Article and Pattern of the Month Alpha Leadership
80/20 Planning
Archive of Articles and Patterns by Robert Dilts.
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Reflections on September 11 The Principle of Positive Intention Belief Change Cycle The Influence of Timothy Leary on Re-Imprinting
Reframing Implementing the Belief Change Cycle Re-Imprinting
Modeling the Wisdom of Jesus
'Wholeness' Process
Darwin's "Thinking Path"
Somatic Syntax
Walt Disney
Walt Disney - Planning Strategy (Storyboarding)
The New Leadership Paradigm
Moving From Vision to Action
Allergy Process
NLP Allergy Technique
The NLP Spelling Strategy
Visual Spelling Strategy
Resolving Conflicts With NLP
Integration of Conflicting Parts
Figure And Ground
The Foreground - Background Process
The Phenomenon of Gentling
"Gentling" as a Path to Personal Growth
Eye Movements and NLP
Eye Scanning Patterns
Hierarchies of Criteria
Hierarchy of Criteria Technique
Harnessing the Imagination
New Behavior Generator Strategy
Motivation Synesthesia and the Structure of Beliefs
Basic Motivation Strategy Steps of the Failure Into Feedback Strategy
Modeling
Some Beginning Modeling Drills and Exercises
Presuppositions
Operationalizing NLP Presuppositions
Fourth Position Intellectual Property and NLP NLP and Self Organization Theory
Creating a "We-Field" Guidelines for Using Copyrighted Materials Exercise: Shifting and Attractor 'Landscape'
Fractals and Human Behavior
Exercise: Making 'Neurolinguistic' Fractals
Pragmagraphics
Steps of the Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern
NLP, Aging and Longevity
Time Line Longevity Procedure
Transderivational Morphology
Exploring the Impact of Transderivational Morphology
Anchoring
Exercise: Anchoring a "Resource" State
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Alpha Leadership by Robert Dilts
Alpha Leadership is a new model of leadership whose purpose is to capture and share the latest and most up-to-date knowledge about the practice of effective leadership. The model arose as a result of a series of passionate and in-depth conversations and discussions about effective leadership between myself, Anne Deering (a top consultant for A.T. Kearney) and fellow NLP trainer and coach Julian Russel (founder of PPD Consulting). The Alpha Leadership model defines a set of principles, tools and skills modeled from observing and coaching world-class leaders from around the world. Prior to the early 1980s, leadership development in organizations primarily focused on different leadership styles. These styles were most evident in the relationship between leaders and co-workers. Leadership emphasized the characteristics and “rules” for expressing an effective leadership style with respect to a particular situation. It was noticed, for instance, that winning leaders were able to strike a balance between attention to tasks or goals and attention to relationships with team members; a balance that needed to be constantly adapted to specific situations. The mid 1980s saw a shift in focus from “transactional” to “transformational” leadership, spearheaded by the work of Bernard Bass. In the transformational model, effective leadership was no longer a function of simply adjusting one’s style and actions to a particular situation in order to get someone to efficiently accomplish a specific task, but rather to promote the expression of each individual’s potential (helping him or her to perform “beyond” expected outcomes). Transformational leadership focused on four key additional elements: 1. Vision 2. Change management 3. Motivation to continuous improvement 4. The key role of trust in promoting true team spirit The last decade has seen an extension of transformational leadership through the skills of visionary leadership and meta leadership (leading and developing other leaders). This has led to the emergence of other leadership abilities in relationship to: • Promoting Change • Realizing Core Values • Recognizing the Potential of Each Individual
• Developing and Empowering People Thus, in the emerging views of leadership leaders do not have influence simply because they are ‘bosses’ or ‘commanders’. Rather, leaders are people who are committed to “creating a world to which people want to belong.” This commitment demands a special set of models and abilities in order to effectively and ecologically manifest the visions that guide those committed to change. It involves communicating, interacting and managing relationships within an organization, network or social system to move toward one’s highest aspirations. Alpha Leadership represents the leading edge of these developments. The term “alpha,” which comes from the first letter of the Greek alphabet, means “something that is first,” or “the beginning.” In fact, it is interesting to note that “leading” and “leadership” come from the Old English word lithan (one of the rare English words that actually has an English origin), which literally means “to go.” According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, leadership means “to guide on a way, especially by going in advance.” It is significant that the root of the word leadership does not have to do with “power,” “command,” “dominance,” etc. It has to do with going somewhere together with others. It is not so much about “being number one” as it is about “leading the way” through one’s own actions. Thus, in its truest expression, leadership is fundamentally about “going first,” and influencing others as much by one’s actions as by one’s words. From this perspective, effective leadership can be viewed as the ability to involve others in the process of accomplishing a goal within some larger system or environment. That is, a leader leads or influences a collaborator or group of co-workers towards achieving some end in the context of an organization, social community and environment.
Leaders Involve and Influence Others in Order to Achieve Goals Within a System
The Alpha Leadership model addresses each of these key elements, which make up the “work space” of leadership, through what we refer to as the “triple As” of leadership: Anticipate, Align and Act.
Anticipating has to do with the leader’s ability to be aware of the larger system in which he or she and the team or organization are acting. Aligning has to do with the way a leader engages and interacts with others—achieving congruence in his or her own values and desires, and the values and desires of others in order to act effectively in pursuit of business goals and outcomes. Acting relates to establishing what is important to achieve the business goals, and making the commitment to persist in areas that make a difference through clarity and constancy of purpose.
The Alpha Leadership Model Each of these key aspects of leadership is supported by three core skills necessary to bring them into action. Anticipate
• Detecting Weak Signals: Similar to the sonar system of a bat, leaders and organizations need to be able to sense and interpret subtle cues, in order to become aware of trends and patterns in the larger system, even before they happen. • Mental Agility: Having the flexibility (or “requisite variety”) to respond appropriately to these signals. • Freeing Up Resources: Creating organizations fluid enough to respond quickly to new circumstances.
Align • Leading Through Embodiment: Developing personal power through congruence and personal alignment, and being aware of one’s impact on others. • Task Through Relationship: Establishing cooperation and rapport and encouraging self-organization through meta leadership. • Creating Cultures that Can Act: Establishing the conditions in which others can win.
Act • The 80/20 Rule: Being efficient, and finding the key leverage points for effective action— “knowing where to tap.” • Ready, Fire, Aim: Being proactive and at the same time sensitive to feedback in order to make “in-course” corrections. • Dogged Pursuit: Focusing and stretching business goals, being clear about how the business creates value, and having a strong sense of connection between one’s personal mission and business role.
Alpha Leadership Principles, Skills and Tools Support Effective Interactions Between Leaders, Co-workers, Business Goals and the Larger System in Which They Are Acting.
The Alpha Leadership model supplies tools for managers, consultants and coaches to develop more effective leadership ability in themselves and others. While the focus of Alpha Leadership is necessarily on business, the principles, skills and tools can be applied in other contexts in which we want to improve our performance or results. The book on Alpha Leadership is available now. For more information see the Alpha Leaders website.
80/20 Planning
Stephen Covey recounts the story of an instructor lecturing on time, (First things first, by Stephen Covey, Simon and Schuster, 1994). ‘At one point the instructor said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz”. He reached under the table and pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar. He set it on the table next to a platter with some fist-sized rocks on it. “How many of those rocks do you think we can get in the jar?” he asked. After we made our guess, he said, “Okay, let’s find out”. He set one rock in the jar…then another…then another. I don’t remember how many he got in, but he got the jar full. Then he asked, “Is that jar full?” Everybody looked at the rocks and said “Yes”. Then he said “Ahhh”. He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar and the gravel went in all the little spaces left by the big rocks. Then he grinned and said once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time we were on to him. “Probably not”, we said. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went in all the little spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Once more he looked at us and said, “Is the jar full?” “No!” we all roared. He said, “Good!” and he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in. He got something like a quart of water in that jar. Then he said, “Well, what’s the point?” Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fit more into your life”. “No”, he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: if you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”’
Allocating resources: Getting “the rocks in your jar” When you think forward 3 to 6 months, what are the REALLY IMPORTANT things you want to achieve, the “rocks in your jar?” (These rocks may be first steps in larger goals visions that may take much longer to complete) 1. List the mix of activities that you need to undertake in the next period of time.
2. Make up a time allocation worksheet or use the one below. Write the list of activities in the spaces in the middle of the worksheet. 3. On the pie chart on the right, under the column Desired State, represent the percentage of time you will need to allocate to each activity if your key objectives are to be successfully achieved. 4. Now review what you have specified as the allocation you would like, and compare it to the time you actually spend on these activities. Using the pie charts on the left hand side of the worksheet, represent the relative amounts of time you are currently spending with respect to each activity. 5. Now list the people with whom you are collaborating in order to undertake these activities on the second half of the worksheet. Note the proportion of your time you would liketo spend with them in order to be successful in your activities, and note this on the right side of the worksheet. Compare these percentages with the time you actuallyspend with each individual, noted on the left side of the worksheet.
Reflections on September 11
Dear Friends, Like many of you probably did, I had a difficult time sleeping following the horrific events of September 11. I saw the nightmarish images of the desrtruction in New York and Washington DC over and over during the day on television, and then again at night in my own mind’s eye. I received many wonderful, empathetic and supportive e-mails from concerned colleagues around the world. As one friend from the UK wrote: "I don’t know what to say. It's a bad dream and I still hope I will wake up. So much beauty and so much ugliness in the same world. I hope that we in NLP can make some difference to what is unfolding." My thoughts too have touched upon what these events mean with respect to NLP and the people who practice NLP. My conclusion is that it is a time of "awakening" for us. The dictionary defines awakening as "rousing from sleep," "emerging from a state of indifference, lethargy or dormancy" or "becoming fully conscious, aware and appreciative." Times of growth and transformation in our lives are usually accompanied by such "awakenings." It is as if we were roused from a type of sleep—coming out of a self-imposed stupor—or had been blind and suddenly regained sight. Our mental maps of who we are and what is possible in the world become broader, and we perceive old limitations in a completely new way. In these experiences, we succeed in breaking through our old mind set and "get outside of the box." The results of awakening are frequently a renewed sense of purpose and meaning, expanded awareness, clear perception and emotional and physical revitalization. Awakening is often associated with cognitive or mental expansion, but can also be related to our heart and emotions. Awakening frequently has to do with reconnecting with our motivations at the deepest level. While waking up is usually exhilarating, it is not always pleasant. It seems to me that the events of September 11 were a type of unpleasant awakening. In our seminar, Love in the Face of Violence, Stephen Gilligan and frequently quote
the great Danish physicist Nils Bohr, who pointed out that there are two types of truth: superficial truth and deep truth. According to Bohr, "In a superficial truth, the opposite is false. In a deep truth, the opposite is also true." Beauty and ugliness are both deep truths. The fact that there is great beauty and hope in the world does not mean that it is not also ugly. And the fact that people are capable of acting so horribly, does not mean that they are not also capable of creating miracles. Once somebody has been awakened to such a deeper truth, then he or she is able to truly choose. If they are both true, then where do I choose to put my life energy? Do I devote myself to the light or succumb to the darkness? In fact, it is important to point out that sometimes "the brighter the light, the darker the shadows." When I have had even a minor spiritual awakening, I suddenly see shadows that I didn’t see before because the light has gotten brighter. When my daughter was born, for example, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I think it is transformational for a man to have a daughter. When Julia was born, parts of my heart opened that I didn’t even know were there before. She was a really bright light, and I felt totally awake in her presence. But after spending more or less a whole summer with her, I had to travel again. I flew to Europe to do a seminar. It was the first time I was very far away from her. One morning I was in the bathroom at my hotel getting ready to go to the seminar. I had the television on, and I heard crying in the other room. For a moment, I thought it was my daughter crying in pain or fear. I hurried to the other room and found that the cry was coming from the television. They were showing reports of people in Somalia. On the screen was a baby girl in Somalia who was dying of starvation. Her cry sounded just like my daughter’s. I was so connected to my daughter, it was as if my heart was being broken by the image on television. Before Julia had been born, I would have just seen an anonymous image on television. Now the suffering of a child thousands of miles away was breaking my heart. I realized in that moment that I had a choice: I could close down and say, "Oh this is something that is happening very far away from me. It is happening to somebody very different from me, that I don’t even know or care about ." Or, I could keep my heart open and realize that the baby was no farther away then than my own daughter (both physically and emotionally). The specter of suffering and death became a very real Shadow. The fact that people were dying of starvation wasn’t something I could just think of as a concept any longer. I was feeling it. And to choose to close my heart would have meant to somehow love my daughter less. I realized that to love my daughter meant that I had to allow my heart to be broken. It was as if someone that I loved was dying and I was helpless to do anything about it. That Shadow had been there all my life, but the darkness and reality of it had never before been so obvious.
This is an illustration of how, when the light gets brighter, the Shadow becomes more visible. In the presence of the light, we can no longer ignore pain, suffering and fear. For me that was the decision that I made with respect to the starving baby and my daughter. I decided to ‘love anyway’, which meant loving the little girl who I saw dying on television, even if I was helpless, and could do nothing about it, and even if loving her led to greater pain in my life. I felt this same pain many times over watching the images on the television yesterday. It was also the same daughter I just talked about, now 10 years old, who kept asking me, "Why would somebody do such a thing daddy? Don’t they know that they are hurting and scaring people?" At first, I responded, "Yes, honey, they wanted to hurt and scare people." "But," she persisted, "why? Why do they want to hurt and scare people. What is it doing for them?" In her innocent, yet determined desire to understand and change things she was looking for the root cause, the deeper truth, the intention of the perpetrators. This search for a positive intention, especially since when it most difficult, seems to me to part of our task as a people. In Tools of the Spirit, Robert McDonald and I point out that this is the spiritual principle of NLP. My daughter’s question continued to echo as I heard the haunting cheers of the children in the Palestinian refugee camp, "America is dead. God is free." What will it do for them if America is dead? What will do for them if God is free? These are some of the first questions we must ask if we are to find other choices and create a true and lasting solution. A number of times yesterday I was reminded of the story when Albert Einstein was approached by a reporter during an interview and asked something to the effect of, "Dr. Einstein, you are recognized around the world as one of the most bone fide geniuses of our century, maybe of human history. Your scope of thinking has covered the workings of the universe from the tiny atom to the cosmos. You have seen your discoveries both evolve and enrich, and also mutilate and destroy the human life you so highly value. What, in your opinion is the most important question facing humanity today?" Characteristically, Einstein stared off into space for a moment, and then looked down at the ground in front of him. Finally he looked back at the reporter and replied, "I
think the most important question facing humanity is, ‘Is the universe a friendly place?’ This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves. "For if we decide that the universe is an unfriendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to achieve safety and power by creating bigger walls to keep out the unfriendliness and bigger weapons to destroy all that which is unfriendly—and I believe that we are getting to a place where technology is powerful enough that we may either completely isolate or destroy ourselves as well in this process. "If we decide that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly and that God is essentially ‘playing dice with the universe’, then we are simply victims to the random toss of the dice and our lives have no real purpose or meaning. "But if we decide that the universe is a friendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to create tools and models for understanding that universe. Because power and safety will come through understanding its workings and its motives." I myself do not know any answers to the many questions that arose as a result of the awful events of September 11, but I know that we must be congruent and awake to find those answers through understanding. In considering how to deal with the consequences of this tragedy, I was reminded of Gregory Bateson's comment that "Love can survive only if wisdom has an effective voice." I was also reminded of the important life lesson I learned as a child from my father that "two wrongs don't make a right." I hope that, as NLPers, the horrible events of September 11 reawaken in us the commitment to continue to "create a world to which people want to belong," and become awakeners ourselves. In many ways, leaders, coaches, consultants, therapists and teachers are awakeners; opening up new vistas and possibilities for their students, clients and collaborators. Awakening others involves supporting them to grow at the level of vision, mission and spirit. An awakener supports another person by providing contexts and experiences which bring out the best of that person’s understanding and awareness of purpose, self, and the larger systems to which he or she belongs. Being an awakener requires the abilities of a coach, teacher, mentor and sponsor to some degree, but has other dimensions. It is obvious that it is not possible to awaken others if you yourself are still asleep. So the first task of the awakener is to wake up and stay awake. An awakener "awakens" others through his or her own integrity and congruence. An awakener puts other people in touch with their own missions and visions by being in full contact with his or her own vision and mission.
