Why I Love Neuro Linguistic Programming
Neuro linguistic programming shows you realistic ways to change your thinking, by analyzing the past events, and move forward in life. It teaches you various techniques that help to control your mind and ultimately your life. Psychiatric therapy focuses on ‘Why’ but NLP is practical and concentrates on ‘How’.
In reality, people are just able to observe a small section of the world by applying their conscious awareness. This outlook is filtered by beliefs, experience, values, biological sensory systems, and assumptions. NLP disagrees with this behavior of people, because it is based on their personal perceptions, rather than what is happening in the real world.
Techniques of NLP
Internal programming
NLP describes that each person’s perception of the world is their ‘Internal programming or mapping’. Your mind, body, and language, all act together in unison to form your own feelings and behavior.
Therefore poor and impractical programming can limit the choices and cause issues. NLP approach helps the people to create their own internal programs, by identifying destructive thinking patterns, and then replacing them with more useful ones.
Modeling
In the modeling phase, the language, behavior, beliefs, and strategies of other successful people are adopted. The founders of NLP Grinder and Bandler initiated their detail analysis on famous but dissimilar psychotherapists. Milton Erickson, Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls were the exceptional personalities, whose physiology, strategies, beliefs and language was modeled.
In this process, a modeler transforms and readopts his/her way of thinking, which also includes the viewpoint of the model. Modeling helps to understand your own behavior pattern, with the aim to mock-up the most successful phase of your behavior.
Meta model
Meta model is designed to challenge and extend the limits of personal perception. For example, a person’s choice of word, while talking about situation, or issues will be distorted. This can negate certain parts of their experience.
A practitioner analysis this language patterns by listening, and helps them to recover the information, which lies hidden under the surface of words uttered. The NLP Meta model is based on verbal patterning of Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls.
It allows you to identify the indicators that restrict or limit your thinking capacity. Meta model questionnaire is intended to bring about clarity to your language, and the basic restrictive thinking.
Milton model
Milton model is based on Milton Erickson’s hypnotherapy form. It is about talking in an encouraging language that allows in bringing out the hidden resources of your personality. Milton model includes three main aspects.
- Build and maintain a bond with clients
- Ambiguity in non verbal communication and language distracts the clients conscious mind, which gives an opportunity to cultivate the unconscious mind
- Indirect communication is less authoritative, but this model trains the clients to interpret them
Sensory or representational system
NLP incorporates this system, which is based on Gestalt therapy and psychology. People observe the world through senses and store information in their mind. When they recall memories they see images, hear voices, and then process it with their internal feelings.
Some images are within consciousness, but information is processed largely at an unconscious level. For example, when you are involved in task like describing therapy issues, or making conversation about kicking a ball, or reading a book, the representational systems include feelings, sound, and images, and all of them are activated simultaneously.
NLP techniques depend on interrupting patterns and replacing them with more creative and positive thought model, which will impact your overall behavior.
Meta programs
Meta-program in neuro linguistic programming specifically indicates the general, persistent, and habitual linguistic & body language patterns applied by a person across an extensive range of situations. Related conceptions in other disciplines term it as cognitive or thinking styles.
Term ‘Program’ in NLP is used for ‘strategy’. These are an array of mental steps indicated by a person’s representational activity that leads to a behavioral effect. Mind is referred to as a computer. It informs you how to deal with the obtained information. Like the computer program, this same strategy can be used to process all sorts of information.
NLP Presuppositions content may vary, depending on different NLP trainers and practitioners. Some of them are:
The map is not the territory
Meaning of communication is the reaction you get
Mind and body belong to the same system, and they also influence one another
All behavior is rotated towards adaptation
People do best with available choices
Behind every behavior there is an optimistic intention
People already possess the necessary resources to succeed
Every outcome is marked as a feedback. There is no place for failure, just feedback
Anchoring/associations
NLP states that you constantly associate between what is seen, heard, and felt. If an individual is exposed to an exceptional stimulus of touch or sound in an emotional circumstance, then a bond is created between emotion and that particular stimulus.
NLP states that anchors can be created deliberately and triggered to help people access other states associated with rational memory.
Future pacing
It is a technique used to check the persons’ change process. For example, if body language does not display any changes, then it means that the involvement has failed. The programming will then need to change. Future pacing basically gives the person the mental picture of dealing with future situations positively, in advance.
A positive visualization serves as a model for encountering the situation in reality. Your mind cannot distinguish between reality and visualization, so it accepts your mental picture as real, and makes the necessary changes accordingly.
Swish
This process is aimed to destroy the unwanted behavior pattern of thought and then swapping it with the desired one. It involves a cue based on visualization that leads into useless behavior. For example, a cigarette smoker reprograms the mind and visualizes a desired outcome like healthy, energetic, and fit looking person.
Reframing
Reframing languages on the basis of legends, myths, jokes, and creative thoughts allows you to perceive the world differently, which changes the entire meaning of life itself.
For years, benefits of neuro linguistic programming have been advocated by thousands of people. The program has covered everything from enhanced memory & concentration, lie detection, reduced anxiety, and weight loss.
Benefits of NLP
Memory & concentration – Learning does not come easy to many students. It can also discourage the person, and make them feel even more miserable about it. In a study, NLP was found to be helpful in enhancing self-esteem in kids suffering from dyslexia. It provided them with calm relaxation and reduced anxiety. NLP for teachers and parents was seen to positively impact the learning capabilities for their students or children.
Getting Fit – Excessive eating habit is related to psychological issue. Modifying mental behavior can help the person to control appetite and increase the intensity and numbers of workout sessions. In a research, it was found that people, who took part in NLP experienced positive benefits in trying to lose their weight, but some had trouble in following the workout sessions consistently. Program alterations will come into the picture next.
Staying Calm – Like other therapeutic approaches, NLP also deals with anxiety effectively. In a survey, claustrophobic people were trained with NLP for the MRI scans. It turned out to be a very effective tool for reducing anxiety. It is assumed that NLPs technique of blending relaxation and imagery guidance is the reason that curbs the anxious feelings.
Helps to overcome bad habits – The best way to get rid of bad practice is to swap it with new good habits. Neuro linguistic programming has no side effects and is a great technique that people can have, when they are struggling with bad habits like avoiding workouts or junk food.
Supports balanced mood – Dealing with depression needs multifaceted approach, because feeling hopeless includes a huge number of unique personal factors. However, NLP may provide positive benefits and support an overall healthy frame of mind.
People, who desire to enhance their life quality from within, without using dangerous drugs, then it would be really worth considering to, try NLP for change.