Hysteria (Overwhelmed).

  • Belief: “I am my fear/my anger.”

  • Development: Parents project their own fears onto the child; tone is panicked.

  • Young Adult: Drama-oriented; minor setbacks become catastrophes.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “nervous” one who constantly seeks attention through crises.

  • Deathbed: Farewell in fear and terror; inability to find peace.

  • Phenotype: Prudery (Asexuality).

  • Belief: “One does not do that.”

  • Development: Tabooing of the body; tone is strictly moralistic.

  • Young Adult: Sexual inhibitions; marriage as a purely dutiful union.

  • Old Age (1950s): Bitterness over suppressed longings.

  • Deathbed: Feeling of never having truly “lived”; physical strangeness until the end.

  • Phenotype: Impulsiveness (Hyper-sexualization).

  • Belief: “I need validation through pleasure.”

  • Development: Early confrontation with adult topics; lack of protective space.

  • Young Adult: Changing partners, searching for the “kick” as a self-worth substitute.

  • Old Age (1950s): The aging playboy/socialite without deep bonds.

  • Deathbed: Desperate search for youthfulness; death in a foreign place or among fleeting acquaintances.

  • Phenotype: Simple-mindedness (Ignorance).

  • Belief: “Thinking is a matter of luck/Not my business.”

  • Development: Education is deemed useless; Tone: “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

  • Young Adult: Uncritical adoption of opinions; intellectual lethargy.

  • Old Age (1950s): The naive follower.

  • Deathbed: Confusion; inability to mentally organize one’s own biography.

  • Phenotype: Intellectualism (Living in the head).

  • Belief: “Only what is logical is true.”

  • Development: Recognition only for good grades; tone is cool and analytical.

  • Young Adult: Theorist who loses contact with reality.

  • Old Age (1950s): The know-it-all professor type.

  • Deathbed: Analysis of one’s own dying until the last second, without feeling.

  • Phenotype: Otherworldliness (Uprootedness).

  • Belief: “Matter is tedious and insignificant.”

  • Development: Child grows up in a sterile environment; nature is portrayed as dirty/dangerous.

  • Young Adult: Clumsiness with tools or the physical environment; lives “in the head.”

  • Old Age (1950s): The alienated city dweller who has lost touch with seasons and origins.

  • Deathbed: Dying in a clinical-sterile environment; lack of connection to physical self.

  • Phenotype: Materialism (Obsession).

  • Belief: “I am what I own.”

  • Development: Focus on objects as substitutes for affection; Tone: “Watch your things!”

  • Young Adult: Driven by the acquisition and accumulation of physical goods.

  • Old Age (1950s): The collector or landowner whose identity clings to the soil.

  • Deathbed: Agonizing farewell due to inability to let go of matter; focus on inheritance.

  • Phenotype: Poverty mindset (Scarcity consciousness).

  • Belief: “Money corrupts character.”

  • Development: Constant stories of deprivation; tone is modest to martyr-like.

  • Young Adult: Inability to charge appropriate fees or enjoy prosperity.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “poor soul” who treats themselves to nothing, even if means exist.

  • Deathbed: Modest passing below one’s own existential minimum; often undiscovered savings.

  • Phenotype: Greed (Hoarding).

  • Belief: “More is always safer.”

  • Development: Overemphasis on status and security; tone is suspicious of others.

  • Young Adult: Ruthless pursuit of financial expansion.

  • Old Age (1950s): The stingy tycoon who finds security only in numbers.

  • Deathbed: Loneliness amidst wealth; mistrust of heirs until the last breath.

  • Phenotype: Passivity (Uselessness).

  • Belief: “I can’t make a difference anyway.”

  • Development: Child experiences no self-efficacy; tasks are taken away or described as too hard.

  • Young Adult: Aimlessness; tendency to “muddle through” or dependency.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “pensioner” who never left a trace in the world.

  • Deathbed: Sense of insignificance; a dying without the pride of a life’s work.

  • Phenotype: Workaholic (Performance compulsion).

  • Belief: “A rolling stone gathers no moss / Work before play.”

  • Development: Love only in exchange for performance; tone is demanding and relentless.

  • Young Adult: Definition of self-worth exclusively through professional success.

  • Old Age (1950s): The retiree who rapidly declines physically and mentally after retirement.

  • Deathbed: Death at the desk or immediately after the end of the working life.

  • Phenotype: Conflict avoidance (Harmony addiction).

  • Belief: “The wiser one gives in.”

  • Development: Quarreling is seen as a disaster; tone is placating and suppressive.

  • Young Adult: Inability to set boundaries; remaining in toxic situations.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “nice neighbor” who never expresses an own opinion.

  • Deathbed: Peaceful but dishonest passing; many unspoken words remain.

  • Phenotype: Quarrelsomeness (Litigiousness).

  • Belief: “Attack is the best defense.”

  • Development: Experiencing constant aggression; tone is hostile and loud.

  • Young Adult: Seeking confrontation; sees a fight in every difference.