The job of the awakener is to shine light into situations which are dim, not cast his or her own shadow into the darkness that is already there. Awakeners have no illusions about human nature—so they do not have negative surprises. But they have a strong belief about what is possible. Awakening others involves the unconditional acceptance of who and how they are; yet, at the same time, the suggestion that there are possibilities and choices for expansion and evolution. Awakening can be gradual or sudden (such as a moment of "epiphany" or sudden insight). Awakening often leads to learning at the level of what Gregory Bateson called Learning IV—the creation of something "completely new." In NLP the closest thing we do to praying is to "hold an intention." It seems to me to be appropriate at this time for all of us in the NLP community to hold the intention for healing and wisdom—healing for the people and their families who were devastated by this experience, and wisdom to decide how to respond. In closing, I offer the words of Albert Einstein: "A human being is a part of the whole called by us ‘universe’. . . a part limited in time and space. He experiences his thoughts and feelings as separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Thank you all for your concerns and warms wishes.
Robert Dilts Santa Cruz, California September 12, 2001
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts
Positive Intention Bringing Light Into The Darkness: The Principle of Positive Intention One of the most important but often misunderstood (and therefore controversial) principles of NLP is that of 'positive intention'. Simply put, the principle states that at some level all behavior is (or at one time was) "positively intended". Another way to say it is that all behavior serves (or at one time served) a 'positive purpose'. The positive intention behind 'aggressive' behavior, for example, is often 'protection'. The positive intention or purpose behind 'fear' is usually 'safety'. The positive purpose behind anger can be to 'maintain boundaries'. 'Hatred' may have the positive purpose of 'motivating' a person to take action. The positive intentions behind something like 'resistance to change' could encompass a range of issues; including the desire to acknowledge, honor or respect the past; the need to protect oneself by staying with the familiar, and the attempt to hold onto the positive things one has had in the past, and so on. Even physical symptoms may serve a positive purpose. NLP views any symptoms, including physical symptoms, as a communication that something is not functioning appropriately. Physical symptoms often signal to people that something is out of balance. Sometimes physical symptoms are even a sign that something is being healed. Sometimes a particular problem behavior or symptom may even serve multiple positive intentions. I have worked with people who wanted to quit smoking, for instance, who discovered that it served many positive purposes. They smoked in the morning in order to "wake up". They smoked during the day in order to "reduce stress," "concentrate" and, paradoxically, "remember to breathe." They smoked at night in order to "relax." Often, smoking served to cover up or 'cloud' negative emotions. Perhaps most importantly, smoking was the one thing that they did "just for themselves" to bring some pleasure into their lives. Another basic principle of NLP, that is related to that of positive intention, is that it is useful to separate one's "behavior" from one's "self" - that is, to separate the positive
intent, function, belief, etc., that generates a behavior from the behavior itself. In other words, it is more respectful, ecological and productive to respond to the 'deep structure' than to the surface expression of a problematic behavior. A consequence of combining this principle with the principle of positive intention is that in order to change behavior or establish viable alternatives, the new choices must in some way satisfy the positive purpose of the previous behavior. When the positive intentions and purposes of a problem state or symptom have not been satisfied, then, ironically, even "normal" or "desired" behaviors can produce equally problematic or pathological results. A person who stops being aggressive, for instance, but has no other way to protect himself or herself, just exchanges one set of problems for another. Quitting the behavior of smoking without finding alternatives for all of the important purposes that it serves can lead a person into a nightmare of new problems. According to another basic NLP principle - that of 'pacing and leading' - effective change would first involve 'pacing' by acknowledging the positive intentions behind the existing behavior. 'Leading' would involve assisting the individual to widen his or her map of the world in order to find more appropriate choices for successfully achieving those positive intentions. These choices would allow the person to preserve the positive intention or purpose through different means. This is what the various NLP techniques of 'reframing' attempt to accomplish. Why people object to the principle of positive intention. On one hand, the principle of positive intention - and the approach to change described above - seem quite natural and effective. Yet, the notion of 'positive intention' has also engendered much criticism and ridicule; even by some members of the NLP community. The objections range from the perception that it is more theoretical and philosophical than practical, to the belief that it is downright dangerous. One of the purposes of this article is to acknowledge and address some of these concerns. The notion of 'positive intention' is more philosophical than scientific. It can't be proved. Actually, the principle of positive intention does not come from religious or romantic idealism, but rather from the scientific discipline of systems theory. The fundamental premise of the principle of positive intent is that systems (especially self organizing or "cybernetic" systems) are geared toward adaptation. That is, there is a built in tendency to optimize some important elements in the system or to keep the system in balance. Thus, the ultimate purpose of all actions, responses or behaviors within a system is 'adaptive' - or was adaptive given the context in which those behaviors were initially established.
It is true that you cannot objectively 'prove' that there really is a positive intention behind a particular behavior; that is why it is considered a 'presupposition'. It is something that is presupposed, not proved. Similarly, one cannot 'prove' that the 'map is not the territory' and that 'there is no one right map of the world'. These are part of the basic 'epistemology' of NLP - they are the basic beliefs upon which the rest of the model is based. NLP principles and presuppositions are like the fundamental concepts of Euclidian geometry. For instance, Euclid built his geometry upon the concept of the 'point'. A point is defined as 'an entity that has a position but no other properties'-it has no size, no mass, no color, no shape. It is of course impossible to prove that a point really has no size, mass, color, etc. However, if you accept this presupposition, along with a few others, you can build a whole system of geometry. The conclusions of this system can then be 'proved' with respect to their adherence to the fundamental but unproven concepts. It is important to realize that one does not have to accept Euclid's assumption about a point in order to create a geometry. There are other geometries based on different presuppositions. [For instance, MIT mathematician Seymour Pappert (1980) built his fascinating 'Turtle geometry' for children substituting the notion of a 'Turtle' for a 'point'; a 'Turtle' being an entity that has a position and a direction.] Thus, accepting the principle of 'positive intention' is ultimately an act of faith. And in many ways, the notion of positive intention is probably the 'spiritual' core of NLP. If we accept that there are positive intentions behind every behavior, then we will find or create them as opposed to waiting for the proof that such intentions exist. If people supposedly have positive intentions then why do they do such bad things? It is common wisdom that "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Having a good intention is not a guarantee of good behavior. People who have good intentions do bad things because they have limited maps of the world. Problems arise when a well intended person's map of the world presents only a few choices for satisfying their intentions. This is why it is important to consider the principle of positive intention in relation to the other teachings of NLP. Isolated from the other NLP presuppositions and the technology of NLP, the principle of positive intention would indeed be naive idealism. Without the mastery of the NLP change techniques, thinking tools, communication skills etc., it would be irrelevant whether someone had a positive intention or not because we would be helpless to direct their attention to a new behavior anyway. As Einstein pointed out, "You cannot solve a problem with the
same type of thinking that is creating it." The principle of positive intention must be coupled with powerful and effective creativity and problem solving skills. It is also important to keep in mind that people can only have a positive intention for the particular part of the total system that they are aware of or identify with. Thus, an individual who is knowingly and 'purposefully' doing something harmful to another, will often have a positive intention for himself or herself which does not include the other. In fact, the concept of 'negative intentions' probably stems from this kind of experience. The positive intention behind the belief in negative intention and the rejection of the notion of 'positive intention' is undoubtedly "protection." People who reject the notion of positive intention are often afraid of either being or appearing 'naive'. They also often feel helpless to change anything. Without the mastery of the appropriate NLP skills, people simply end up feeling, "If they were really positively intended they would have changed by now." It is important, however, not to confuse the notion that people are motivated by 'positive intentions' with the idea that people are always able to keep in mind the 'best interests' of others or the rest of the system. The fact that others are positively intended does not automatically make them wise or capable of being altruistic - these are the result of intelligence, skill and their map of the world. Adolph Hitler had a very positive intention - for the part of the system that he identified with. A mugger who robs and perhaps even kills another to get money has a positive intention for himself but no identification with the victim. The European pioneers who killed Native American fathers and their families in order to protect their own families had a positive intention but had limited choices. In their map the 'red devils' were not human. The Native American warriors who killed European fathers and their families in order to protect their hunting grounds had a very positive intention, but had limited choices. They both lacked the skills to communicate effectively with one another, and their maps of the world did not allow them to appreciate and manage the cultural differences between them. Doesn't accepting that a behavior comes from a positive intention make that behavior alright? The fact that some action or symptom may have a positive intention behind it does not justify the behavior or make it acceptable or "OK." Rather, the principle of positive intention states what is necessary to be able to permanently change a behavior or resolve a symptom or resistance. The principle of positive intention addresses issues of 'change', 'healing' and 'ecology' more so than 'morality' or 'justice'. It is more about the future than the past. The principle of positive intention merely
asserts that healing or "associative correction" involves adding new choices to the individual's impoverished model of the world. These new choices would need to be able to satisfy the positive intention or purpose that the individual is (consciously or unconsciously) attempting to fulfill, but not have the negative or pathological consequences of the problem behavior or symptom. But I can't find any positive purpose to some behaviors. Positive intentions are not always conscious nor obvious. Because we are not used to thinking in terms of positive intentions, it is sometimes difficult to find them right away and therefore we find it easier to lapse into other explanations for a behavior or symptom. But if one is committed to finding them and looks deeply enough, they will be there. Sometimes the intention or 'deep structure' is far removed from the surface level behavior. In these cases, the relation between the intention and behavior may seem paradoxical For instance, I have worked with suicidal people who's positive intention is to "attain peace." Parents sometimes physically punish or even abuse their children to "show them that they love them." The mystery of the seemingly paradoxical relationship between the positive intention and the resulting behavior lies in the past events and model of the world in which the relationship was formed. Another conclusion of combining the principle of positive intention with other NLP presuppositions is that any behavior no matter how 'evil', 'crazy' or 'bizarre' it seems, is or was the best choice available to the person at that point in time, given his or her model of the world. That is, all behavior is or was perceived as necessary or appropriate (from the 'actor's' point of view) given the context in which it was established. What happens many times, however, is that the positive intention for which the behavior was established is no longer actually being served by the behavior. As an example, the positive intention behind 'revenge' is often initially to "put things right" in order to try to heal them. Instead it creates an unending or escalating feud (like the Hatfields and McCoys). To truly heal the situation it is necessary to break the cycle by finding a way of thinking that is different from that which is creating the problem. What is important to keep in mind is that, even though the situation in which the problematic response was established is now outdated, the positive intention behind it, or the purpose which it was intended to serve, may still be valid and important to acknowledge and address. What if I can't find any positive purpose in the past?
In some situations the positive function of a symptom or behavior was not part of the initiating circumstances but was rather established later as a 'secondary gain'. For instance, a person may not have intended to become physically sick, but nonetheless received a lot of attention and relief from his or her responsibilities when he or she did become ill. This attention and relief, received as a positive by-product of the illness, could become a secondary gain - indicating areas of imbalance in the person's 'normal' life that need to be addressed. If they are not adequately dealt with, the person may be likely to relapse. But when I make people aware of perfectly good alternatives they don't always accept them. It is important to keep in mind at this point that there is a subtle but significant difference between 'alternatives' and 'choices'. 'Alternatives' are external to a person. 'Choices' are alternatives that have become a part of the person's map. An individual could be given many options or alternatives but really have no choice. Choice involves having the capability and the contextual cues to be able to internally select the most appropriate option. In NLP, it is also considered important that the person possess more than one other alternative besides the symptom or problematic response. There is a saying in NLP that "One choice is no choice at all. Two choices is a dilemma. It is not until a person has three possibilities that he or she is really able to legitimately choose." What about when someone admits that he or she has other choices but is still doing the same thing? What often confuses people about the principle of positive intention is that it seems the person "should know better." They should have the intelligence or maturity to employ other alternatives to achieve their desired intentions. It is not uncommon for a people to say over and over again that they realize something is not good for them or achieving what they really want or intend, yet still persist in the behavior. The influence of past events often extends beyond the specific memory of the particular situation. Under certain conditions, events can produce altered states of consciousness which lead to a "splitting of consciousness," such that a part of the person's thinking process became disassociated from the rest. This disassociated part of consciousness, what Freud called a "secondary consciousness", could produce ideas which were "very intense but are cut off from associative communication with the rest of the content of consciousness." In the view of NLP, people are always drifting or moving between various states of
consciousness. There is a wide variety of states which the nervous system is capable of achieving. In fact, from the NLP perspective, it is useful and desirable to have 'parts'. In circumstances that require high levels of performance, for instance, people often place themselves mentally and physically into states that are different from their "normal state" of consciousness. Certain tasks require that individuals use their body and nervous system in special ways. For instance, athletic performances, labor and birth experiences, even tasks requiring high levels of concentration like surgery, are often accompanied by special states. The ideas, perceptions and thoughts that occur in these states can be "associated amongst themselves" more easily than experiences that occur in other states or circumstances. This kind of process is one of the ways that we keep from being overwhelmed by the vast contents of our experiences. The degree of influence of a particular 'part' depends upon the 'level' at which it has been formed. Some parts are more at the capability level; like a 'creative' part, a 'logical' part or an 'intuitive' part. Other parts are more at the level of beliefs and values; such as a part that 'values health more than success' or a part that believes 'family is more important than career'. Still others may be at the level of identity; such as a part that is an 'adult' versus a part that is a 'child'. Different 'parts' may have different intentions, purposes and capabilities that may or may not be connected to other parts of a person and to his or her normal state of consciousness. Thus, while one part of a person may understand something, another part may not. One part of a person may believe something is important while another part may believe it is unnecessary. As a result, an individual may have different parts with different intentions. These intentions may come into conflict with one another, or lead to behaviors that seem bizarre and irrational to others and even to part of a person's own consciousness. In other words, the fact that the "normal consciousness" of a person recognizes other choices does not mean that the "secondary consciousness" that is initiating the behavior understands or accepts those choices. A symptom is only completely 'reframed' when the part of the person that is generating the problematic response is identified, the positive intention behind the response understood and acknowledged, and when other effective choices for achieving the positive intention have been internalized by that part. (The specifics of how to conduct such communications have been detailed in a number of NLP books including Roots of NLP, Frogs Into Princes, Solutions, NLP Volume I, Reframing.) Are you saying that there is no such thing as 'evil'? The notion of 'evil' is certainly an ancient one. Yet, perhaps surprisingly to some, it has not always existed as an essential part of human consciousness. In his book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (1976), Julian
Jaynes points out that references to the concept of "evil" do not appear in ancient writings or artifacts (Greek, Egyptian or Hebrew) until around 1200 BC. According to Jaynes, in order for the idea of "evil" to arise, people's behavior had to become perceived as being sufficiently disassociated from the will of the various gods that controlled them in order for people to have their own 'free will'. It was only with advent of ongoing contact and interaction between peoples of different cultures, and the resulting belief that the differences in people's behaviors came from their own internal thoughts and wills, that ideas such as 'deception' and 'evil' emerged. Without individual consciousness and will there can be no intent, positive or negative. It would seem that, historically, the concept of evil arose out of our struggle to understand and come to terms with our own internal programming. Even from the earliest times, however, 'evil' was associated with 'darkness' and 'good' was associated with 'light'. Destructive and harmful behaviors come from 'darkness'. Loving and healing behaviors come from 'light'. This metaphor fits in very well with the NLP notion of positive intention. Positive intentions are like light. Their purpose is to bring illumination and warmth to the world. Symptoms and problematic behaviors emerge out of the darkness - the places that the light is unable to reach. It is very important to realize, however, that 'darkness' is not a 'force', it is merely the absence of light. Light can shine into darkness, but darkness cannot 'shine' into light. Thus, the relationship between light and the shadow that it casts is not one of a struggle between opposing forces. The question is, "What is obstructing the light?" and "How can we get some light to where it needs to be?" From an NLP perspective, 'darkness' comes from a narrow map of the world or from something in that model of the world that is interfering with the 'light' of the positive intention and casting a shadow. Change comes from 'widening the aperture' of the person's map of the world or by finding and transforming the obstacles to the light not by attacking the shadow. According to NLP, the obstacles to the light come from limiting beliefs or 'thought viruses' in our mental maps of the world. Typically, these obstacles come as beliefs or assumptions which stand in opposition to the basic NLP presuppositions. For example, consider just how easy it is to create conflict and violence by taking on the following beliefs: "There is only one true map of the world. They (the chosen enemy) have the wrong map of the world - I/we have the correct map of the world. They are negatively intended - they want to hurt us. They are incapable of changing I/we have tried everything I/we could. They are not part of our system - they are fundamentally different from us." These beliefs, taken together, have no doubt been at the heart of every atrocity that has been committed in human history. The fundamental 'light' and healing capacity of
NLP comes from its commitment to promote a different set of presuppositions: "We are a system that is part of much larger system. This system is fundamentally geared toward health and adaptation. Therefore, we are all ultimately motivated by positive intentions. Our maps of the world, however, are limited and don't always provide us with all the possible choices. We are, nonetheless, capable of changing, and once we are able to perceive a truly viable option, we will automatically take it. The issue is to be able to widen one's model of the world to include other choices and capabilities for protection and wisdom and to assist others in doing so as well."
