Neuro-Linguistic Programming 56 of 25 NLP 56 of 2025

 

What is NLP?

Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is a communication and interpersonal skills training model developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Popularized by their 1975 book, “The Structure of Magic,” NLP has become fairly well known around the world.

In a nutshell, NLP suggests that changing unhelpful thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and communication patterns can:

• help shift your worldview for the better
• improve your relationships
• make it possible to influence others
• help you achieve goals
• boost self-awareness
• improve physical and mental well-being

Practitioners also say NLP can help address mental health conditions like anxiety and depression as well as physical symptoms like pain, allergies, and vision problems.

A single approach that offers such a wide range of benefits might sound pretty great, and NLP has received plenty of positive attention and acclaim.

But the approach has also received plenty of scrutiny and criticism from experienced mental health professionals because almost no evidence supports any of its purported benefits.

The creators break down the name as follows:

• Neuro- refers to the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of your neurology.
• -linguistic refers to the language and communication patterns you use with yourself and others.
• Programming refers to the impact your emotions, thoughts, and life experiences have on your present life.

According to NLP theory, the approach can help you improve communication with your unconscious mind and modify your mental “programs,” or the models guiding your interactions.

The way you think affects the internal and external language you use and the concepts you hold. This in turn affects the way you behave. It is a dynamic and synergistic process: the who is greater than the sum of the parts. Any internal or external change to any of the components will have an impact on whole. 

Basic principles of excellence are:

• We have all the resources we need
• The meaning of any communication is the effect it had
• There is no failing,  only feedbacks
• The map is not the territory:every persons map is unique.

Identifying and establishing outcomes is a central and first step in NLP. Focus on outcomes that you do want. It's more engaging and gives clear indication of your commitment.  

Make your choices or others will do it for you.

Outcome checklist

Positive: What do you want? What would you like to happen?

Specific: Where, who, when, what and how?

Evidence: What will you see, hear and feel when it happens?

Ownership: whose outcome is it, and what is your part in it?

Fit: How much do you want it? How does it fit with other aspects of your life?

Resources: Which have you used before and are transferable? Which do you need?

Personal and working beliefs:

Start with self. What drives you to be the way you are before considering other people's style and preferences. 

Beliefs are the assumptions we make . But us and others. On how we expect things to be.  These assumptions determine the way we behave and shape our decision making process.  They are often based on emotions than facts. 

What you believe about yourself is what happens to you. Hence the term 'self-fulfilling prophecy'.

Know the beliefs that are Empowering and change or discard those that are limiting. 

Create some questions to help understand as many views as possible of any situation.  Behind every action is a positive intention. Try to understand that.

Knowing yourself and others

What will help you recognize your own ond other people's preferred thinking and communication styles are called accessing cues or clues. It will help us access the way someone is processing whatever is happening around them. Processing of information is the representational system.  Predicates are the words we use that differentiate between representational system. Some like to view, some to read and others to listen. 

According to NLP’s creators, everyone has a personal map, or view, of the world that guides their choices and behavior. You create this “map” with the sensory input you receive as you go about your life:

• visual (things you see)
• auditory (things you hear)
• kinaesthetic (things you feel or sense)
• olfactory (things you smell)
• gustatory (things you taste)

According to NLP theory, you’ll likely find yourself using one of these more often than the others. That’s your PRS. Preferred representational system (PRS), or your preferred mode of sensory input.

The first is your language. A tendency to say:

“This looks…” or “I see what…” would suggest a visual PRS.

“I feel that…” would suggest a kinaesthetic PRS.

“I hear you” or “I’m hearing that…” would suggest an auditory PRS.

Another way to identify your PRS relates to your eye movements:

Visual involves upward movements to either side.

Auditory involves horizontal movements to either side, or downward movements to the left.

Kinaesthetic involves downward movement to the right.

NLP practitioners aim to identify your PRS to better understand your personal experiences and worldview. This insight can guide them toward the techniques best suited to your needs.

Of course, learning your own language isn’t the only aspect of NLP. Understanding how other people perceive the world through their own PRS can increase your awareness of their experiences and improve your communication

https://www.healthline.com/health/nlp-therapy#the-basics

Rapport is the process of building and sustaining a relationship of mutual trust, harmony and understanding.  This happens through matching the accessing cues from words, eye movements and body language. 

Rapport is partly established by matching the representational system and body language of others. There could be occasional mismatches.

We can disagree with someone and yet build a rapport. An extreme form of mismatching is turning your back. Pacing extends rapport by representing snd responding to someone's emotional state. Someone being 'infectious' show our ability to pace with them. Before leading to change, pace a couple of times to make sure you have understood.  

What exactly do you mean?

To  understand better use Meta Model, I.e a series of devices including specific questions. Take time to practice questions in your own way based on the circumstances.  Look for clarity.

Filter Systems

Metaprograms are the internal filters which people use to sort information they receive in a systematic way and which then determine their behavior.  It helps to appreciate and understand differences.

Timeliness and Metaprograms are generalization of how people process information and their resultant behavior.  They are not absolute and will alter with context. They are not right or wrong, just different.  They enable to think about patterns that help to understand and communicate better. 

Our memory will focus on people, place, things, activity, time and information.  It will vary from people to people. 

Chunking helps get a broader more general perspective of task. It can be up, down or sideways. 

Levels of change and reframing:

The way we communicate and process information is shaped by our representational systems, language,  thinking patterns and reframing. 

One of NLP's leading thinkers, Robert Dilts, suggests that there are 6 levels of learning,  communication and change termed as Neuro logical level because they fit together in a logical, hierarchical way. From the highers level to lowest, they influence you:

1. Spiritual/Purpose - who else?
2. Identity/Mission - who?
3. Belief systems and values- why?
4. Capabilities  - how?
5. Behavior- what?
6. Environment - where?

Think about an issue that is not right for you at present.  In which level is it based? Where might you start to intervene? Once you start to ask yourself the right questions, you may find you move around the levels. 

Reframing is changing the frame. It's a way of getting to say: 'How else can I do or consider this?'

Context reframing enables you to recognize that there is a positive place for any behavior.  Do the right thing, in the right place at the right time. 

Content reframing is where you change the meaning of a limiting behavior.  Like 'going blank', is ', concentrating.

Choice is better than no choice.

Increase your options 

Submodalities are how we code experiences and distinguish different sensory systems. 

Recognize the words that describe your good day, choose how to use them.

By changing tour Submodalities,  you can change the impact and meaning of your thoughts.  You can also change your approach to any outstanding tasks. It is connected with feeling confident and motivated. 

An anchor is any stimulus which evokes a consistent approach.  'We have all the resources we need' viz confidence, calm, energy,  concentration,  humour.

Locate your resource. Be in your chosen state. Choose your anchor(s).

Modeling is the process of understanding the thoughts and actions that enables someone to accomplish a task excellently.

As children we learn by modeling the people around. 

• Take the map of the world, based on the person whom you model on.
• Test the model element by element. 
• Design a way to teach the skill to others.

Be flexible.