  • Old Age (1950s): The embittered elder who is at odds with the whole world.

  • Deathbed: Embittered passing in discord with relatives and neighbors.

  • Phenotype: Loner (Isolation).

  • Belief: “I don’t need anyone.”

  • Development: Emotional neglect or early loss of bond; tone is distant.

  • Young Adult: Inability to relate; flight into self-sufficiency.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “strange uncle” who never married and lives alone.

  • Deathbed: Unnoticed passing; news of the death reaches no one.

  • Phenotype: Symbiosis (Clinging).

  • Belief: “Without my family, I am nothing.”

  • Development: Overprotection and emotional blackmail; tone is engaging (”We do everything for each other”).

  • Young Adult: Inability to detach; lives in the parental home forever.

  • Old Age (1950s): The over-mother or clan chief who controls the lives of all relatives.

  • Deathbed: Death in the circle of a suffocating family presence; no individual redemption.

  • Phenotype: Distance (Fear of touch).

  • Belief: “Keep people at arm’s length.”

  • Development: Lack of physical contact; tone is formal and cool.

  • Young Adult: Ice-cold professionalism; avoidance of intimacy.

  • Old Age (1950s): The stiff gentleman/formal lady who never hugs anyone.

  • Deathbed: Lonely dying in a single room; touch by nursing staff is felt as unpleasant.

  • Phenotype: Lack of distance (Neediness).

  • Belief: “Never let me go.”

  • Development: Child is used as an emotional pillow for parents; tone is cloying.

  • Young Adult: Clinging partnerships; constant search for merging.

  • Old Age (1950s): The old person who accosts strangers on the street with life stories.

  • Deathbed: Desperate clinging to the hand of the doctor or nurse; fear of the final separation.

  • Phenotype: Nihilism (Meaninglessness).

  • Belief: “It’s all for nothing.”

  • Development: Value vacuum; no traditions or rituals; tone is indifferent.

  • Young Adult: Depression or cynicism; refusal of any depth.

  • Old Age (1950s): The “empty” elder who merely vegetates.

  • Deathbed: A grey end without hope or comfort; sense of total extinction.

  • Phenotype: Fanaticism (Dogmatism).

  • Belief: “Only this way is the true way.”

  • Development: Strict religious or ideological upbringing; tone is absolutist.

  • Young Adult: Radicalization; missionary zeal toward those who think differently.

  • Old Age (1950s): The ossified guardian of morals or ideologue.

  • Deathbed: Dying with the prayer book or party program in hand; unshakable but rigid certainty.

  • Definition: The rhythmic and situationally appropriate use of respiration and phonetics.

  • Phenotype: Present articulation (Being authentic).

  • Belief: “My voice carries my truth.”

  • Development: Child is encouraged to share; pauses and listening are valued as much as speaking. Tone: Resonant and calm.

  • Young Adult: Ability for free speech and conscious silence; breath as a self-regulation tool.

  • Old Age (1950s): The wise narrator whose voice radiates peace and clarity.

  • Deathbed: A peaceful last sigh; letting go of the breath happens in harmony with the rhythm of life.

  • Definition: Conscious and pleasurable intake of nutrients according to actual needs.

  • Phenotype: Intuitive measure (Capacity for enjoyment).

  • Belief: “I nourish myself and life.”

  • Development: Meals as social community without coercion; variety and body feeling are prioritized. Tone: Inviting and appreciative.

  • Young Adult: Balance between discipline and pleasure; stable body weight without fixation.

  • Old Age (1950s): Vital senior who understands food as culture and life elixir.

  • Deathbed: Gradual withdrawal of appetite as a natural part of farewell, without fear of lack.

  • Definition: Fluid integration of physical activity and rest phases.

  • Phenotype: Supple vitality (Flexibility).

  • Belief: “In movement, I experience my liveliness.”

  • Development: Joy in play and spatial exploration; no pressure to perform. Tone: Invigorating and reassuring.

  • Young Adult: Sport as balance and expression of joy; healthy body awareness.

  • Old Age (1950s): An active person who participates in life until old age.

  • Deathbed: A body that remains supple until the end and allows the transition without unnecessary cramping.

  • Definition: The natural process of letting go and internal cleansing on all levels.

  • Phenotype: Liberation (Being able to let go).

  • Belief: “I keep what nourishes me and release what I no longer need.”

  • Development: Natural handling of bodily functions without disgust or over-strictness. Tone: Relaxed and pragmatic.

  • Young Adult: Ability to healthy detach from material things and negative emotions.

  • Old Age (1950s): A person at peace with their past who hoards no “ballast.”

  • Deathbed: A gentle slipping away; readiness to release the last physical bond without resistance.

  • Definition: Fluid perception and appropriate regulation of emotional impulses.

  • Phenotype: Emotional intelligence (Emotional depth).

  • Belief: “All feelings are welcome and show me the way.”

  • Development: Emotions are named and validated; child learns compassion for self and others. Tone: Empathic and stable.