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
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[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Reframing by Robert Dilts. The Principle of 'Positive Intention' One of the most important and useful principles for managing change relates to the notion of 'positive intention'. This principle is especially valuable when dealing with resistances and objections. The principle essentially states that: At some level, all behavior is intended or has been developed for some "positive purpose". According to this principle, for instance, resistances or objections would actually emerge from some underlying positive intention or purpose. For example, the positive purpose behind the objection, "It is not desirable to be successful," may be to 'protect' the speaker from oversaturation or failure. The positive intention behind a resistance such as, "It is not possible to change," might be to prevent 'false hope' or to avoid unrewarded effort. The principle of positive intention implies that, in order to successfully change a resistance or limiting belief, these underlying concerns, or positive purposes, must be acknowledged and addressed in some way. The positive intention behind a resistance or limiting belief may be addressed directly or by widening the person's map of the situation such that they are able to see choices for satisfying their positive intent other than resistance or interference. In fact, resistance created by positive intentions often arise from other limiting (and unrecognized) assumptions. For instance, the reason that a person may feel threatened by the "success" may be because that person does not feel he or she has the skills or support to deal with the social impact of being successful. This concern may be addressed by providing the appropriate coaching and guidance for developing the necessary resources. Another way to address this might be to help the person realize that he or she already has the capabilities necessary and is going to be supported. It is also important at times to inquire directly about the positive intention or purpose behind a particular resistance or limiting belief. The principle of positive intention is derived from the deeper assumption that people make the best choices available to them given the possibilities and capabilities that they perceive to be accessible within their model of the world. NLP processes, such
as Reframing, are ways to help people widen their map of a situation and perceive other choices and options. Thus, when managing an objection or resistance, it is useful to begin by acknowledging its positive intent and then lead to a wider space of perception or thinking. It is especially important to separate a person's identity and positive intention from their behaviors. In dealing with interferences, an effective strategy is to first acknowledge the person or their positive intent and then respond to the issue or problem as a separate issue. It is important to realize that one can acknowledge another person's point of view without having to agree with that person, i.e. it is different to say "I understand that you have this perspective", than to say, "I agree with you". Saying, "I appreciate your concern", or "That is an important question" is a way to acknowledge the person or their intention without necessarily implying that their map of the world is the right one. In summary, according to the principle of positive intention, when dealing with resistance to change it is important and useful to: 1) Presuppose that all behavior (including resistance and limiting beliefs) is positively intended. 2) Separate the negative aspects of the behavior from the positive intention behind it. 3) Identify and respond to the positive intention of the resistant/problem person. 4) Offer the person other choices of behavior to achieve the same positive intention. Copyright © 1995 by Robert B. Dilts
6-Step 'Reframing' 1. Identify the problematic behavior. "What is the behavior or symptom you want to change?" 2. Establish communication with the part of yourself that is responsible for the behavior. "Go inside of yourself and ask the part of you that creates this behavior, 'Please give me a signal if you are willing to communicate with me.' Pay attention to any internal words, images or feelings that might be a signal from that part of yourself." 2.1. If you do not get a clear signal, ask the part to exaggerate the signal. You may also use the symptom itself by asking "Please intensify the symptom if your answer is 'yes'." 2.2. If the part is not willing to communicate, ask "What is your positive purpose in
not wanting to communicate with me?" [If you have continued difficulty establishing communication with the part, you may want to try a different change process.] 3. Separate the positive intention of the part from the problematic behavior. "Go inside and thank the part for communicating with you and ask, 'What are you trying to do positively for me or communicate to me with this behavior?'" 3.1. If the intention of the part seems negative, keep asking "And what will that do positively for me? What is your positive purpose?" 4. Find three other choices that satisfy the positive intention of the part but do not have the negative consequences of the symptom or problematic behavior. "Go to the 'creative part' of yourself and ask it to come up with at least three other ways to satisfy the positive intention of the problematic behavior." 5. Have the part that creates the symptom or problematic behavior agree to implement the new choices. "Go inside and ask the part responsible for the problematic behavior, 'Signal me if you accept the alternative choices." 5.1. If any choices are not acceptable, or there is no signal, go to step 4 and modify or add choices. 6. Ecology check. Find out if any other parts object to the new choices. "Go inside and ask, 'Do any other parts object to these new choices?'" 6.1. If yes, identify the part and go to step 2, repeating the cycle with that part. implement the new choices. "Go inside and ask the part responsible for the problematic behavior
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts
Belief Change Cycle People often consider the process of changing beliefs to be difficult and effortful. And yet, the fact remains that people naturally and spontaneously change dozens if not hundreds of beliefs during their life. Perhaps the difficulty is that when we consciously attempt to change our beliefs, we do so in a way that does not respect the natural cycle of belief change. We try to change our beliefs by "repressing" them or fighting with them. According to the theory of self organization, beliefs would change through a natural cycle in which the parts of a person's system which hold the existing belief in place become destabilized. A belief could be considered a type of high level attractor around which the system organizes. When the system is destabilized, the new belief may be brought in without conflict or violence. The system may then be allowed to restabilize around a new point of balance or homeostasis. Organic systems often change through processes that take the form of cycles. While the content of these cycles shift and vary, the deep structure of the cycle stays constant. From the view of systems theory, therapeutic methods involve a structure in which an existing pattern in the 'landscape' is reaccessed and then 'destabilized' by bringing in new insights and perspectives. When new 'attractors' are introduced into this destabilized state, in the form of new understandings and resources, the system naturally and spontaneously reorganizes itself through "associative correction" into a new stable pattern. This natural cycle of change might be likened to the changing of the seasons. A new belief is like a seed that becomes planted in the Spring. The seed grows into the Summer where it matures, becomes strong and takes root. In the Autumn the belief begins to become outdated and wither, its purpose served. The fruits of the belief, however, (the positive intentions and purposes behind it) are retained or 'harvested', and separated from the parts that are no longer necessary. Finally, in the Winter, the parts of the belief which are no longer needed are let go of and fade away, allowing the cycle to begin again. As we prepare for the different stages in our lives or careers, for instance, we 'want to believe' that we will be able to manage them successfully and resourcefully. As we enter that stage of life and learn the lessons that we need in order to manage, we
become 'open to believe' that we may, in fact, have the capabilities to be successful and resourceful. As our capabilities become confirmed, we become confident in our 'belief' that we are successful and resourceful and that what we are doing is right for us for now. As we begin to pass that stage of life or work, we begin to become 'open to doubt' that the success and activities associated with that stage are really what is most important, priorital or 'true' for us anymore. When we are past that stage, we are able to look back and see that what used to be important and true for us is no longer the case. We can recognize that we 'used to believe' that we were a certain way and that certain things were important; and we can retain the beliefs and capabilities that will help us in our current phase, but we realize that our values, priorities and beliefs are now different. All one needs to do is to look over the cycles of change that one has gone through since childhood, adolescence, and the stages of adulthood to find many examples of this cycle. As we enter and pass through relationships, jobs, friendships, partnerships, etc., we develop beliefs and values which serve us, and let them go again as we transition to a new part of our life's path. In the terms of self organization theory, we can summarize this cycle as a 'landscape' that looks something like the following diagram.
'Landscape' of Natural Belief Change Cycle What we 'want to believe', what we 'currently believe' and what we 'used to believe', are like three 'basins' in the landscape. The experiences and ideas, both perceived and imagined, which make up our lives can collect or rest in the bottoms of these basins. If one visualizes a particular experience or idea as ball or pebble that can pass over the landscape, then in order to move from wanting to believe something to actually believing it, we must first pass over the part of the landscape in which we become 'open to believe' it. The part of the landscape in which one is 'open to believe' something new is less stable than those at the bottoms of the basins on either side of it; and it it sometimes requires and investment of effort to reach this part of the landscape. The 'currently believe' basin is represented as deeper than the others because the ideas that we do currently believe are generally held more strongly and are more stable than what we 'want to believe' or 'used to believe'. It also sometimes takes more effort to move one of our current beliefs to the less stable part of our landscape in which we can become 'open to doubt' it. Once we have made that transition, certain aspects of that belief may fall back into the basin of our current beliefs, while other come to rest in the part of the landscape that holds those beliefs that we are aware that we 'used to believe' but no longer believe.
When something is changing or unstable on one level, it is helpful to establish stability at the next highest level of 'deep structure'. If, instead of changing behaviors, people are learning a new mental skill or capability, for instance, it is useful for them to have stable beliefs and values in relation to that skill. In other words, even though people be uncertain about their new skill they can be certain in their belief that they will eventually learn the skill and that it is valuable. Likewise, if a person is in a situation where he or she is changing a belief or needing to establish a new belief, it will make it easier if that person has a stable sense of identity. So that even if the person does not know what to believe anymore, the person still knows who he or she is. Similarly, if a person's identity is changing or unstable, it would be important for that person to find a point of stability on a 'spiritual' level in terms of his or her position within the larger system of which he or she is a part. The experience in 'trusting' in something that is beyond one's beliefs, or trusting in a larger system than oneself, can help to make the process of belief change more smooth, comfortable and ecological. In guiding people through the process of changing their beliefs it is important to have them create a space or location for the experience of 'trusting' in something beyond their beliefs, which serves as a kind of 'meta position' to the rest of the process.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: The Change Cycle by Robert Dilts.
Implementing the Belief Change Cycle To implement the Belief Change Cycle, lay out separate locations for each of the states associated with the 'landscape' of belief change. This essentially involves having the person put himself or herself as fully as possible into the experience and physiology associated with each of these aspects of the natural cycle of belief change and 'anchoring' them to specific spatial locations. 1. 'Wanting to believe' something new. 2. The experience of being 'open to believe' something new. [Note As an additional 'attractor' you may identify a 'mentor' that helped you to become more 'open to believe' by 'resonating' with, releasing or unveiling something deeply within you. Then make a physical space for the mentor near the 'open to believe' space. Mentors can include children, teachers, pets, people you've never met but have read about, phenomena in nature (such as the ocean, mountains, etc.) and even yourself.] 3. The beliefs that you 'currently believe' now, including any limiting beliefs or beliefs that conflict with the new belief you would like to have more strongly. 4. The experience of being 'open to doubt' something you had believed for a long time. [Again you may identify another 'mentor' that helped you to become more open to doubt something that was limiting you in your life.] 5. Beliefs that you 'used to believe' but no longer believe. [This is a space we sometimes call the 'museum of personal history'.] 6. An experience of deep 'trust' - perhaps a time when you did not know what to believe anymore but were able to trust in yourself or a higher power. These states and mentors do not need to have any connection to the current belief issue you are trying to resolve.
'Landscape' of States Associated with the Belief Change Cycle
Implementing the Belief Change Cycle
Once this landscape has been laid out it can be utilized in many different ways. One of the common ways in which to use it is to have a person think of a new belief that he or she would like strengthen and simply 'walk it' through the natural steps of the cycle. The instructions would proceed as follows 1. Stand in the 'Want to Believe' space, think of the 'new belief' that you would like to have more confidence in. Holding this belief in mind move into the 'Open to Believe' space. (If you have chosen a 'mentor' for this state, you may step into his or her 'shoes' at this point. Seeing yourself through the eyes of your mentor, you may give the you who is 'open to believe' the new beliefs any helpful advice or support.) 2. Feel what it is like to become more open to believe this new belief. When you intuitively feel the time is appropriate, step into the 'Currently Believe' space concentrating on the new belief you want to have. 3. If there are any conflicting or limiting beliefs that come up in the 'Currently Believe' space, hold them in mind and move to the 'Open to Doubt' space. (Again, if you have chosen a 'mentor' for your 'open to doubt' state, you may step into his or her 'shoes' at this point. Seeing yourself through the eyes of your mentor, you may give the you who is becoming 'open to doubt' any of the limiting or conflicting beliefs any helpful advice or support.) 4. Ecology Check Go to the 'Trust' space and consider the positive intents and purpose of both the new belief and any conflicting or limiting beliefs. Consider whether there are any changes or revisions you would like to make to the new belief. Also consider if there are any parts of the old beliefs that would be worth retaining or incorporating along with the new belief. 5. Return to the old limiting or conflicting beliefs that you left in the 'Open to Doubt' space, bringing the insights you had from the 'Trust' space and move them into the 'Used to Believe' space, your 'Museum of Personal History'. 6. Step back into to the 'Currently Believe' space and focus on the new beliefs you want to strengthen. Experience your new sense of confidence and verbalize any new insights or learnings that you may have discovered during this process. 7. Ecology Check Again step into the 'Trust' space and consider the changes you have made. Know that, because this is a natural, organic and ongoing cycle, the process can continue evolve and that you can make any necessary adjustments in the future in the way that is most appropriate and ecological for you. Many people find that simply walking through these locations (or even imagining walking through these locations) and reexperiencing the states allows them to gently completely shift their beliefs.
