The Basic Philosophy of a Resource State
Crises and disasters
In this article
Hello, dear friends! This is @rudyi.psy.
Today, let’s discuss the resourceful spheres of our lives—the ones that energize us during unpredictable changes and crises. The absence of some of these resources often leads to premature exhaustion and maladaptation.
We’ll explore the theoretical model "Basic Ph" (short for Basic Philosophy), developed by contemporary Israeli psychologist Mooli Lahad. This model gained widespread recognition for its universality and comprehensive perspective on the resources in a person’s life, especially during instability and upheaval.
The Origins of Basic Ph
The Origins of Basic Ph
At the end of the last century, Mooli Lahad and his colleagues conducted numerous surveys of witnesses to emergencies and traumatic events. Their research revealed that while about 20% of respondents experienced PTSD symptoms, the remaining 80% managed to cope with the traumatic aftermath on their own. This led to a critical question: How did they do it? What did they rely on, and what helped them?
The survey results were later synthesized into the Basic Ph model, which accounts for each individual’s potential to overcome crises. Interestingly, people often have their own unique combination of resources for coping with crises. What works for one person may not be relevant for another, and vice versa.
The Six Resource Channels of Basic Ph
The Six Resource Channels of Basic Ph
The Basic Ph acronym represents six clearly defined resource channels that provide the energy needed for functioning:
- B – Belief and Values – Faith and core principles.
- A – Affects – Emotions and feelings.
- S – Socialization – Social environment, communication, support, belonging, and reference groups.
- I – Imagination – Creativity, dreams, and vision.
- C – Cognition – Thought, reasoning, and strategic planning.
- Ph – Physical – Physical activity and bodily awareness.
The Problem: Imbalance in Resource Channels
The Problem: Imbalance in Resource Channels
The issue arises when we focus on only a few of these channels (our "favorites") while persistently ignoring others. Moreover, during crises, we often consciously or unconsciously dismiss certain resource channels as unimportant or irrelevant for the moment. In today’s Ukrainian context, this might sound like "not the right time."
As stress in our lives increases, the number of channels we use to cope with it decreases. This logically leads to exhaustion and apathy.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these channels.
1) Belief and Values
Exploring Each Resource Channel
This is a resource that endures even in the absence of objective knowledge. People often confuse faith with knowledge, but faith does not require factual confirmation. It can exist even in conditions of total uncertainty about the present or future.
Knowledge, on the other hand, always requires criteria to confirm its place in reality. Some people rely on faith in God, others on a higher purpose in what is happening, and some on the belief in their own mission or simply that everything will be okay, no matter what.
Connecting with this resource also means recognizing your own worth, even when trapped in a horrifying reality.
2) Emotions and Feelings
This involves drawing life energy from your own affective sphere. Viktor Frankl (had he known of this model) might have described contact with the emotional channel as a bridge between the self and the values of experience.
This is when we can enjoy a sunrise or sunset, share a smile with a loved one, snuggle under a blanket while watching a horror movie, or dissolve into laughter during a comedy.
3) Socialization and Communication
This is about being part of a group of people who prevent us from giving up, even when we really want to. It’s the emotional contagion of others’ joy, which connects this channel to the previous one. It’s also about relying on those we trust—people who sometimes believe in us more than we believe in ourselves.
4) Imagination, Creativity, and Dreams
This channel is with us from the moment we begin exploring the world. Understanding the world leads us to seek ways to interact with it, including through tools, activities, and the recombination of familiar things into something unique and original (which is creativity). This creation can be tangible or exist purely in our imagination.
This channel remains with us for a long time, and even in cases of organic brain damage or severe mental disorders, the ability to imagine, create, and dream can persist.
5) Cognition, Thought, and Strategic Planning
This is the source of intentional life changes in the direction we want to move. It involves accumulating knowledge about unknown events and phenomena to apply in the future. It’s about solving problems through logical reasoning—induction, deduction, and generalization. It also includes identifying destructive attitudes and replacing them with productive ones.
6) Physical Activity and Bodily Awareness
This is about paying attention to the body—the most important tool we have for interacting with reality. It involves monitoring health, addressing bodily dissatisfaction, and engaging in physical activities aimed at improvement.
Reflection Question
Which resource channels do you use most often, and which do you neglect?
Want to find out? Take the Basic Ph test yourself!
If you found this information useful and interesting—like, comment, and share it on social media. And most importantly—be happy!
Last edited on July 15, 2026, at 23:32 Kyiv time.