  • Young Adult: High resilience; ability for empathy without self-loss.

  • Old Age (1950s): A kind person characterized by emotional warmth and balance.

  • Deathbed: A reconciled farewell; emotional clarity and peace with fellow human beings.

  • Definition: Appreciative handling of gender identity and interpersonal proximity.

  • Phenotype: Loving devotion (Wholeness).

  • Belief: “My sensuality is a gift.”

  • Development: Education without shame; respect for physical boundaries. Tone: Open and protective.

  • Young Adult: Capacity for fulfilling, respectful relationships; integration of pleasure and tenderness.

  • Old Age (1950s): A couple that has preserved a deep, tender bond over decades.

  • Deathbed: An end in the consciousness of deep human intimacy and love.

  • Definition: Connection of intellect and intuition for orientation in the world.

  • Phenotype: Wisdom (Reflective capacity).

  • Belief: “I use my mind to understand and my heart to know.”

  • Development: Curiosity and critical questioning are encouraged. Tone: Inspiring and patient.

  • Young Adult: Constructive problem solving; openness to new ideas with healthy judgment.

  • Old Age (1950s): Mentally alert person who recognizes connections and passes on knowledge.

  • Deathbed: A conscious transition; the ability to mentally complete and close one’s life.

  • Definition: Mindful interaction with the physical world and appreciation of materiality.

  • Phenotype: Connection to nature (Grounding).

  • Belief: “I am part of creation and care for my environment.”

  • Development: Child may grasp the world with all senses; playing in mud, climbing, and gardening included. Tone: Wondrous and respectful.

  • Young Adult: Sustainable lifestyle; manual skill and joy in shaping matter.

  • Old Age (1950s): The gardener or nature lover who lives in the rhythm of the seasons.

  • Deathbed: Dying in harmony with nature; often at home, in awareness of the eternal cycle.

  • Definition: Responsible and relaxed handling of material means.

  • Phenotype: Sovereignty (Generosity).

  • Belief: “Money is a means to do good and shape freedom.”

  • Development: Child learns value without fear of loss; allowance used as practice in self-management. Tone: Objective and trusting.

  • Young Adult: Building a stable existence without greed; ability to share resources.

  • Old Age (1950s): The wealthy benefactor on a small scale, who orders their legacy wisely.

  • Deathbed: An ordered transition; everything is settled so heirs can move on without resentment.

  • Definition: Creative activity as an expression of one’s own potentials.

  • Phenotype: Vocation (Meaning-making).

  • Belief: “My work contributes to the well-being of the whole.”

  • Development: Talents discovered playfully; effort experienced as worthwhile for the result. Tone: Appreciative and supportive.

  • Young Adult: Professional engagement balanced with rest phases; joy in efficacy.

  • Old Age (1950s): The esteemed senior expert who passes on knowledge without imposition.

  • Deathbed: Dying with a sense of fulfillment; the legacy is not just the result, but the spirit of the work.

  • Definition: Constructive shaping of social order and handling of differences.

  • Phenotype: Diplomacy (Clarity).

  • Belief: “Conflicts are opportunities for growth and clarification.”

  • Development: Child learns to represent interests respectfully and find compromises. Tone: Fair and clear.

  • Young Adult: High social competence; ability for healthy boundaries and reconciliation.

  • Old Age (1950s): The mediator in the family or community whom everyone trusts.

  • Deathbed: A departure in complete clarity; all important things are said, all fronts are cleared.

  • Definition: Feeling of being safely embedded in a social network.

  • Phenotype: Connectedness (Security).

  • Belief: “I am part of a whole and yet myself.”

  • Development: Reliable bonds that allow freedom; support in crisis. Tone: Warm and liberating.

  • Young Adult: Ability to form stable bonds while maintaining own identity.

  • Old Age (1950s): The center of a family that provides support without constricting.

  • Deathbed: Surrounded by loved ones; a feeling of being carried by the community into the unknown.

  • Definition: The balanced measure of emotional and physical intimacy.

  • Phenotype: Intimacy (Vulnerability).

  • Belief: “In closeness, I find my home.”

  • Development: Physical affection as a natural part of everyday life; respect for the “No.” Tone: Heartfelt and attentive.

  • Young Adult: Ability for deep, long-term partnerships; healthy balance of “Me” and “We.”

  • Old Age (1950s): A person who can still give and receive warmth.

  • Deathbed: Passing in the arms of a loved one or with a hand held; the final transition in trust.

  • Definition: The conscious integration of life into a personal and universal value system.

  • Phenotype: Fulfilment (Serenity).

  • Belief: “My life has a place in the great fabric of being.”

  • Development: Questions about “Why” are taken seriously; transmission of values without dogma. Tone: Meaningful and humble.

  • Young Adult: Pursuit of goals that go beyond self-interest; inner peace.

  • Old Age (1950s): The serene elder who looks back on life with gratitude.

  • Deathbed: A quiet, conscious completion; the “Big Picture” provides comfort and certainty in the final hour.

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