Symbolic Belief Change Cycle Another application of this belief change 'landscape' involves the creation of symbols for each of the locations. This can be very powerful for two reasons. First, it adds an additional 'attractor' to each state making them more easily accessible. Secondly, as Freud pointed out, symbols often help us to involve unconscious processes more in the process of change. The symbolic belief change cycle involves creating symbols for each of the states that make up the belief change 'landscape'. The symbols are then synthesized into a personal story or metaphor for belief change. When coming up with the symbols, it is important to keep in mind that they do not need to 'logically' relate to each other in any way. They should just simply emerge from your unconscious. It is not necessary that they make any sense at first. Just write down what pops into your mind as a symbol for the state. Remember the states which make up the landscape and their symbols should be kept general and not connected to any particular belief issues. In this process, there will be separate symbols or characters for the particular belief you would like to have or strengthen, and any limiting or conflicting beliefs. As an analogy, the symbols relating to the states which make up the belief change landscape will make up the 'stage' on which story is played out. The desired and limiting beliefs will be the 'characters' that move around on that stage. 1. Stand into the 'Want to Believe' space and think of what it is like when you want to believe something new. Create a symbol or metaphor for 'wanting to believe' something new. Symbol ___________________________________ 1.1. Make up character or symbol for the new beliefs you would like to develop or strengthen. Character/Symbol ___________________________________ 2. Move into the 'Open to Believe' space and think of what it is like when you are open to believe something new. What is your metaphor or symbol for being 'open to believe'? Symbol ___________________________________ 3. Stand in the 'Currently Believe' space and think of the current beliefs that you have. Focus on any limiting beliefs that you would like change or which conflict with the new beliefs you would like to strengthen. Create a symbol or metaphor for the old belief or beliefs you would like to change.
Symbol ___________________________________ 3.1. Make up character or symbol for the conflicting or limiting beliefs you would like to update or change. Character/Symbol ___________________________________ 4. Move into the 'Open to Doubt' space and think of a time you were open to doubt something you had believed for a long time. What is your metaphor or symbol for being 'open to doubt'? Symbol ___________________________________ 5. Stand in the 'Used To Believe' (your "museum of personal history") space and remember something you used to believe but no longer believe. What is your metaphor or symbol for all the beliefs in your life that you used to believe but no longer believe? Symbol ___________________________________ 6. Step into the space for the experience of deep 'Trust'. Create a symbol or metaphor for the experience of trusting in something beyond your beliefs. Symbol ___________________________________ 7. Tell your 'story of change' by incorporating all of the metaphors and symbols that you have created. If you want to, as you are telling the story, you may physically walk to the spaces to which you are referring. Allow the story to 'self-organize' itself. That is be intuitive. Just begin and let the story take you where 'it needs to go'. Tell it as if you were telling a fairy tale to a child or as if it were a dream. In fact it is best to start the story with the words, "Once upon a time..." or "I had a dream that..." and then just let it flow.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
The Influence of Timothy Leary on Re-Imprinting I first came in contact with Timothy Leary in 1982 when he was touring the United States debating his nemesis Gordon Liddy (notorious for his participation in the Watergate scandal and cover up). As a young assistant district attorney, Liddy had gained distinction by being the first person to arrest Leary (although the charges were dropped after what Liddy had thought was marijuana turned out to be a potted house plant). Leary and Liddy debated one another about various social and moral topics, ranging from gun control to individual rights. Liddy, who had a background as a lawyer and a district attorney, had quite a few debating skills which, added to the change in sentiment brought about by the beginning of Reagan era, presented quite a challenge to Leary. Leary found himself struggling and doing poorly, even in very liberal oriented cities such as Berkeley. A supporter of Leary's gave me a tape of one of the debates. After listening to the tape I made a few comments to Leary relating to Liddy's use of a set of linguistic patterns I had been developing called 'Sleight of Mouth'. To my surprise, Leary immediately made use of this information in his next debates, changing his style of communication and turning the tide of the debates in his favor. Impressed with his ability to learn and incorporate relatively sophisticated NLP patterns I agreed to meet Timothy, who was interested in learning more about NLP as a result of his successes. Rather than being a burned out 'sixties drug guru', I found Leary to be engaging, witty and profoundly intelligent. We found many areas of common interest and triggered off many insights in each other (which Leary measured in 'RPM' - "revelations per minute"). I even introduced him to personal computers. As a result of our interactions and discussions, we decided to do a series of seminars on levels of intelligence, and what we were calling 'psychocartography'. It was as a result of this work with Leary that the technique of 're-imprinting' emerged. The notion of "imprinting" comes largely from the work of Nobel laureate Konrad Lorenz. He found out that when ducklings first hatched, for about a day or so, they would look for a 'mother-figure.' The ducklings searched for only one particular submodality to define their mother. All the mother had to do was to move. If something
moved the ducklings would follow it. They would follow Lorenz around while he was walking, for instance. After a day or so the duckling would have completed its 'imprint' of the mother. After the imprint period was up, if you brought back the real mother they would ignore her completely, choosing instead to follow the individual or object to which they had been imprinted. So, when Lorenz got up in the morning, instead of being out in their nest, the ducklings that had been following him would be all curled up on the porch around his wading boots. It is important to realize that one can acknowledge another person's point of view without having to agree with that person, i.e. it is different to say "I understand that you have this perspective", than to say, "I agree with you". Saying, "I appreciate your concern", or "That is an important question" is a way to acknowledge the person or their intention without necessarily implying that their map of the world is the right one. They even imprinted one of these ducklings to a balloon. They pulled it around and the duckling followed it. When this duckling that was imprinted to a balloon became an adult, it wouldn't court or mate with members of its own species. Instead it would go through all its courtship behavior with round objects. The implication of this is that early imprints influence subsequent psycho-sexual behavior. When the duckling grew up, the imprint of the mother also transferred into the imprint for a mate. Lorenz and his colleagues believed that imprints were established at certain neurological critical periods, and that once the critical period had past that whatever had been 'imprinted' was permanent and not subject to change. Leary believed that, similar to other animals, imprints formed in human beings at various chronological stages that effected specific aspects of the intellectual and emotional development of the individual in later life. Leary identified several significant developmental critical periods in human beings. Imprints established during these periods established core beliefs that shaped the personality and intelligence of the individual. The primary critical periods involved the establishment of imprints determining beliefs about 1) biological survival, 2) emotional attachments and well-being, 3) intellectual dexterity, 4) social role, 5) aesthetic appreciation and 6) meta cognition or the awareness of ones own thought processes. Thus, health problems might stem back to core beliefs and programs established during the biological survival critical period, while phobias would have their roots in the emotional well-being period, whereas learning handicaps would derive from imprints formed during the critical period involving intellectual dexterity, and so on. Leary contended, however, that the human nervous system was more sophisticated than that of ducklings and other animals and established that under the proper
conditions, content that had been imprinted at earlier critical periods could be accessed and reprogrammed, or "re-imprinted." Leary considered imprints to be associated with certain biochemical states, and believed that if the state could be reaccessed through drugs (such as LSD) a person could be 're-imprinted' and substitute new experiences for those which had originally been associated during the initial imprinting period. Leary became interested in NLP and hypnosis as other methods to change imprints that avoided the uncertainties and ecological problems of LSD. As a result of Leary's ideas, I gained a new appreciation for the significance of people's personal history. I realized that some traumatic episodes experienced by clients were more than simply bad memories. They were belief and identity forming "imprints" involving significant others (if your mother is a duck, for instance, it says a lot about you as well). These experiences were not simply memories of events, but involved key relationships and critical developmental periods. These experiences formed the cornerstones of a person's personality and thus required a different approach to influence in an adequate and lasting way. The NLP technique of Reimprinting evolved from these realizations. While our work had diverged in recent years, Timothy and I kept in touch through mutual friends and acquaintances. I last saw him at the end of April, a month or so before his death. While his body was clearly deteriorating, I found his mind and his humor to be as sharp as ever. I shall always remember Timothy for his warmth, his wit and his love of life and learning.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: ReImprinting by Robert Dilts. An imprint is a significant experience or period of life from the past in which a person formed a belief or cluster of beliefs, often in relationship to one's identity. An imprint experience also often involves the unconscious role-modeling of significant others. The purpose of reimprinting is to find the resources necessary to change the beliefs and update the role-models that were formed (not simply to resolve the emotional issues associated with a particular event, as in the NLP technique of change personal history). 1. Identify the specific physical manifestation of the symptoms to be addressed. Stand in the physical location on your time line representing the present and face the future direction. Focus your attention on the physical expression of your symptoms, and any beliefs associated with them, and walk slowly backwards pausing at any location that seems to be relevant to the symptom or the accompanying beliefs. Keep moving back in time until you reach the earliest experience associated with the symptoms and/or the beliefs. a. Keeping in the associated or "regressed" state verbalize the cluster of generalizations or beliefs that were formed from the experience(s). Make sure you speak in first person, present tense; i.e., "I am feeling..." b. Take a step backwards to a time before initial imprint experience. When you do so you should feel differently - as if the imprint had not yet effected you either mentally or physically. 2. Step off of the time-line and return to the present and look back at the imprint experience from 'meta-position'. a. Notice the effect that earlier experience has had on your life. Verbalize any other generalizations or beliefs that were formed as a result of the imprint experience. (Beliefs are often formed "after the fact.") This time, speak about the events you experienced in third person, past tense; i.e., "He/She (or 'The younger me') thought that..." b. Find the positive purpose or secondary gain of the symptoms or responses formed at the imprint experience. What positive function did the symptoms serve in relations to those past events?
3. Identify any significant others involved in the imprint. [Some symptoms may actually come from the role modeling of a significant other]. The significant others do not necessarily need to have been physically present during the event or period. Sometimes an imprint occurs because the significant other was somewhere else at the time of the imprinting situation (and thus became 'internalized'. a. Associate into each of the significant others (2nd position) and experience the imprint situation from their perceptual position. Describe their experiences using first person language. b. Step out of their perceptual position to a point off the the time line (3rd position) and find the positive intention of their actions and responses. 4. For each of the people involved in the imprint experience: a. Identify the resources or choices that the person needed back then and did not have but that you do have available now. Remember that you need not limit yourself to the capabilities that you or the significant others had at that time. So long as you (not the significant others) have those resources available now you may use them to help change that experience. [Make sure the resource is at the appropriate logical level to address the needs of the person - i.e., belief, identity, spiritual.] Sometimes a single resource is needed for the whole system. b. Step onto your time-line at the location where you most strongly experienced having that resource and relive as fully as possible what it feels sounds and looks like. "Anchor" this experience by symbolically representing the resource as a kind of energy, light or sound. c. Still standing in the resource location, "transmit" the resource back through time to each person in the system that needed it. This may done metaphorically through the energy light or sound. d. When you sense that the "associative connection" has been made through the "anchor," step off of the time-line, walk back to the imprint experience, step into the position of the person who needed the resource and relive the imprint experience from that person's point of view incorporating the needed resource. You may continue to use your symbolic "anchor" to bring the resource into that perspective. e. Associate once again into your own perceptual position within the imprint experience, and update or modify the beliefs and generalizations you would now choose to make from the experience. Verbalize them from first person, present tense.
Repeat this procedure for each of the significant people involved in the imprint experience.
5. Identify the most important resource or belief that you would have needed as your younger self. "Anchor" that resource and take it back to the location on the time-line before the imprint occurred. Take the resource into your younger self and walk all the way up your time-line to the present, experiencing the changes made by the reimprinting.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Modeling the Wisdom of Jesus The words, ideas and actions of Jesus of Nazareth have been a major influence on Western civilization for almost two thousand years now. Through the ages, Jesus has been viewed as many different things by many different people a teacher, a miracle worker, a charismatic healer, a magician, a political and religious leader, the son of God, a metaphor, etc. Having been raised Catholic (and attended Catholic schools through secondary school) I was continually exposed to the gospels and the stories of Jesus' deeds. I have often contemplated the relevance of the stories of Jesus' works for NLP and vice versa. It is well known that the field of NLP was established as a result of modeling effective 'healers'. NLP began when Richard Bandler and John Grinder modeled patterns of language and behavior from the works of Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton H. Erickson, M.D. The first 'techniques' of NLP were derived from key verbal and non-verbal patterns Grinder and Bandler observed in the behavior of these exceptional therapists. Bandler and Grinder's first book was titled The Structure of Magic. The implication of this title was that what seemed magical and unexplainable often had a deeper structure that, when illuminated, could be understood, communicated and put into practice by people other than the few exceptional 'wizards' who had initially performed the 'magic'. A number of years ago it occurred to me that perhaps a similar kind of modeling could be done with respect to the records of Jesus' teachings and works of healing. My first study, Cognitive Patterns of Jesus of Nazareth, explored the structure of the cognitive strategies employed by Jesus in his various works and teachings and how we might apply Jesus' strategic thinking abilities to our own lives. A forthcoming work, Epistemology of Jesus of Nazareth, will explore the beliefs, values and assumptions that lie behind the words and works of Jesus as viewed from the perspective of NLP and systems theory. For the past several years I have been examining the reports of Jesus' acts of healing through the filters of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, culminating in my seminars and video tapes on The Healing Patterns of Jesus. Since a great deal of my own work in the field of NLP has related to its numerous applications in the area of health and healing, I have long been intrigued by the
accounts of Jesus' works of healing. In many ways Jesus' healing works seem as remarkable to us today as they did during his own time. Jesus' exceptional abilities to heal are mentioned in the gospels more than 35 times - many of the references describing how he healed "multitudes" of people "that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatik, and those that had the palsy," (Matthew 424), including the "lame, blind, dumb and maimed" (Matthew 1530). Thus, it is somewhat surprising to find that very few efforts had been made to examine Jesus' works of healing from the point of view of what they might contribute to practically promote the process of healing. As Ian Wilson points out in his book Jesus The Evidence (1985) "If there is one feature of his activities that repeatedly shines out from the gospels, it is [Jesus'] capacity to work what men have called 'miracles'...in the sheer magnitude of his reported successes Jesus was without equal...Yet paradoxically, it has been one of the least explored." (pp. 99-100) I believe that the tools and distinctions of NLP can help to cast new light on this fascinating area. There's an interesting Far Side cartoon depicting a professor, who looks somewhat like Albert Einstein, madly writing a very complex series of mathematical equations on a blackboard. At a certain point in the midst of all of this very scientific looking scribbling, he stops and writes, "And then a miracle happens." And then madly goes on again with his equations. One of his colleagues is standing nearby pointing at the comment about the miracle and asking, "Could you be a bit more specific about that part there?" In a way, that is a metaphor for my study of Jesus' healing patterns. A lot has been written and said about the 'equations' surrounding the miracles. Is it possible to be a little bit more specific about the part where the miracle happens? I think that, in considering Jesus' works of healing, there will always be a point where we must simply say, "And then a miracle happens." The question is, "Is it possible, by modeling the descriptions of Jesus' healing works, to discover verbal and behavioral patterns which create a context in which it is more likely that a 'miracle' will happen?"
