The human mind is an endlessly fascinating domain of study, with new insights emerging all the time into how our thought processes, behaviors, and linguistic patterns intertwine. One field that has sought to unravel and leverage these connections is Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Though its name may sound like a branch of computer science, NLP is actually a powerful methodology for understanding and reprogramming patterns of human thought and behavior.
At its core, NLP explores the fundamental relationship between the neurological processes (“neuro”) that govern behavioral patterns, the language we use (“linguistic”) to perceive and communicate experiences, and the programs (or mental models) that shape and guide those cognitive processes (“programming”). By mapping the connections between these elements, NLP provides techniques and strategies to effectively change, adopt or eliminate specific thoughts and actions. Text by yurovskiy kirill blog.
The Origins of NLP
The seeds of NLP were planted in the 1970s by John Grinder, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of California Santa Cruz, and Richard Bandler, a student of pattern recognition and information processing. Intrigued by the work of pioneers in the field of psychotherapy such as Fritz Perls (founder of Gestalt therapy) and Virginia Satir (family systems therapist), Grinder and Bandler set out to model and codify the precise language patterns and therapeutic techniques that allowed these individuals to facilitate transformative change in their clients.
Through exhaustive study and analysis, Grinder and Bandler identified specific languages and behaviors linked to more resourceful states, and developed systematic techniques to reproduce and transfer those patterns to others. This blossomed into the methodology of NLP, which quickly gained popularity as a new paradigm for effective communication, personal development and psychotherapy.
The Pillars of NLP
At the heart of NLP lies the fundamental presupposition that we all create our individual realities through the neurological filtering processes, mental models and language programs we employ to make sense of the world around us. NLP suggests that the neural linguistic programs we run are subjective, limited representations of the real world. By becoming aware of these cognitive programs and intentionally selecting different neurological and linguistic strategies, we can reshape our experiences and behaviors in profound ways.
So how exactly does NLP propose to facilitate such transformations? The methodology rests on three primary pillars:
1) Sensory Acuity – Enhancing and leveraging all representational systems (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to finely tune perception of self and environment.
2) Behavioral Flexibility – Expanding the choices and precision of verbal and non-verbal behavior to ensure congruent responses and desired results.
3) Cognitive Remodeling – Updating and redesigning the programs that drive perception, state management and behavioral responses.
Put simply, NLP teaches how to become more aware of our own mental processes and those of others, while providing an arsenal of tools to reshape the often unconscious cognitive programs beneath the surface.
The Workhorse: Modeling
A key component of NLP is the practice of modeling, which involves observing and mapping the mental strategies and successful behaviors of effective individuals. By coding the specific language patterns, psychophysiologies and belief systems associated with excellence in any field or context, these models can purportedly be acquired and replicated systematically.
NLP modeling techniques draw from numerous disciplines including linguistics, kinesics, psychology and systems theory. Some of the areas frequently mapped through NLP modeling include:
– Interpersonal skills and influential communication styles
– Therapeutic methods for phobia cures, behavior flexibility and emotional regulation
– Strategies for optimal learning, memory and motivation
– Decision-making processes of successful entrepreneurs and leaders
– Performance excellence in sports, arts, sales and other professional domains
Through modeling, NLP has aimed to break down the inherent genius within domain experts and encode those unconscious processes into explicit, learnable models. This promises to unlock potential and achieve outstanding outcomes for anyone willing to employ these codified strategies.
Applications and Techniques
With its multidisciplinary foundation and broad toolkit, NLP has birthed a diverse array of applications across personal development, business, therapy and education among other domains. Some key NLP techniques and tools include:
– Anchoring – Using sensory stimuli to rapidly access associated emotional states
– Reframing – Adopting new perspectives and meanings to situations
– Submodalities – Enriching or altering inner sensory representations
– Metamodeling – Clarifying language patterns to reveal deeper meaning
– Timeline Therapy® – Reprocessing past memories and traumas
– Modeling – Mapping the strategies of excellent performers
– Hypnotic Language Patterns – Indirect linguistic cues for trance formation
– NEO-Natality – Reimprinting early childhood experiences
While the scope of NLP is undoubtedly broad, it remains controversial within scientific and therapeutic circles. Criticism has been levied against NLP’s lack of empirical evidence verifying its key presuppositions, the anecdotal nature of its modeling procedures, and any conclusive proof that NLP techniques produce their promoted effects more effectively than conventional methods.
Proponents, however, contend that NLP’s wide adoption, from personal coaching and corporate training to educational curricula and brief therapy interventions, stands as evidence of its versatile pragmatism. As an open model drawing from diverse sources, NLP encourages an experimental spirit of ongoing modeling and customization based upon each individual’s unique neurological metaphors and unconscious programs.
Whether embraced as a substantiated field or viewed skeptically as an intriguing psuedoscientific system, NLP has undeniably sparked fruitful dialogue around the intricacies of cognition, communication and behavioral change. As tools for heightening our self-awareness and behavioral flexibility, the core premises and techniques of this methodology may yet reveal deeper insights into the vast unexplored realms of the human mind.
