Definition
Semantic LIDAR — a layered « scan » of identity/energy strata so you see where friction clusters before you rename it as personality.
Origin
Layered self-mapping metaphors appear in personal-development tooling and in Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual-metaphor tradition. Barsalou’s grounded-cognition review argues that concepts recruit modal simulations (perception, action, introspection) rather than wholly amodal symbols — external layered maps can function as scaffolds for that simulation work.
Mechanism
The LIDAR metaphor returns depth by layer; the semantic layer tags beliefs, roles, and energy drains in one navigable stack. Barsalou’s tally carries a modest contrasting literature on amodal versus grounded accounts — the map is a working metaphor, not a neuroimaging claim. Pair with Self-engineering when the goal is to redesign inputs and feedback loops, not only to label strata.
Applications
Use when friction clusters need separating from trait labels — scan which layer (role, belief, energy drain) carries most load before choosing an intervention.
Sources
Cite
- Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press
- Barsalou, L. W. (2008). Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 617–645