The Power of Belief In the New Testament two words are used in reference to healing 1) iaomai - which means to heal in the sense of 'curing' or 'repairing', and 2) therapeuo which means 'to attend to someone'. When Jesus referred to healing, he used the word 'therapeuo'. The implication being that he viewed healing as supporting and encouraging the natural self healing ability of the system as opposed to exerting power over it himself to 'repair' it. Jesus was able to tap into and encourage the healing process in a way that was both effective and systematic. One of the ways he did this was through the
person's belief system. Certainly, a clear pattern that emerges in the accounts of Jesus' healing works is that a great deal of his words and actions were directed toward influencing people's beliefs and belief systems. As the following statements indicate, Jesus placed a great deal of emphasis on the power of belief. ● ● ●
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Be not afraid, only believe. Mark 536 If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 924 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 1123-24 According to your faith be it unto you. Matthew 929
These quotations certainly imply that belief is one of the key factors in helping a miracle to happen. As Goethe maintained, "The miracle is faith's most cherished child." Even modern medical science acknowledges the healing influence of beliefs in the form of the 'placebo effect'. My own work in the applications of NLP in psychotherapy and healing have certainly highlighted for me personally the significance of people's beliefs upon their mental and physical health. [See Changing Belief Systems with NLP (Dilts, 1990) and Beliefs Pathways to Health and Well Being (Dilts, Hallbom & Smith, 1990).] I have seen some fairly 'miraculous' things happen when people have changed limiting beliefs regarding themselves and their health; including recovery from cancer and other tumors, arthritis, allergies, lupus, eyesight problems, mental illnesses of many types and even symptoms of AIDS. The three most common areas of limiting beliefs center around issues of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness. These three areas of belief can exert a great deal of influence with respect to a person's mental and physical health. Hopelessness occurs when someone does not believe a particular desired goal is even possible. It is characterized by a sense that, "No matter what I do it won't make a difference. What I want is not possible to get. It's out of my control. I'm a victim." Helplessness occurs when, even though he or she believes that the outcome exists and is possible to achieve, a person does not believe that he or she is capable of attaining it. It produces a sense that, "It's possible for others to achieve this goal but not for me. I'm not good enough or capable enough to accomplish it."
Worthlessness occurs when, even though a person may believe that the desired goal is possible and that he or she even has the capability to accomplish it, that individual believes that he or she doesn't deserve to get what he/she wants. It is often characterized by a sense that, "I am a fake. I don't belong. I don't deserve to be happy or healthy. There is something basically and fundamentally wrong with me as a person and I deserve the pain and suffering that I am experiencing." At the core of Jesus' works of healing was his ability to elegantly and effectively help people to shift these types of limiting beliefs to beliefs involving hope for the future, a sense of capability and responsibility, and a sense of self-worth and belonging. Jesus' uncanny ability to be able to gain access to and transform core beliefs and identity issues in his patients and followers can no doubt at least partially account for the dramatic changes he was able to effect. By all accounts, Jesus had the unique ability to easily and consistently help people to change limiting beliefs and establish new empowering beliefs. The core question in modeling is, "How did he do it?" One clue is provided by the type of strategies he promoted in his teachings and parables.
The Sower and the Seed A Fundamental Paradigm for Change Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed provides one of the clearest and deepest insights into his approach to working with people's beliefs and belief systems. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold. There went out a sower to sow, and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured them up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth, but when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no fruit. And others fell on good ground and it did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth, some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred. And he said unto them, Ye that have ears, let them hear. Mark 42-9 I believe that the parable of the sower and the seed embodies Jesus' fundamental paradigm for change Ð regardless of whether that change related to healing, teaching or leadership. As Jesus later explained to his disciples, the 'seed' is like a new idea or belief. For the belief to grow and produce fruit, it must first be placed in the appropriate context. If there aren't some kind of internal reference experiences for the new belief to 'take root' in, it will disappear in the face of any criticism. The 'bird'
plucks it right out of the heart. If there's no experiential 'soil' for it to grow in, all somebody has to do is to look at you cross-eyed, and you think, "Oh, well, I guess I'm being stupid and foolish, etc." So if the new belief "falls by the wayside," if it's just shallow and you're running around speaking it but not feeling it, hearing it, seeing it or tasting it, then it's easy for it to be "trodden down" or "devoured". When a new belief "falls on stony ground" it is blocked, as Jesus explained, by the "hard places in the heart." These 'stones' may relate to past experiences, things that you're not ready to let go of. In my work with beliefs and health, for instance, people often need to work through 'imprints' Ð experiences in their past that might create a "hard place." The roots of the new belief can't grow because the person can't get past this particular feeling or this particular event in their life. When this occurs, even though the belief begins to strengthen, it "withers" in the face of resistance. When 'the sun is up' it becomes "scorched" and, since it has no root, it "withers away, because it lacks moisture." Thus, it is important to find ways of either removing the rocks or crumbling them up into more fertile soil. For example, finding the 'positive intention' behind a symptom and finding new choices to meet that intention is a way of releasing some of those hard places. A belief that 'falls among the thorns' is one that is confronted by conflicting beliefs, incongruency or 'thought viruses'. These resistances may come from either external or internal sources Ð from within the person or from the person's environment. Conflicting or limiting beliefs are kind of like the thorns that overshadow or 'choke' the new belief, even if there is rich soil in which it could grow. It is not that the 'thorns' have to be poisoned or destroyed, but they do need to be resolved or sorted out. You need to create an ecological context; otherwise the new belief gets choked. The power of this metaphor is that 'healing' is likened to 'gardening'. You can't make a tree grow. Rather, you can prepare the soil. The gardener doesn't go, "I'm going to make this tree grow, no matter what!" But what the gardener can do is to remove the rocks, make sure the soil is fertile and see that thorns aren't surrounding the seedling. That is the essence of Jesus' view of change. In order for a new belief to strengthen and for new capabilities and behaviors to develop it is necessary to: 1. Deepen the experiences which will serve as the references for the new belief or behavior. 2. Address the internal resistances and interferences to the new belief or behavior. 3. Deal with any incongruence or conflicts within the person or his/her environment. The next step in the modeling process is to explore more specifically how Jesus accomplished these goals in his healing works.
Healing Through Word and Touch Is it possible to actually model specific processes through which Jesus was able to transform the obstacles to empowering beliefs and precipitate healing miracles? According to the Gospels, Jesus' primary approach to healing involved the systematic use of language and the 'laying on of hands'. "...they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils and he cast out the spirits with his word..." Matthew 814 "...all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them." Luke 440 These descriptions would seem to imply that Jesus tended to use words to address problems related to the mind, and his hands to treat physical illness. NLP too has many therapeutic techniques that are centered on the use of words and touch. It is intriguing to consider what similarities and differences there are between Jesus' healing work and the NLP approach. Like many, I grew up with only a vague picture of what Jesus did specifically as a healer. I had an image of him walking up to the blind, the crippled or the mentally ill and 'zapping' them with supernatural power, barking commands and haranguing them about sin or Satan like some prototypic 'televangelist'. As I read the various accounts of his healing work, however, I found something quite different. He treated different individuals in different ways. He is described as interacting personally with each individual he was healing, often in a gentle, supportive and even loving manner; addressing his patients as "son" or "daughter" Ð never as "sinner". He also treated different kinds of illnesses with different approaches. In all of the descriptions of his work with lepers, for instance, Jesus tells them directly that they are healed and sends them to complete a task at the temple (see Matthew 82-4 and Luke 713-19). The blind, however, are sent on no such task. Instead, Jesus emphasizes the importance of their own beliefs in their healing, asking "Do you believe I can do this?" and proclaiming, "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 927-31). It is only with the lame that Jesus even mentions "sin," telling one man that his "sins are forgiven" (Matthew 92) and encouraging another to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 514). These types of variations indicate a high degree of sophistication and flexibility based on the type of issue one is working with. Consider, for example, the following description of Jesus' healing of a blind man.
"And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." Mark 822-26 There are a number interesting elements to this report. The first is that Jesus did not immediately heal the man but made two attempts in order to successfully complete the process, using the feedback he got from his first attempt. He did not perceive the initial lack of success as a failure on his part, the part of his subject or on the part of God. It is also interesting that that Jesus made the man "look up". This is considered an 'accessing cue' for the visual representational system in NLP. Considering that the man had problems with his vision and that, at the point Jesus had him look up, he had partial access to his vision, this may be an indication that Jesus knew about (at least intuitively) and used accessing cues. The fact that he led the man out of the town and told him not to go into the town nor tell anyone in the town about the experience, would indicate that Jesus was not doing this work as any particular 'sign' to the people there. Rather Jesus' focus is on the health of that individual. Clearly, Jesus makes no mention of sins or unclean spirits as he does in some of his works. The fact is, Jesus was described as doing some very specific things with his subject that were different from the way he treated others, and took two iterations to complete it. Another of Jesus' healing works that particularly fascinated me was the account of his treatment of Simon's mother-in-law's fever. Luke (439) reports that, "he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her" Matthew (815), however, mentions that "he touched her hand" and Mark (131) says that Jesus "took her by the hand, and lifted her up." These description are interesting in that, taken together, they indicate that even though Jesus was "rebuking" the fever verbally, he was supporting the woman kinesthetically. In other words, his auditory communication and his kinesthetic communication were directed towards two different levels, and performing two different functions. His words were directed toward the symptom and his touch was directed toward the person. From the NLP perspective, we can think about the interaction in terms of a verbal 'message' and a non-verbal 'metamessage'. The message involves the "rebuking of the fever". It is directed at the behavioral expression of the symptom. The touch of the hand is a nonverbal metamessage that communicates, "I'm supporting you." Jesus took her hand and lifted her up while rebuking the fever. Thus, there's no confusion that he is "rebuking" the patient for having a fever. I think there's something very
profound and powerful about that simple combination of word and touch. It is also interesting that the word "rebuke," in English was translated from the Greek word, epitimao which doesn't simply mean to be verbally abusive. It means 'to set a weight upon'. The implication is that Jesus was not necessarily speaking angrily, but rather 'putting pressure' on the symptom. So we are given this beautiful sense of putting pressure on the fever verbally and lifting up the person physically. He is removing the 'stones' and 'thorns' while at the same time he is supporting the 'soil' by lifting and supporting the person. I think that reflects a deep aspect of healing. This type of verbal and non-verbal combination has been the inspiration for a number of the techniques in the 'Healing Patterns' seminar. These are only two of the many fascinating examples of Jesus' healing works. Unfortunately, to go into depth with any others is beyond the scope of this article.
The Mission to Heal More than anything else, what shines through the reports of Jesus' works of healing was that there was a 'mission to heal' behind his actions. I think that in many ways having the mission to heal is even more important than having the tools to heal. I think 'healing', as opposed to 'curing' or 'fixing' or 'mending' something that's broken, comes out of that sense of mission. One of the things that shows up quite clearly in the gospels is that Jesus didn't try keep the mission or ability to "heal" to himself. Matthew (101) reports, "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." In fact, one of the first tasks he assigned to his disciples was to go out and "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 108) 'Freely have you received, freely give'. This is not a message that healing is something to be held on to and practiced only by an elite few. Rather it implies that healing is a mission to be shared. According to Mark (314-15) "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils." Luke (101) adds that, later on in his ministry, Jesus "appointed another seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face to every city and place", telling them to, "heal the sick that are therein..." We are also told that Jesus did not discourage the practice of healing in his name being done by people that were not even his followers (Mark 938-40, Luke 949-50). When Jesus is told that somebody who was not one of his disciples was out healing in
his name, and asked if he was going to chastise this person Jesus replies, "he that is not against us is with us." (Luke 950). It is as if he was saying that anybody who shares the mission to heal shares something that is really important and deep. My interpretation of Jesus' comments and actions is that the ability to heal was not just something that Jesus intended to keep for himself, but rather was something that he intended others to learn and to do. Not only did Jesus want and encourage others to heal, he seems to have been fairly successful at transferring the ability. Mark (613) mentions that Jesus' disciples, "cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." It is in the spirit of the mission to heal that I have approached the study of the structure of Jesus' healing works and invite others to approach it. Regardless of one's religious background or beliefs, I believe it is possible to find a connection between these patterns and the mission to heal. Whether a person is 'Mother Teresa' or a shaman, people who have a mission to heal, or to be healed, share a similar path and have something to gain from such a study.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: 'Wholeness' Process by Robert Dilts. 1. Put yourself into a contemplative state that you would associate with being 'close to Spirit.' 2. Visualize what it would look like to be fully healed, physically more capable, clear in mind, calmer and enjoying being your real self. Associate into that image. 3. Focus on your your symptom. Pay attention to precisely where in your body you sense the symptom. Notice any feelings associated with it (such as doubt, fear anger, etc.). 4. Intensify your sense of the symptom even more and allow the feelings and representations to stream from their location in your body into the open palm of your left hand. See, hear, feel and even smell the symptom flowing into your left hand until you have the sense that all of it is out of your body and in your hand. Allow the symptom in your left hand to become a metaphorical image you can see clearly in your mind's eye. Just notice what image the symptom naturally takes. 5. Thank your symptom for revealing itself to you and being willing to communicate to you. Then ask the symptom,"What are you trying to communicate to me? What is your positive intention or purpose?" Quietly and respectfully listen, watch and feel for any inner messages. [Note: If you find no positive intentions, the symptom may simply be the result of a 'thought virus'. You may test this by saying respectfully, "I am no longer a home for you. It is time for you to leave." If there has been any part of you associated with allowing the 'thought virus' to be within you, ask for the positive intentions of that part of you.] 6. Say to your symptom, "Thank you for communicating with me. I appreciate you for having been so committed to those positive intentions and purposes all this time." 7. Focus on the part of you that wants you to be healthy and well - your 'internal healer'. Pay close attention to where in your body this part resides. Notice the feelings associated with it. 8. Intensify your sense of your internal healer even more and allow the feelings and representations to stream from their location in your body into the open palm of your right hand. See, hear, feel and even smell that part of you flowing into your right hand until you have the sense that all of it is out of your body and in your hand. Allow the part of you in your right hand to
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become a metaphorical image you can see clearly in your mind's eye. Just notice what image the healing part of you naturally takes. Thank that part of you for revealing itself to you and communicating with you. Ask your internal healer,"What is your positive intention and purpose for me?" Quietly and respectfully listen, watch and feel for any inner messages. Say to your symptom, "Thank you for communicating with me. I appreciate you for having been so committed to those positive intentions and purposes all this time." Imagine that your symptom and then your internal healer are able to face one another. Ask them if they can understand and appreciate, in terms of their own intentions, the value and usefulness of the other's positive intentions and purposes. Make sure that each part recognizes and accepts the positive intent of the other . When both parts accept the other's intentions and purposes as valuable, explain the need for them to work together in new and more effective ways. Find the common mission, on the spiritual level, that both parts actually share. Identify the resources and capabilities that each part has that would helpful to the other part in order to accomplish its own positive intention and the common mission. Secure a congruent agreement from the parts to combine their resources so they can more fully accomplish their own purposes and the common mission. Entering again into a contemplative state that you would associate with being 'close to Spirit', imagine that a brilliant light is shining down on you from above. Fantasize a metaphor for healing; such as a water flowing through you, a fire burning within you, a wind blowing around you or the earth soaking up and recycling anything toxic. Slowly bring both hands together. Watch and feel your symptom and internal healer integrating, transforming and merging together within the light and the healing metaphor. Allow them to form a new image which represents a full integration. Say to yourself, "Now I can be whole. The two are one. This is what I really want. No part of me has any objections to it. I have no doubt in my heart." Pause and feel deeply and respectfully for how this fits with your sense of congruity and identity. [Note: If you sense any incongruity, resistance or doubt, repeat the process from step 3 using the sense of incongruity, resistance or doubt as the symptom.] If there is no objection, bring this integration image into your heart, breathe it into your lungs. Let the feeling you have now take you all the way into your past, to just before you were born. Be in your mother's womb feeling this way. As both sperm and egg, allow yourself to continue going back into all the branches of your family history. Then, with the feeling deeply within your history, your body and your cellular structure, gently bring it back up up through all the branches and years of your life to this present moment.
