The channels which form the triangular planes on the upper TOL are called the CHANNELS OF DEFINITION. They are appropriately named because the nodes of the triads use these channels to share information used to define operations for that level of the mind.

There are two types of channels that serve to relay information between the four levels of the TOL network. The paths which symmetrically converge and diverge along the tree's axis of symmetry are called the CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION. This name is also appropriate because these paths allow the central nodes on the tree to communicate with each other.

The second type of channel which relays information up and down the TOL are called CHANNELS OF INFLUENCE . If we consider an influence to be an unbalanced, or biased force, we see that information flowing on any single blue channel would create an imbalance between the two sides of the TOL.