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NLP Definitions: Mapping Across

Stuart — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:02:45 +0000

Mapping Across is a process or procedure that utilizes submodalities. It is often mistaken as a technique by poorly trained NLP Trainers.

There are several uses for mapping.

#1 – To compare submodalities across similar situations with different states.

#2 – As part of a 3-step, ecological structuring process for obsessions (see Obsession Elimination Process)

#3 – To identify and apply specific solution states to situations so as to disconnect original habitual experience as in the Compulsion Blowout Pattern

#4 – A means to set up comparative images in order to habitually intensify specific experiences through the Swish Pattern

NLP Definitions: Future Pacing

Stuart — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:44:07 +0000

Future pacing is the process of representing a future moment and placing the end result of an intervention there. When you experience a change of state and visit the future in your mind, you can note if you are more resourceful in that moment or not. In most cases, a future pace paves the way for checking of ecology and possibly to refine the intervention.

See also: comparative future pacing

NLP Singapore: Clarifying Why You Want To Learn NLP

Stuart — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:27:20 +0000

I’ve been involved in learning NLP since 1995, and it has been an interesting way to my own personal growth, as I believe it will be yours. NLP has been associated a great deal with people like Darren Brown in recent years. Recently, on my YouTube page, a viewer asked me if what Darren Brown does is real.

Well, first of all, I’m not Darren Brown, so I can’t tell you. Secondly, I’m sure Darren Brown does what he does simply to impress an audience. I’m very skeptical he has the ability to create change in pathological clients (which is the domain of clinical psychology) nor will he be able to model organizations effectively (which is the domain of organizational psychology). But I’m very sure he does well for himself as a street magician.

Now… if you are going to ask me to certify you as an NLP Practitioner, please don’t make it be because you want to be like Darren Brown! NLP is not a magic skill, it is a linguistic skill. As with almost all things linguistic, you get a chance to influence people by the very nature of your communication. This is because, communication causes people’s perceptions to change. NLP has modeled ways to shift perceptions (such as the therapeutic process of reframing a person’s beliefs, for instance), but NLP itself is NOT a tool for influence.

NLP is a tool for studying knowledge. If you want to be a master of enhancing your human capital, NLP is the tool to use. It helps to peel away the layers of an expert’s hidden knowledge. In organizational science, it is a common phenomenon for experts to have a problem really expressing what they are doing. An NLP expert, however, will better be able to extract the information from a talented member in order to understand the hidden processes that an expert goes through. This is the art and science of modeling.

I’ve always been amused by some Chinese martial arts movies. It’s bizarre that the student always gets into trouble, is saved by the master who then is mortally wounded, and then just before he dies, transfers all his “internal energy” to his student who is now filled with power, but lacks precise control over his capabilities.

To a great extent, this pretty much sums up what modeling is. You can model the skill, but you also have to model the process, structure and context in order to ensure that your model works well for you. Without practice, you can model a skill but find that it simply goes to waste. Research shows that skills that are not practiced decay as much as 92% within just one year (Arthur, Bennett, Stanuch, & McNelly, 1998).

Here are some sources of modeling literature you can enjoy reading about. Do remember that reading does not mean that you become an expert in it. It merely means that you get to know about something. To transfer it to real life, you need to maximize your practice time.

Modeling With NLP by Robert Dilts.

This book is great in so far as it shows you Robert’s approach to modeling. It’s very ‘clunky’ in the sense that the models he has developed are tabular, boxy and sometimes unappealing to the average reader. To the modeling enthusiast, the book holds a lot of hidden gems for the taking. This is currently the only known modelling source book, and unfortunately, may cause people to think it is the only approach to modeling.

Once you have studied some modeling, you should look at the models that were built as the cornerstones of NLP. One of them is The Structure Of Magic Volume 1, which was rumored to be Bandler’s doctoral thesis. This volume talks a great deal about the structure of language and how we have hidden information under the surface layer. Although it is based on the outmoded model of transformational linguistics, it serves the purpose of creating a model for extracting information from someone. Personally, I think this work deserves a lot more than it is credited for due to its application to many areas of talent development.

