Neuro - Linguistic Programming

Neuro - Linguistic programming is the study of how language, both verbal and non
- verbal, affects our nervous system. It studies the process of communication a
nd tries to model ways that produce the optimum resourceful states and thus crea
tes a large number of behavioural choices. Neuro - Linguistic programming - in
short NLP - provides a systematic framework for directing our brain. It helps us
to direct our own behaviours, as well as the behaviour of others. One of the pr
emises of NLP is that all humans share the same neurology, hence if somebody can
do something remarkable, we can also do it if we run our nervous system in exac
tly the same way.
NLP was primarily developed by John Grinder, a linguist and Richard Bandler - a
mathematician. They discovered that there are basically three fundamental ingred
ients which need to be duplicated if one was to achieve excellence. These are :
Belief System.
Mental Syntax.
Physiology.
BELIEF SYSTEM :
In Psycho - Cybernetics, Dr. Maltz suggests :
"Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you think or imagine to be tru
e".
Almost the same findings are duplicated in NLP which says :
" What a person thinks possible or impossible, to a great extent determines what
he can or cannot do".
According to NLP, there is a cybernetic loop connecting Belief system, Potential
, Action, Results and back to Belief system.
Belief system
Results Potential
Action
Whatever a person believes to be possible determines his potential for action. I
f he considers something impossible to achieve, his potential for achieving it i
s directly discounted. From Potential spring actions - what he does to achieve t
he objective. If his potentials are limited by his belief system, his actions wi
ll also be restricted. These actions will culminate in results. Limited actions
generate limited results. These results, in turn, lead to either supporting his
existing belief system or create new systems.
NLP suggests that by conscious effort a person can implant positive belief syste
ms in order to replace the existing ones which are leading to unresourceful stat
es.
Sometimes, having no limiting belief can produce miraculous results. If one was
not told (or did not know from prior knowledge) that a particular goal was virtu
ally unachievable and one was encouraged with positive suggestions to continue w
ith the objective, it has been found that there are fair chances of achieving th
e goal.
MENTAL SYNTAX :
Mental syntax is the way a person organises his thoughts. One of the strongest s
uggestion in NLP is "There are no failures or successes, only results". How a pe
rson represents these results internally in his mind is what matters. According
to NLP :
"We structure our internal representations through our five senses... So whateve
r experiences we have stored in the mind are represented through these senses, p
rimarily through the three major modalities - the Visual, Auditory or Kinestheti
c (touch) messages".
One of the most important discoveries of NLP is that most people have "certain k
eys" within there mind which acts as triggers to a particular behavioural respon
se, According to NLP people may be classified as Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic
types, each possessing typical behavioural patterns. For example some people ma
y discover that a visual picture of something very large motivates them greatly
while some other may find that the tone of their voice which they use in communi
cation exercises makes a major difference in motivation.
NLP helps a person in discovering these key modalities and their sub modalities.
After a successful discovery, a person can master his own mental syntax by impl
anting positive beliefs using his own typical key. Basically, this exercise is s
imilar to changing the focus and angle of a camera to represent the same thing d
ifferently. NLP provides a set of clues to identify the key type of a person. Fo
r example, the use of a particular set of vocabulary more frequently than anothe
r will often reveal the person's key type. Similarly, the movement of eyes in re
sponse to certain questions also can lead to diagnosis.
Movement of eyes is a powerful tool used by NLP. For example if someone's eyes g
o up to the right, he is trying to reconstruct something he has seen before. If
they now go towards the left ear, he is remembering sounds heard before etc. NLP
also observes the voice, its quality, tone etc. and relates it to the modality
of the person. For example visual people speak in quick bursts while low and dee
p tonality is the quality of Kinesthetic persons.
PHYSIOLOGY :
NLP suggests that the physical state, breathing pattern, how one holds his body,
the postures, facial expression, quality of movement etc. all contribute to th
e mental state. This can be demonstrated by a single exercise. If you are feelin
g depressed or tired, simply stand up, hold your body upright with chest forwar
d, start breathing deeply and look up straight in front. If you do it for two mi
nutes, you will find that your mental state would change considerably.
USING NLP AS A TOOL FOR GOAL SETTING :
NLP is a very powerful tool for developing positive and aggressive mental attitu
des leading to excellence in performance. As a tool, it may be used for defining
goals and developing plans. It can also help in achieving these goals. The goal
setting exercise is a four - step formula where each step needs to be implement
ed in the spirit of NLP.
STEP 1 : Define precisely what you want
Since NLP places emphasis on verbal and non-verbal languages, it is very
important to define very precisely what you want. According to NLP :
"When the mind has a defined target, it can focus and direct and refocus and red
irect until it reaches its intended goal".
While defining goals the outcomes must be stated in positive terms, that is, you
do not say what you don't want. Negative language leads to negative feelings an
d an unresourceful state.
You must also clearly state how your outcome looks, feels, sounds, etc. You have
to be very specific in linking the outcomes to the sense-perceptions, because t
hey are the only means of connection between the external world with internal re
presentation.
STEP 2 : Develop an Evidence Procedure
Before you decide to take any action, develop an evidence procedure, a yardstick
which will measure your progress.Once again, careful linking of sensory respons
es to these procedures is important. Vague feeling or statements like "I will be
feeling very happy" should be avoided.
STEP 3 : Take action
Action is the key to success. NLP suggests that if you are sufficiently excited
about your goal, if you have a strong desire, your mind will ensure that you spr
ing into action. Of course the mind ( the Biocomputer in the language of Psycho
- Cybernetics ) has to be given positive targets which are time-bound, well defi
ned and are programmed in a language that is in tune with your Key type - Visual
, Auditory or Kinesthetic.
STEP 4 : Constantly monitor yourself
You have to develop the ability to recognize the result of your actions and have
the flexibility to change your behaviour until you get your goal. The evidence
procedure developed by you should give you the indications whether you are movin
g towards or away from your goals.