Visualize what it would look like to be fully healed, physically more capable, clear in mind, calmer and enjoying being your real self. Watch it continue to gently unfold into your future. 17. Share your experience with one or two other people. Each of you tell a short metaphor to the others that you feel represents your process of healing.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Darwin's "Thinking Path" Strategies of Genius and 'Somatic Syntax' NLP has long acknowledged the influence of our physiology on our thinking processes. Micro behavioral "accessing cues," such as NLP's celebrated eye movement patterns, are considered to be both reflections of specific mental processes and triggers for internal activity relating to the sensory representational systems. Through such physical cues we can detect as well as promote certain aspects of our cognitive strategies. This is one of the foundations of the "programming" aspect of "Neuro-Linguistic Programming." These specific types of cues, however, are not the only kind of mind-body link. Disciplines like the Feldenkrais and Alexander methods, yoga, aikido and dance, explore a variety of other interactions between movement and mental processes. These disciplines emphasize the systemic nature of our bodies, and often focus on the pattern and quality of movement more than the specific parts of the body involved. NLP, however, has yet to take full advantage of the role of these types of 'whole body' movements play in human thought and 'programming'. I recently came across an article in Natural History magazine that provides a simple but powerful example of the relationship between general patterns of movement and the way we think. The article is essentially a reflection on the country estate of Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882), the English biologist and naturalist whose theory of evolution via the mechanism of natural selection revolutionized our understanding of natural history and shifted our perception of human origins. Darwin acquired Down House a few years after his return from his historic voyage aboard HMS Beagle. Darwin spent some 20 years after returning from his travels on the HMS Beagle working out his theories and their relationship to the evidence he had gathered and the observations he had made. It was at Down House that he wrote his classic works Origin of Species and Descent of Man. In describing the estate, the author of the article notes Soon after settling at Downe, Darwin constructed a sand-covered path, known as the sandwalk, that still winds through the shady woods and then returns toward the house along a sunny, hedge-lined field. He
strolled it daily, referring to it as "my thinking path." Often he would stack a few stones at the path's entrance, and knock one away with his walking stick on completing each circuit. He could anticipate a "threeflint problem," just as Sherlock Holmes had "three-pipe problems," and then head home when all the stones were gone. Reading this description, it is easy to imagine Darwin, deep in thought, strolling along his sandwalk and contemplating some key aspect of his theory of evolution and natural selection. The fact that Darwin called the sandwalk his "thinking path" indicates that he considered his walks along this path to have some significant connection with his thinking process. An intriguing question from the NLP perspective would be "What, specifically, is the link between 'thinking' and walking along such a path?"
Movement and Mind The traditional NLP approach to interpreting and utilizing the relationship between thought and behavior has been to relate specific categories of body movements (such as eye movements, breathing patterns, facial expressions, gestures, etc.) to specific mental events Ð i.e., 'eye movement up and to the left accompanies visual memory', 'stroking the chin indicates internal dialogue', 'lower, deeper breathing increases access to feelings'. NLP "accessing cues" usually focus on very subtle behaviors and address the more transient micro-structure of our thinking process. On the other hand, repetitive physical movements and activities involving major muscle groups (such as walking, swimming, biking, playing tennis, etc.), influence our overall state of mind, and thus provide a more general context for our thinking processes. As the allusion to Sherlock Holmes' pipe in the quotation above indicates, the notion that deep contemplation is facilitated by some form of repetitive activity is a familiar one. In addition to his pipe, for instance, the fictional Holmes is also reported to have played a violin when needing to work out some particularly challenging aspect of a case. Similar patterns may be found in many famous non-fictional thinkers as well. Similar to Holmes, for example, Albert Einstein played the violin during times of productive thinking, claiming that it was in some ways an extension of his thinking and that it helped him to solve particularly tricky problems. Einstein also loved to sail regularly, reportedly hastily scribbling away in his notebook whenever the wind died down. Leonardo da Vinci played the lyre. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, claimed that many of his best musical ideas came while he was walking or riding in a carriage. Similar to
Darwin, other famous thinkers, such as Emmanuel Kant, walked as part of their daily regimen. I myself could immediately relate to Darwin's "thinking path" because I have had my own 'Dreaming Path' for many years. My home in Santa Cruz, California is near a large park, and I jog on a path through the redwood trees every morning. That path has been the birthplace and nursery of many of my seminars, software programs, books and articles. I also swim regularly at certain times of the year, and work out on a weight machine that I have at home. I have noticed that the different qualities of movement associated with these various activities seem to bring out particular qualities of mind. The different "whole body" physical patterns seem to help access and integrate different qualities of mental processing. That is, different types of activity seem more conducive to addressing different types of outcomes and issues. During my study of effective leadership, for example, I interviewed the founder of a large Scandinavian shipping company. He claimed that he used different physical activities to help him solve various problems. For certain issues, he would have to go out and play golf to get into the frame of mind required to deal with the issues. For other problems, he would go out and ride his bicycle in order to think about it effectively. He was so specific about which type of physiology to use that he would say, "You can't golf on that problem. That's one that you have to ride your bicycle on." It seems natural to conclude that patterns of physical activity stimulate and organize patterns of neurological activity. Riding a bicycle is an example of one way to activate and maintain a particular state. In the language of self-organization theory, we could say that certain movements create a positive 'attractor basin' which supports mental self organization. There are some who might even go so far as to contend that mind is movement, and that wisdom and intelligence comes from the quality of that movement. There is an old New Guinea proverb, for instance, which states, "Knowledge is only rumor until it is in the muscle."
'Somatic Syntax' These types of observations have lead Judith DeLozier and I to explore the relationship between 'mind' and movement more deeply in the form of what we call "Somatic Syntax." The term "somatic" comes from the Greek word "soma" which means "body". "Syntax" is a Greek word meaning "to put in order" or "arrange". Thus, Somatic Syntax has to do with the organization of physiology and the
'grammar' of our 'body language'. Rather than focus on physical details, Somatic Syntax emphasizes the overall pattern and organization of movement and the formation of cognitive-somatic (i.e., 'mind-body') strategies. Epistemologically, Somatic Syntax is rooted in linguist Noam Chomsky's theories of transformational grammar (1957, 1965). According to Chomsky, sensory and emotional experiences (deep structures) may be expressed through a variety of linguistic descriptions (surface structures). Deeper structures reach the surface after a series of 'transformations'. These transformations act as a type of filter on the experiential deep structures. Grinder and Bandler (1975) maintain that the movement from deep structure to surface structure necessarily involves the processes of deletion, generalization and distortion. Many important clues about the deep structure, however, are expressed and reflected in the verbal surface structure. Somatic Syntax applies these principles of verbal (digital) language to kinesthetic (analog) expression. As an example of the relationship between 'deep structure' and 'surface structures' in the kinesthetic system, most of us learned to write using our right or left hand. Yet, once our hand has learned this skill, it can be immediately transferred to other parts of the body. For instance, we can easily write our name in sand with our left big toe or make letters by holding a pencil in our mouth, even though the physical structure of these parts of our bodies are completely different. The deep structure related to the form of the letters is not tied to any particular part of the body. It can be generalized to many surface structures. One of the purposes of Somatic Syntax is to deepen and widen the 'attractor basin' of a particular internal state or resource. Somatic Syntax employs the movement of the body as a means to strengthen, integrate and generalize deep level resources. By exploring variations in the physical form and organization of the movements associated with a particular state, for instance, we can learn to better express or manifest that state in more situations and increase our flexibility. In this way, Somatic Syntax helps to deepen our understanding and ability to utilize knowledge by bringing it more "into the muscle." At another level, because physical movement is related to 'analog' expression, it is more systemic and not 'linear'. Consequently, exploring Somatic Syntax brings us closer to our experiential deep structures. Thus, another application of Somatic Syntax is to help recover and express parts of deep structure that may be deleted or distorted by other forms of expression. In the words of the famous dancer Isadora Duncan," If I could say it I wouldn't have to dance it."
The Body as a Representational System
One of the tenets of Somatic Syntax is that the body itself is a 'representational system'. Rather than simply being some kind of mechanical shell for inputting and outputting signals to and from the brain, Somatic Syntax views the body as a means of representing and processing information. The typical NLP perspective has been that all our information about the world around us is relayed by the senses to the brain where it is centrally represented and processed. Recent research, such as that relating to the enteric nervous system surrounding the stomach, has demonstrated that there are sophisticated information processing networks distributed throughout the body with a structure corresponding in complexity to that of our cerebral cortex. According to Somatic Syntax, we can use our bodies to make a model of the world just as we do with our other representational systems. We can represent key relationships in the world around us and in our personal history in the relationship between parts of our body. For example, our perception of the relationship between our mother and father could be represented by the relationship between our left and right hands, or between our chest and our stomach. In understanding the significance of Darwin's "thinking path" it is also important to recognize that, in addition to being able to input, process and output information, all representational systems have the capability to represent information in at least two ways literally and figuratively. That is, each of our sensory systems can form maps that have either a direct correspondence or a more metaphorical correspondence to the phenomenon we are representing. For example, we can visualize the white cells of our bodies as we have seen them under the microscope, or as looking like octopi or 'Pac-Men' video game characters. Similarly we can speak of our brains literally as "a network of neurons", or figuratively as being "like a computer." Likewise, we can experience a particular emotional symptom as a particular set of kinesthetic body sensations or as a "knot" in the stomach. As a representational system, our bodies have a similar double capacity. We can express movements which are the literal response to a particular situation, or create expressions which are more metaphorical, as in a dance. A state of anxiety, for instance, may be literally represented by reproducing the physical effects that accompany a feeling of anxiety (such as tensing up the muscle in one's face and shoulders), or figuratively represented by placing one's arms over one's head and eyes, as if hiding from something dangerous. As is the case with our other representational modalities, metaphorical representations are often more meaningful and impactful (because they carry multiple levels of information). From this perspective, Darwin's walk along his "thinking path" can be also be viewed as a physical metaphor in addition to being a means to access and maintain a particular mental state. Walking along a path is a comparatively slow and incremental
process. A path has a beginning, an end, and landmarks which indicate a direction that is leading somewhere. Looked at from the point of view of Somatic Syntax then, it is no surprise that Darwin came to perceive evolution as the result of slow, infinitesimal variations. Darwin's theory of evolution is quite analogous to walking down a path. Clearly, Darwin 'evolved' his own thoughts along his sandwalk in a slow and methodical fashion, knocking away stones as he completed each successive cycle in the process Ð just like the mechanism he postulated for evolution. In fact, according to Darwin's own descriptions of his thinking methods, his theories themselves arose from a type of 'natural selection' of ideas. Like Einstein, who claimed "Imagination is more important than knowledge," Darwin did not derive his theories from the inductive process of pondering facts and looking for patterns. Instead he creatively formed the theories first out of pure imagination, and then checked the validity of the theory with respect to the degree that they accounted for the observable facts. According to Darwin biographer Sir Gavin de Beer, "Darwin's method was to spin a hypothesis about anything that struck his attention and then to deduce from it consequences that should follow and could be refuted or verified." The ideas that he retained were the ones that most fit with the available data. The ideas which could not fit in met their extinction along Darwin's thinking path. It is no wonder, then, that Darwin proposed "survival of the fittest" as the mechanism of a slow and gradual process of evolution, since it is the reflection of his own thinking process. Of course, when we "spin a hypothesis," it does not come out of nowhere. The source of these ideas is the activity of our nervous systems. The 17th century British philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon pointed out that, rather than take in objective information about the world around us, our nervous systems tend to project their own structure out onto the world around us. That is, the order we perceive in the world around us really says more about us than it does about objective reality. Bacon referred to our belief that our perceptions were actually mirrors of reality as the "Idol of the Tribe."
Conclusion Somatic Syntax is the study of how movement may be used to help bring knowledge into the muscle, and to help draw out knowledge from the muscle. It is a means to access the "wisdom of the body." According to Somatic Syntax, repetitive structures of movement can form the framework surrounding a particular thinking process; and thus influence its conclusions. Darwin's view of evolution follows the slow but determined act of walking down a path. In contrast, Einstein's view of the universe, has more of the characteristics of playing a piece of music on the violin (his preferred activity while thinking) Ð each string is played relative to the other strings on the instrument in order to create the music, and the relationships determine success of the
piece. Similarly, in considering Leonardo's notebooks, one is left with the sense that his drawings are more like playing a musical instrument than methodically making repetitive circuits along a fixed path. The most fundamental tool that we have for conducting our lives and building our futures is our own body and nervous system. Certainly the manifestation of our thoughts and dreams must eventually come through our body or physiology in some way. Our mental activity becomes manifested into the world through our words, voice tone, facial expression, body posture, the movement of our hands, etc. And the way in which we use these fundamental instruments of life is greatly influenced by the types of physical practices and disciplines we adopt. A healthy and creative mental life is often accompanied by meditation of some type, whether it be through reading, prayer, or simply time for undisturbed contemplation. And if knowledge does indeed need to be "in the muscle" then we all also need some type of context for "muscular meditation" as well. As our world enters the next millennium, it is likely that we will all need to develop some of the wisdom and genius of people like Einstein, Darwin and da Vinci. Perhaps some of the lessons we can learn from Darwin's "thinking path" can help us in our own evolution.
References Keeping Up Down House , Milner, R., Natural History, August, 1996, pp. 54-57. Syntactic Structures, Chomsky, N., Mouton, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1957. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, Chomsky, N., The M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965. The Structure of Magic Vol. I, Grinder, J. and Bandler, R.; Science and Behavior Books, Palo Alto, California, 1975. Charles Darwin, de Beer, G., Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 5, 1979, pp. 494496. Strategies of Genius Vols. I, II & III, Dilts, R., Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca., 1994-1995.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming
Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Somatic Syntax by Robert Dilts. "Knowledge is only rumor until it is in the muscle" - New Guinea Proverb "A recurrent emotional state always appears together with the attitude of the body and the vegetative state with which it was conditioned earlier. Therefore, when an individual emotional complex has been resolved, a specifically individual body habit is resolved simultaneously." - Moshe Feldenkrais "If I could say it I wouldn't have to dance it." - Isadora Duncan Somatic Syntax was developed by Judith DeLozier and Robert Dilts as a way to apply Noam Chomsky's theories of transformational grammar (1956, 1966) to a broader scope of representational systems. According to Chomsky, sensory and emotional experiences (deep structures) may be expressed through a variety of linguistic descriptions (surface structures). Deeper structures reach the surface after a series of 'transformations'. These transformations act as a type of filter on the experiential deep structures. According to Grinder and Bandler (1975) the movement from deep structure to surface structure necessarily involves the processes of deletion, generalization and distortion. Many important clues about the deep structure, however, are expressed and reflected in the verbal structure. Somatic Syntax applies these principles of digital (verbal) language to analog (kinesthetic) expression. The term "somatic" comes from the Greek word "soma" which means "body". "Syntax" is a Greek word meaning "to put in order" or "arrange". Thus, Somatic Syntax has to do with the organization of physiology and 'body language'. As an example of the relationship between 'deep structure' and 'surface structures', most of us learned to write using our right or left hand. Yet, once our hand has learned this skill, it can be immediately transferred to other parts of the body. For instance, we can easily write our name in sand with our left big toe or make letters by holding a pencil in our mouth, even though the physical structure of these parts of our
bodies are completely different. The deep structure related to the form of the letters is not tied to any particular part of the body. It can be generalized to many surface structures. Because Somatic Syntax is related to 'analog' expression, it is more systemic and not 'linear', and consequently often brings us closer to our experiential deep structures. One of the purposes of Somatic Syntax is to deepen and widen the 'attractor basin' of a particular internal state or resource. Somatic Syntax essentially uses the movement of the body as a way to strengthen, integrate and generalize deep level resources. By exploring the the physical form and organization of the movements associated with a particular state, we can learn to better express or manifest that state in more situations and increase our flexibility.