Magic In Action – Richard Bandler

After learning the Meta Model in The Structure Of Magic, Vol 1, you will hear things a little differently. In this book, Bandler does therapy. You watch, but hopefully you can figure out what he is really doing in a masterful way. Each interaction with a client is a modeling process, thereby enabling him to be a master therapist by understanding the client’s model of the world, his rules and his approach to living life as is. And of course, once you have this knowledge, you can experiment with shifts in cognitions, utilizing submodalities.

Patterns Of The Hypnotic Techniques Of Milton H. Erickson, Skills For The Future, Strategies Of Genius

These books are basically examples of modeling as applied to geniuses. The first work (Patterns for short) is often defined as the only thing related to NLP. For this reason, most people only think of NLP as persuasion and influence or that NLP is covert hypnosis. In this particular case, hypnosis is the area of modeling as perceived by Bandler and Grinder. The other two works are the study of creativity and the study of selected geniuses by Robert Dilts. By reading these, you understand how the entire process of modeling can be better founded.

Back to Linguistics

Unfortunately, in many cases, when psychologists explore the somewhat misleading claims of the commercial NLP practitioner, they are barking up the wrong tree. Since NLP is not an academic rigor, it fails to support itself from the standpoint of academic literature. However, the fact is many of the elements of NLP are actually supported by research literature not because experiments were done on NLP, but the phenomena that NLP modeled after are in and of themselves predicated on workable science, including the following:-

Similarity studies. In sociology and social psychology, imitation, rapport building and attraction are part of the basis of NLP’s rapport building process
Behavioral conditioning. In behavioral psychology, reinforcement theory shows at least some support for NLP’s approach to anchoring.
EMDR research in cognitions. The now world-famous phenomenon of EMDR for post traumatic stress disorder has been researched widely in the last decade and two of the protocols they use called “Subjective Units Of Disturbance” and “Validity of Cognition” are very similar to NLP’s approach to submodalities. EMDR kicked off in the 1990s. NLP started in 1970s. To read more about this, get access to Francine Shapiro’s main book on EMDR and Carol Forgash’s Healing The Heart Of Trauma.
Systematic Desensitization. NLP’s approach to phobia cures basically took an age-old concept of behavioral desensitization and exposure therapy, and turned it into a cognitive model for treatment.
Linguistics. NLP is founded on two linguistic models, the Meta Model and the Milton Model. However, the research is wide open to show power-distance relationships through a process of discourse analysis (see Joan Cutting’s book, Pragmatics and Discourse, 2002), which lends support for the way some people are more influential than others. NLP modeling is similar to the process of cognitive task analysis in the organizational psychology literature (see Kraiger, 2002 and Shalin, Geddes, Bertrim, Szczepkowski, and DuBois, 1999). This approach to modeling is founded upon on the long-time Whorfian hypnothesis of linguistic relativity and another set of theories in General Semantics .
Unconscious Processing. This is a black box. Bandler believes that we learn unconsciously (do we not?) and has put into place the concept of nested loops (taken from computing science). However, this concept is so far ahead of its time, it’s really hard to determine through science itself. Freud’s concept of the unconscious has been largely accepted, and a lot of research in hypnosis has shown to a great extent the fact that unconscious processing of linguistic commands does appear to be effective in many cases (see the hypnosis body of knowledge, particularly Stephen Lankton, Michael Yapko, Ernest Rossi; you may also find a significant body of knowledge from the Milton Erickson Foundation, one of the national bodies in the USA for certification as a hypnotherapist).

Afterthought

Having studied linguistics and psychology for the last 16 years of my life, I think I have a fairly keen grasp on some of the ideas that supports NLP. Not surprisingly, therefore, many NLP “trainers” or even practitioners of NLP will never be able to explain all this themselves.

Which is one of the reasons why I prefer to be highly selective in my apprenticeship of new NLP practitioners and master practitioners. Unlike the “paper” mills that exist today, I feel that competence is the goal, not certification. After all, we know that certification does not amount to transfer of learning.

Bandler is a thinker and a philosopher. His approach to creativity is unbridled and really uninterested in the research to justify the workings of NLP. The fact is his models of hypnosis had enabled many people to learn hypnosis far more easily than before, showing that modeling is actually a powerful cognitive skill. His modeling of psychotherapeutic techniques has also enabled individuals who have no foundation of clinical psychology or organizational psychology to do magic… some of the time. Granted, there are issues pertaining to the ethics of practice as well as being effective as a real therapist where a proper body of knowledge is required. There’s currently no quality control measure that helps consumers to understand NLP and their trainers well, which itself is one of the problems with NLP. With no strong competency structure, NLP continues to have more of a mysterious backstage reputation than what it actually deserves.

If you are a business owner, a senior manager, a parent, a teacher, a trainer, a leader… or anyone who has to work with people and needs to use skills to maximize your knowledge about others while enhancing your own capabilities to reach expert levels of learning, you probably want to learn NLP.

If you’re out to use NLP to impress others, to collect another certificate, to take a shortcut to a powerful skill instead of being meticulous in your studies, profiting by declaring yourself an NLP trainer without being competent in your own trianing, I’d advise that you step aside.

NLP Reputation: NLP Misunderstood Again

Stuart — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:53:05 +0000

I listened with slight unhappiness when a speaker recently addressed a group of over 200 entrepreneurs, sliming NLP by calling it a ‘sales tactic tantamount to trickery’.

Well, after analyzing what he had done, I was positive that he had used a number of NLP researched approaches to arrive at his marketing message.

So, for the last time, read this post and start getting facts right, everyone. The last person to talk about NLP is a person who doesn’t know NLP, so please don’t make me laugh when I hear your definition of NLP… :)

NLP Definitions: Digital Submodality

Stuart — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:52:27 +0000

Unlike an analog submodality, a digital submodality carries a mental description that is like a discrete (or non-continuous) variable. For example, the value of a range is specific to “1 to 7″, or an “on” or “off” switch.

In NLP, a digital submodality is one where we can control it like an on-off switch. For instance, the “associated” or “dissociated” image; the “2D”/”3D” image are examples of a digital submodality.

NLP Definitions: Analog Submodality

Stuart — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:48:39 +0000

An analog (analogue) submodality carries a mental description that is like a non-discrete (or continuous) variable. For example, the value of a range is specific to “1 to 7″, any of the numbers there is a specific variable, but the value at 1.17 is within the continuous or analog scale.

In NLP, an analog submodality is one where we can control it like a continuous scale. There are non-discrete measures when one refers to grades of “color” or “size” within the submodality description.

Learn NLP: NLP misconceptions and myths

Stuart — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:27:28 +0000

Here’s an extract from my Facebook Wall:

My friend Peter said:

@Stuart, man that NLP is some wicked stuff, In the right hands its magic and very beneficial to the end user, but in the wrong hands… Thanks for being cool with it my brotha

My reply was:

Hey Peter, geez man your comment is really wicked! And I don’t know if you meant that “wicked” from the UK colloquial slang meaning “awesome” or “wicked” as in Freddy Krueger. This is an instance of language use gone wild, and to me therefore, wicked.

From my 14 years using and practicing NLP, it’s a great way for any individual to learn and to grow. Firstly, NLP is a modeling science. You can read it in my article about it herehttp://worldofnlp.com/learn-nlp-what-is-nlp/

NLP focuses on modeling what already works in life.

Secondly, I know some people have used influence skills to manipulate people, but that’s not inherently NLP itself. NLP is a modeling science. It is what people do with these models that makes a difference.

cheerio Pete!

Just an aside for others – please get this straight:
NLP is not motivation. NLP can model motivation strategies.
NLP is not influence. NLP can model influence strategies.
NLP is not change. NLP can identify the habitual patterns you can change.
NLP is not leadership. NLP can identify what context you can lead and the current strategy you use – if it is useful for you.
NLP is not hypnosis. NLP is a form of linguistic study that analyzes what works. For some people, they get confused between hypnosis with NLP because they have a limited understanding of the two.
People who are hurt often choose to reinforce their limited models of the world. NLP will eventually not work for these people.