Somatic Syntax Exercises Phase 1 Exploring the Landscape 1. Identify a movement associated with a resource state (1st position present). 2. Explore the 'organization' (deep structure) of the movement by changing different aspects of it (i.e., quality, speed, parts of the body involved, direction, etc.). 3. Notice which changes a. Intensify/make more of the state. b. Dampen/make less of the state. c. Change the state to a different state. 4. If a particular movement dampens the state or changes it to a different state, explore what changes you would have to make in other parts of your body in order to reaccess and maintain the original resource state.
Phase 2 Enriching the Deep Structure Take the 'organization' associated with the movement identified in phase 1 to 3 other SOAR spaces (i.e., 1st position future, 2nd position present, 2nd position past, etc.). For each new space a. Associate into the new space. Fully adopt the physiology associated with that space. b. Return to 1st position present and re-access the resource state and movement. c. Bring the movement 'as is' into the new space. d. Adapt the resource movement to 'fit' that position most ecologically and elegantly. e. Return to your first position and notice how your experience of the resource
has been deepened or enriched.
Phase 3 Widening the 'Basin' Choose three common actions/'macro' behaviors (walking, carrying something, sitting, writing). For each action a. In first position present, start making the resource movement you have been exploring in phases 1 & 2. b. Begin the action and adapt the resource movement to fit that activity in the way that is most natural and preserves the full experience of the resource.
Phase 4 Adding to the Landscape a. From 1st position present, imitate the resource movement of another person (i. e., you doing the other person's movement). b. Go to 2nd position with the other person and do the movement (i.e., be the other person doing the movement). c. Go to 3rd position. What do you learn about yourself, the other person and the resource? d. Return to first position, taking with you some aspect of the other person's resource (deep structure and surface structure) that is both ecological and enriching to your landscape. Express it as a movement.
Phase 5 Sharing Landscapes a. Form groups of people of similar cultures (i.e., Brazilian, British, German, etc.) b. Identify a quality of movement that the group agrees is expressive of their cultural identity. c. Get together with people from other groups and repeat the steps of phase 4 with each other's movements.
Phase 6 Releasing the 'Wisdom of the Body' Through 'Somatic Syntax' 1. Associate into the experience of a "symptom" Ð i.e., a resistance, interference or 'stuck' state. 2. Identify a significant movement associated with the experience of the symptom (1st position present) e.g., arm and finger pointing. 3. Explore the 'organization' (deep structure) of the movement by changing
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different aspects of it (i.e., quality, speed, parts of the body involved, direction, etc.). Identify the minimum movement (e.g., slight rotation of pointing finger) that 'destabilizes' the symptom experience. The result should be a "transition state," as opposed to some other recognizable state. Continue to explore very small changes in physiology until you reach a state in which you feel "open to" something new. Continuing to make very slight changes, return to the "symptom" physiology from the "open" physiology. With the same quality of attention, go back to the "open" state. Repeat the cycle of shifting between the symptom and "open" states several times. Allow yourself to become aware of some feeling or part of your physiology that you have not previously noticed. Staying in the state of being "open to" something new, gently keep your attention on your new awareness and notice what resource organically emerges. Holding the state of "openness", the new awareness and resource, step back on to your health path.
The S.C.O.R.E. Model Most NLP is oriented around defining a present state and a desired state, and then identifying and applying a technique that will hopefully help someone get to their desired state. The S.C.O.R.E. Model enriches that description by adding a few more simple distinctions. The letters stand for Symptoms, Causes, Outcomes, Resources and Effects. These elements represent the minimum amount of information that needs to be addressed by any process of change or healing. 1. Symptoms are typically the most noticeable and conscious aspects of a presenting problem or problem state. 2. Causes are the underlying elements responsible for creating and maintaining the symptoms. They are usually less obvious than the symptoms they produce. 3. Outcomes are the particular goals or desired states that would take the place of the symptoms. 4. Resources are the underlying elements responsible for removing the causes of the symptoms and for manifesting and maintaining the desired outcomes. 5. Effects are the longer term results of achieving a particular outcome. Specific outcomes are generally stepping stones to get to a longer term effect. a. Positive effects are often the reason or motivation for establishing a particular outcome to begin with. b. Negative effects can create resistance or ecological problems. Techniques are sequential structures for identifying, accessing and applying particular
resources to a particular set of symptoms, causes and outcomes. A technique is not in and of itself a resource. A technique is only effective to the extent that it accesses and applies the resources which are appropriate to address the the whole system defined by the other S.C.O.R.E. elements.
'Dancing' S.C.O.R.E. Technique 1. Think of a problem you are trying to solve. 2. Lay out four locations in a sequence representing the cause, symptom, outcome and desired effect related to the problem. 3. Physically associate into the experience and internal state related to each location. Pay special attention to the pattern of movement associated with each location. 4. Starting in the 'cause' location, walk slowly through entire sequence. Repeat this process several times until there is a sense of a single movement from cause to effect. 5. Go to a physical meta position and let your body lead you to a special movement representing the appropriate resource to bring into the S.C.O.R.E. sequence. 6. Starting in the cause location, incorporate the resource movement into the other movement associated with that location. Walk through the other locations adding the resource movement to the other movements until you have reached the effect space. 7. Repeat the movement through cause, symptom, outcome and effect until you have transformed it into a kind of 'dance'.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
WALT DISNEY Strategies of Genius Walt Disney's ability to connect his innovative creativity with successful business strategy and popular appeal certainly qualifies him as a genius in the field of entertainment. In a way, Disney's chosen medium of expression, the animated film, characterizes the fundamental process of all genius: the ability to take something that exists in the imagination only and forge it into a physical existence that directly influences the experience of others in a positive way. The simple yet worldwide appeal of Disney’s characters, animated films, live action features and amusement parks demonstrate a unique ability to grasp, synthesize and simplify very basic yet quite sophisticated principles. Disney was also responsible for a number of important technical and organizational innovations in the fields of animation and film-making in general. One of the goals of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is to make explicit maps of the successful thinking strategies of people with special talents like Walt Disney. NLP explores the way people sequence and use fundamental mental abilities such as sight, hearing and feeling in order to organize and perform in the world around them. Like Albert Einstein, who claimed that, "Imagination is more important than knowledge," Disney took his fantasies very seriously, contending that,"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive." In fact, the creative processes of the two men have some remarkable similarities. Einstein claimed that his typical thinking style was "visual and motoric" and often used visual fantasies or "special imaginary constructions" to make his discoveries. Disney too seems to have been highly visual and physical in his creative process. The following statement was given by Disney as a description of his process for creating his stories: "The story man must see clearly in his own mind how every piece of business in a story will be put. He should feel every expression, every reaction. He should get far enough away from his story to take a
second look at it...to see whether there is any dead phase...to see whether the personalities are going to be interesting and appealing to the audience. He should also try to see that the things that his characters are doing are of an interesting nature." From the NLP point of view this statement provides a remarkably clear description of the basic elements of Disney's creative strategy. It involves three distinct perceptual positions working in coordination with one another. 1. "The story man must see clearly in his own mind how every piece of business in a story will be put." In the first step, Disney describes visualizing of all of the elements involved in the story or project as a kind of gestalt. This would most likely take place through constructed visual imagery (Vc). 2. "He should feel every expression, every reaction." Next, Disney describes putting himself into the kinesthetic feelings (K) of the characters in the story, experiencing the story from their perceptual position. In the language of NLP, these first two steps involve the ability to take 'first and second position' (DeLozier & Grinder,1987). 'First position' involves seeing, hearing and feeling a particular event from one's own perspective. 'Second position' involves seeing, hearing and feeling an event from from someone else's perceptual position, including their values, beliefs and emotions. For example, if you were in 'first position' imagining a character riding a bicycle, you would be seeing it from the point of view of a bystander. Being in 'second position' would involve looking from the perspective of the rider, being on the bicycle seat, looking down at your hands on the handlebars, etc. Disney seems to have had a unique ability to assume 'second position'. "Mickey's voice was always done by Walt, and he felt the lines and the situation so completely that he could not keep from acting out the gestures and even the body attitudes as he said the dialogue." By associating himself into his characters' perceptual positions, Disney knew his imaginary characters motives and behavior more intimately. It probably also enhanced his creativity by allowing him to spontaneously discovery of how the character might act in a particular situation, rather than having to figure it out analytically.
3. "He should get far enough away from his story to take a second look at it. In his last step, Disney switches back to the visual representational system. This "second look", however, is from a different point of view than his initial visualization. He is 're-viewing' the story in memory (Vr) from a perceptual position that is literally farther away from his initial fantasizing and is serving a different purpose. Rather than be creative, the function of this second look is to be critical. In order to effectively evaluate what is taking place in the first two perceptual positions (Vc and K), Disney must get outside the relationship by shifting up a level to what is called 'third position' or 'meta-position' - a perspective above 'first' and 'second' position in which one can actually look at the relationship between the two of them. Disney's evaluations involve a hierarchy of criteria that are made from the point of view of the audience - an audience that is too far away to know how all of the pieces of the story fit together yet and also too distant to be caught up in the excitement of the initial act of creation. Disney describes three different evaluations he makes on the story from this perceptual position: a. "to see whether there is any dead phase." b. "to see whether the personalities are going to be interesting and appealing to the audience." c. "He should also try to see the things that his characters are doing are of an interesting nature." The three evaluations that Disney makes start on an abstract level and become progressively more concrete and finely chunked. The first criterion relates to a general quality of the whole story - that of movement. Regardless of the content of what his characters are doing, Disney requires a certain quality of movement so that there is not "dead phase". The second criterion relates to his characters' personalities, and again is content dependent, but rather is most likely tied to the kind of feeling the character conveys. It is only after these first to tests have been passed that Disney evaluates the specific activities of the story. Disney's "Second look" provides what is called a 'double description' of the story. This 'double description' gives us important information that may be left out of any one perspective. Just as the differences in point of view between our two eyes give us a double description of the world around us that allows us to perceive depth, Disney's double description of his own creations served to give them an added element of depth. In summary, it is clear that one of the major elements of Disney's unique genius was
his ability to explore something from a number of different perceptual positions. As one of his close associates pointed out: "...there were actually three different Walts: the dreamer, the realist, and the spoiler. You never knew which one was coming into your meeting." From our analysis, it would seem that Disney the "dreamer" functioned primarily through a strategy of constructed visual images (Vc). Disney then made his fantasies "real" by associating into the feelings (K) of the imaginary characters and acting them out to give them life. The "spoiler" comes from taking a "second look" (Vr) at these creations from the point of view of a critical audience. While Disney used this strategy to develop high quality animated films, the basic elements of the strategy can obviously be used practically any situation where planning and decision-making is involved. Balancing the fundamental perceptual positions of the "dreamer", the "realist" and the "spoiler" (or ‘critic’) in the service of a common vision is no doubt a fundamental strategy of all genius.
References Finch, C.; The Art of Walt Disney ; Harry N. Abrahms Inc., New York, New York, 1973. Culhane, J.; Walt Disney's Fantasia ; Harry N. Abrahms Inc., New York, New York, 1983. Thomas, F. & Johnson, O.; Disney Animation; The Illusion of Life ; Abbeyville Press, New York, New York, 1981. DeLozier, J. & Grinder, J.; Turtles All The Way Down ; Grinder, DeLozier & Associates, Santa Cruz, CA, 1987.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
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Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
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The NLP Pattern of the Month: Walt Disney - Planning Strategy (Storyboarding) by Robert Dilts. 1. From Meta Position select three physical locations and label them (1) 'Dreamer', (2) 'Realist' and (3) 'Critic'. 2. Anchor the appropriate strategy to each physical location: a. Think of a time you were able to creatively dream up or fantasize new ideas without any inhibitions; step into location (1) and relive that experience. b. Identify a time you were able to think very realistically and devise a specific plan to put an idea effectively into action; step into position (2) and relive that experience. c. Think of a time you were able to constructively criticize an plan - that is, to offer positive and constructive criticism as well as to find problems.Make sure the location is far enough away from the others that it doesn’t interfere. Step into location (3) and relive that experience. 3. Pick an outcome you want to achieve and step into the dreamer location. Visualize yourself accomplishing this goal as if you were a character in a movie. Allow yourself to think about it in a free and uninhibited manner. 4. Step into the realist location, associate into the "dream" and feel yourself in the positions of all of the relevant characters. Then, see the process as if it were a 'storyboard' (a sequence of images). 5. Step into the critic position and find out if anything is missing or needed. Then, turn the criticisms into questions for the dreamer. 6. Step back into the dreamer position to creatively come up with solutions, alternatives and additions to address the questions posed by the critic. 7. After you have repeated this cycle several times, consciously think of something else that you really enjoy and are good at but continue to walk through the dreamer, realist and critic locations.
8. Continue to cycle through steps 4, 5 and 6 until and your plan congruently fits each position.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
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The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
The New Leadership Paradigm One of the most important sets of skills One of the most important sets of skills required in a changing world are the skills of leadership. This has become increasingly evident as we have attempted to adapt to the escalating changes in our society and workplaces over the past century. As we try to take command of our own destiny and guide the destinies of our families, communities, organizations and our planet, the necessity of effective leadership ability has become increasingly obvious. Effective leadership is one of the keys to our future success and survival. But what is leadership, and who has it? Can you develop leadership ability, or is it something you must be born with? Some say leadership has to be learned and earned. Others say leadership is a gift that cannot be taught. Much of the literature on leadership focuses on "characteristics" of good leaders. These characteristics, however, are often too general to be of much practical value to someone trying to become a better leader. For instance, to say that good leaders are "gifted optimists" or are "honest" and "inspiring" provides little practical basis for specific skill development or improvement. These are typically judgments about our behavior made by others. Frequently, descriptions of effective leadership emphasize what has been effective in a particular business, culture or environment. However, the actions, style or characteristics that make a leader "good" in one context may be ineffective or devastating in another. Some studies of leadership focus on the outcomes of effective leadership; pointing out that good leaders "create vision," "mobilize commitment," "recognize needs," etc. However, simply knowing about these goals is not enough. The key to actually achieving them involves having the mental and behavioral skills required to put them into practice. With the tools of NLP it is possible to define and explore some specific models, principles and skills that will allow you to be a more successful leader; i.e., the "how
to's" of effective leadership. In defining what effective "leadership" is, it is important to distinguish between (a) a "leader," (b) "leadership" and (c) "leading." The position of "leader" is a role in a particular system. A person in the formal role of a leader may or may not possess leadership skills and be capable of leading. "Leadership" is essentially related to a person's skills, abilities and degree of influence. A good deal of leadership can come from people who are not formal "leaders." "Leading" is the result of using one's role and leadership ability to influence others in some way. In its broadest sense, leadership can be defined as the ability to influence others toward the accomplishment of some goal. That is, a leader leads a collaborator or group of collaborators towards some end. In businesses and organizations, ‘leadership’ is often contrasted with ‘management’. Management is typically defined as "getting things done through others." In comparison, leadership is defined as, "getting others to do things." Thus, leadership is intimately tied up with motivating and influencing others. In the emerging views of leadership, however, leaders do not have influence simply because they are ‘bosses’ or ‘commanders’. Rather, leaders are people who are committed to "creating a world to which people want to belong." This commitment demands a special set of models and abilities in order to effectively and ecologically manifest the visions which guide those committed to change. It involves communicating, interacting and managing relationships within an organization, network or social system to move toward one’s highest aspirations.