People who work toward excellence choose to expand their models of the world. It is through such expansion that makes people grow, mature, develop into useful human beings.

Food for thought!

NLP Glossary: Neuroplasticity

Stuart — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:29:20 +0000

I pulled this from Wikipedia, since so many people claim that NLP has no scientific basis. Contrary to popular belief, NLP practitioners who are versed and up-to-date in research often have better knowledge about the processes that NLP develops.

For instance, many doubt the existence of repetitive cognitive associations in an NLP process like the Swish Pattern. However, based on concepts in neuroplasticity and Hebbian Theory:

The adult brain is not “hard-wired” with fixed and immutable neuronal circuits. There are many instances of cortical and subcortical rewiring of neuronal circuits in response to training as well as in response to injury. There is solid evidence that neurogenesis, the formation of new nerve cells, occurs in the adult, mammalian brain—and such changes can persist well into old age.^[3] The evidence for neurogenesis is mainly restricted to the hippocampus and olfactory bulb, but current research has revealed that other parts of the brain, including the cerebellum, may be involved as well^[5].

Using the theoretical basis that has already been researched, NLP tests to see how these processes work with humans.

NLP Glossary: Hebbian Theory

Stuart — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:22:53 +0000

As extracted from Wikipedia
photo credit: neurollero:

In 1929, Hans Berger discovered that the mind exhibits continuous electrical activity and cast doubt on the Pavlovian model of perception and response because, now, there appeared to be something going on in the brain even without much stimulus.

At the same time, there were many mysteries. For example, if there was a method for the brain to recognize a circle, how does it recognize circles of various sizes or imperfect roundness? To accommodate every single possible circle that could exist, the brain would need a far greater capacity than it has.

Another theory, the Gestalt theory, stated that signals to the brain established a sort of field. The form of this field depended only on the pattern of the inputs, but it still could not explain how this field was understood by the mind.

The behaviorist theories at the time did well at explaining how the processing of patterns happened. However, they could not account for how these patterns made it into the mind.

Hebb combined up-to-date data about behavior and the mind into a single theory. And, while the understanding of the anatomy of the brain did not advance much since the development of the older theories on the operation of the brain, he was still able to piece together a theory that got a lot of the important functions of the brain right.

His theory became known as Hebbian theory and the models which follow this theory are said to exhibit Hebbian learning. This method of learning is best expressed by this quote from the book:

When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite cell B and repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A’s efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased

This is often paraphrased as “Neurons that fire together wire together.” It is commonly referred to as Hebb’s Law.

The combination of neurons which could be grouped together as one processing unit, Hebb referred to as “cell-assemblies”. And their combination of connections made up the ever-changing algorithm which dictated the brain’s response to stimuli.

Not only did Hebb’s model for the working of the mind influence how psychologists understood the processing of stimuli within the mind but also it opened up the way for the creation of computational machines that mimicked the biological processes of a living nervous system. And while the dominant form of synaptic transmission in the nervous system was later found to be chemical, modern artificial neural networks are still based on the transmission of signals via electrical impulses that Hebbian theory was first designed around.

NLP Glossary – Evidence Procedures

Stuart — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:37:48 +0000

In many aspects of modeling, evidence is required to show competence. An evidence procedure will show ‘evidence’ that something has been transferred or achieved.

For example, if you want to make a million dollars, it will be evident that you are moving toward it when you see visual evidence of a credible source, such as a bank statement. This is a visual method of providing evidence.

Competence also requires evidence procedures. If you want to be recognized as a trainer for example, there are certain things that will convince people that you are a trainer. They will see, hear and feel it. Unfortunately it also means that if they don’t see it, even if you possess those qualities but don’t display it, you will not be deemed as competent. In order to be perceived as competent, you will need to figure it out by putting yourself into the appropriate positions to gauge if that evidence is sufficient. In other words, it may require a certain amount time (consistency) to assess an individual’s level of competence.