Micro, Macro and Meta Leadership Nicholls (1988) has pointed out that a fair amount of confusion has arisen in leadership research because there are three fundamentally different perspectives of leadership: Meta, Macro and Micro. 1. Meta leadership creates a ‘movement’ in a broad general direction (such as civil rights, home computers, or glasnost). Meta leadership, "links individuals, through the leader’s vision, to the environment. In doing so, it releases energy and creates enthusiastic followers." 2. In macro leadership, "the leader’s role in creating a successful organization is fulfilled in two ways, path-finding and culture-building... Path-finding can be summed up as finding the way to a successful future. Culture-building can be viewed as drawing people into purposeful organization - one which is capable of traveling along the path that is found or of fully exploiting current opportunities...Macro leadership activity can influence individuals by linking
them to the entity - be it the whole organization or just a division, department or group. The leader influences the individual by supplying the subordinates with answers to such questions as: what is this organization all about? where do I fit in? How am I valued and judged? what is expected of me? why should I commit myself? In the process, the leader creates committed members of the organization." 3. In contrast to both of these, Micro leadership, "focuses on the choice of leadership style to create an efficient working atmosphere and obtain willing cooperation in getting the job done by adjusting one’s style on the twin dimensions of task and relationship behavior. Choice of leadership style depends on the particular subordinates and the job/task being done, it is, thus, situational and contingent...the leader directs people in organizations in the accomplishment of a specific job or task. If the leadership style is correctly attuned, people perform willingly in an efficient working atmosphere." Effective leadership involves a mixture of all three different types of leadership ability to some degree. A typical leadership situation involves a leader leading others toward a goal within the ‘problem space’ of a system. This seminar will cover a variety of skills; including self skills, relational skills and systemic thinking skills. Self skills have to do with how the leader deploys himself or herself in a particular situation. Self skills allow the leader to choose or engineer the most appropriate state, attitude, criteria, strategy, etc. with which to enter a situation. In a way, self skills are the processes by which the leader leads himself. Relational skills have to do with the ability to understand, motivate and communicate with other people. They result in the ability to enter another person’s model of the world or perceptual space and get them to recognize problems and objectives and understand the problem space within which they and the company are operating. Strategic thinking skills are necessary in order to define and achieve specific goals and objectives. Strategic thinking involves the ability to identify a relevant desired state, assess the starting state and then establish and navigate the appropriate path of transitions states required to reach the desired state. A key element of effective strategic thinking is determining which operators and operations will most efficiently and effectively influence and move the present state in the direction of the desired state. Systemic thinking skills are used by the leader to identify and comprehend the problem space in which the leader, his or her collaborators and the company is operating. Systemic thinking is at the root of effective problem solving and the ability to create functional teams. The ability to think systemically in a practical and concrete way is probably the most definitive sign of maturity in a leader
In summary, effective leadership skill involves the mastery of all of the different elements which make up a particular leadership situation, including: Mastery of Self (States) Relationship (Rapport) Balance Perspectives Congruence Awareness Intention
Mastery of
Mastery of Communication (Messages) Problem Space (System) Verbal & Non-Verbal Representational Channels Meta Messages
Mastery of
Multiple Thinking Styles Positive
Thoroughness Relevance Chunking
Levels of Change and Leadership "Creating a world to which people want to belong" involves different levels of change and influence. In fact, the different types of leadership – ‘meta’, ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ – and the ‘problem spaces’ they involve, can be related to the ‘level’ of change that an individual or organization is attempting to influence. For instance, there’s the where and the when of the ‘problem space’ of change. This relates to particular environments and environmental influences, such as physical space and time constraints, that might influence a problem or goal. Then there's the what related to a particular context. This refers to the behavioral activities or results to occur within the environment – i.e., what is supposed to happen in a particular where and by when. Of course, people's actions are not only determined by their external environment. Different individuals may exhibit a wide variety of behavioral reactions to similar environmental cues and constraints. What accounts for these behavioral differences? Variations in people's mental maps and perceptions. Outcomes and responses on a behavioral level are directed by cognitive processes; that is, by how people are thinking about something or mentally representing it. The ‘how’ level of change relates to people's inner maps and cognitive capabilities. The process of change is also greatly influenced by people's beliefs and values. These
relate to the why of a particular problem or outcome. Why, for instance, should a person consider changing his or her thoughts or actions? A person’s degree of motivation will determine how much of his or her own inner resources he or she is willing to mobilize. Motivation is what stimulates and activates how people think and what they will do in a particular situation. There is also the who involved in the process of change. Which roles and functions are involved in the problem or outcome? Who is supposed to be involved? What beliefs, values, capabilities and behaviors are associated with the various roles? Finally, there's the who and what else, involving the larger system or vision surrounding specific roles, beliefs, capabilities, actions, etc. This level relates to what could be considered the vision and ‘spirit’ of an organization or system. As these distinctions indicate, our brain structure, language, and social systems form natural hierarchies or levels of processes. The function of each level is to synthesize, organize and direct the interactions on the level below it. Changing something on an upper level would necessarily ‘radiate’ downward, precipitating change on the lower levels. Changing something on a lower level could, but would not necessarily, affect the upper levels. The levels I have identified here were inspired by the work of anthropologist Gregory Bateson (1972), who identified several fundamental levels of learning and change. Each level is more abstract than the level below it, but each has a greater degree of impact on the individual or system. These levels roughly correspond to: ‘Spiritual’ A. B. C. D. E.
Vision & Purpose
Who I Am – Identity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Role & Mission My Belief System – Values, Meta Programs: . . Motivation & Permission My Capabilities – States, Strategies: . . . . . . . . Perception & Direction What I Do – Specific Behaviors: . . . . . . . . . . . Actions & Reactions My Environment – External Context: . . . . . . . . Constraints & Opportunities
The environmental level involves the specific external conditions in which our behavior takes place. Behaviors without any inner map, plan or strategy to guide them, however, are like knee jerk reactions, habits or rituals. At the level of capability, we are able to select, alter and adapt a class of behaviors to a wider set of external situations. At the level of beliefs and values we may encourage, inhibit or generalize a particular strategy, plan or way of thinking. Identity, of course, consolidates whole systems of beliefs and values into a sense of self. The ‘spiritual’ level relates to our perceptions and maps of those parts of our larger system which are
beyond ourselves. While each level becomes more abstracted from the specifics of behavior and experience, it actually has more and more widespread effect on our behavior and experience. ●
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Environment determines the external opportunities or constraints to which a person has to react. It involves the where and when of leadership — influencing the external context. The ‘environmental’ level of leadership primarily relates to people’s reactions. It consists of things such as the type of room, food, noise level, etc. that surrounds a situation. Certainly these external stimuli will effect the responses and the state of a leader and his or her collaborators. One key aspect of leadership skill has to do with attention to the physical environment. Behaviors are the specific actions or reactions made by a person within the environment. It involves the what of leadership — influencing people’s actions. The ‘behavioral’ level of leadership has to do with the specific behavioral activities that the leader and his or her collaborators must engage in. The specific behaviors that people actively participate in, such as tasks and interpersonal interactions, often serve as the primary evidence for organizational goals. Much of the focus of leadership has traditionally been on the level of behavior. Capabilities guide and give direction to behavioral actions through a mental map, plan or strategy. The level of ‘capabilities’ relates to the how of leadership — influencing people’s minds. ‘Capabilities’ have to do with the mental strategies and maps collaborators develop to guide their specific behaviors. Simply prescribing behaviors does not insure that tasks will be accomplished and goals reached. The function of the level of capabilities is to provide the perception and direction necessary to achieve particular objectives. Beliefs and Values provide the reinforcement that supports or inhibits capabilities and behaviors. The level of ‘beliefs and values’ involves the why of leadership — influencing people’s hearts. In addition to developing behavioral skills and capabilities, an effective leader must also address the presuppositions, beliefs and values of his or her collaborators. The degree to which some task fits (or does not fit) into the personal or cultural value systems of one's collaborators will determine the degree to which they accept or resist that task. Beliefs and values influence the amount of motivation and permission collaborators experience with respect to their roles and tasks. Identity involves a person’s role, mission and/or sense of self. It relates to the who of leadership. The ‘identity’ level has to do with the sense of self experienced by a group or group members. Identity is somewhat difficult to define precisely. It is more abstract than beliefs and has to do with the deepest levels of incorporation of information, responsibility for what one has learned, and the commitment to put it into action. Identity has primarily to do with mission.
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‘Spiritual’ change relates to the larger system of which one is a part and the influence of that system on the group or organization. It involves the who else and what else of leadership — influencing the larger system. ‘Spiritual’ factors come from our perception of being a part of larger and larger systems surrounding us. It determines the overall vision or purpose behind the actions of an individual or organization.
Clearly, each level of change involves progressively more of the system, or a larger ‘problem space’. Each level involves different types of processes and interactions that incorporate and operate on information from the level below it. In this way they form a network of "nested" processes as shown in the following diagram.
Effective leadership clearly involves addressing issues at all of these levels – whether it be in regards to self, others, system or goals. Micro leadership primarily addresses issues at the levels of environment, behavior and capability: i.e., where, when, what and how. Macro leadership focuses on issues at the levels of beliefs, values and role identity: i. e., the why and who behind the where, when, what and how. Meta leadership emphasizes the levels of ‘spirit’ and identity: i.e., the who and what else which form the vision and purpose behind all of the other levels of leadership.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Moving From Vision to Action by Robert Dilts. The typical path of change in intelligent organizations involves moving from the level of vision to that of action. Meta, macro and micro leadership ability is required to stimulate and manage the various processes that make up the pathway between vision and action. Meta leadership provides inspiration and motivation by forming the vision into a mission and creating community within a system. Macro leadership creates the strategy for manifesting the vision and mission by defining the values, culture and path for reaching the desired state. Micro leadership supplies the structure to make the culture and path concrete through specific tasks and relationships.
Different Types of Processes and Leadership Ability are Involved in the Movement From Vision to Action The following exercise provides a way to combine both systemic thinking and strategic thinking in order to create a vision and then define a path leading from that vision to the actions that will concretely embody it. Exercise: Vision Into Action What I see way off is too nebulous to describe. But it looks big and glittering — Walt Disney (1941) Part I. Creating a Vision 1. Put yourself in a relaxed and open state in which you can feel fully yourself. 2. With your eyes closed, create a space for ‘Vision’ in your mind’s eye. Imagine a vast inner ‘landscape’. Notice where the horizon of your inner landscape is. Also notice the ‘point of convergence’ or ‘vanishing point’ related to your focus with respect to the inner landscape. Note how far from the tip of your nose this vanishing point appears to be. Is it one meter? 10 meters? A kilometer? Extend the point of convergence until it is farther away. If you need to, you can lower your horizon. Find a vanishing point that represents the rest of your life. Then, extend your focus far beyond that point. As you do, lengthen your spine and lift your head slightly. Imagine a sunrise breaking over the horizon. Feel what it is like to experience the dawning of a new day. Let the feeling of hope and belief in the future emerge. From this state ask yourself the question, "What is my vision?" Let the images and words of your answer form out of your feeling and the light coming from the sunrise.
3. Bring your attention and focus back to the point representing the rest of your life, maintaining the awareness of the sunrise and the feeling associated with your vision. Consider what needs to be done in that time frame in order to move towards the vision. Ask yourself the questions, "What is my mission with respect to that vision?" "What is my role and identity with respect to the larger system associated with that vision?" "What is a symbol or metaphor for that role and mission?" 4. Focus your attention on your body and the feelings and emotions associated with your sense of vision and mission – especially those that draw you toward them. Feel the sense of motivation, inspiration and excitement that you have about the future. Imagine that you could give your heart a ‘voice’ so that these feelings could be put into words. Ask yourself, "What values are expressed and represented by my vision and mission?" "What beliefs are associated with my vision and mission?" 5. Shift your attention to your spine and chest. Lengthen your spine and open your chest so you can breathe more fully and freely. Feel a sense of physical energy and strength in your body. Ask yourself the question, "What capabilities do I have, or need to develop, in order to support my beliefs and values and reach my mission with respect to my vision?" 6. Bring your focal point near to you, finding what feels like a close but comfortable distance. Allow your awareness to go into your belly and the muscles and bones of your body. Ask yourself the question, "What is my next step toward achieving my mission?" "What internal state will most help me to reach that step?" Form a plan for taking that next step. 7. Imagine that you are physically moving forward and associating into that point in the future and the context it represents. Ask yourself the question, "When and where will I complete this next step?" Part II. Defining Your Path Complete the answers in the spaces beneath each of the following questions in order to define the connecting links between the various levels of processes that you have been exploring. These links will form the path between your vision and the actions necessary to manifest that vision. 1. "What is your vision with respect to the larger system or community in which you are operating?" My/Our vision is to ________________________________________________________ 2. "What is your identity or role with respect to your vision and the system or community to which you belong?" "Who are you or do you want to be in relation to the manifestation of your vision?" (Try using a metaphor or symbol to answer this question.) In relation to that vision, I am/we are ________________________________________________________ "What is your mission with respect to that system and vision?" My/Our mission is to _______________________________________________________
3. "What beliefs and values are expressed by or encompassed by your vision and mission?" "What values are embodied by your role identity and larger vision?" I am/We are committed to this vision and mission because I/we value __________________________________________________________________________ "Why do you have this particular vision and mission? What beliefs provide the motivation for your thoughts and activity?" I/We believe _______________________________________________________________ 4. "What capabilities are needed to manifest your vision and achieve your mission, given the beliefs and values that you have expressed?" "How will you accomplish your mission? What capabilities and cognitive processes are needed or presupposed in order to accomplish your vision within the guidelines of your beliefs and values?" To accomplish my/our vision and mission I/we will use my/our capabilities to ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. "What is the specific behavior associated with manifesting your vision and achieving your mission that will both use your capabilities and fit with your beliefs and values? "What is your plan for achieving your vision and mission? What, specifically, will you do to accomplish your mission? What specific actions are associated with your vision?" My/Our plan is to ___________________________________________________________ 6. "What is the environment in which you will manifest your vision and reach your desired state?" "When and where do you want to enact the behaviors and actions associated with your vision and mission? What will be the external context surrounding the desired goal and activities?" This plan will be implemented in the context of _____________________________________________________________ An Example of a Path From Vision to Action I have used this process many times in order to create and organize paths for manifesting my own visions. The following, for instance, is an example of how I answered these questions while preparing for this work on leadership. My vision is to promote the worldwide diffusion of more effective and ecological tools and skills for leadership. In relation to that vision, I am like a spring and a reservoir for special knowledge and experiences. My mission is to develop, integrate and present practical skills that will help people of all types to be better leaders. I am committed to this vision and mission because I value growth, the achievement of our highest expression and the fundamental integrity of life. I believe in the value of the future and that people can truly grow and change their
lives through the acquisition of new skills. I also believe that the skills of leadership are essential in order to fulfill our destiny on this planet. To accomplish my vision and mission I will use my capabilities to identify, structure, and articulate the key principles and skills of leadership that I have modeled from effective leaders throughout the world. My plan is to create leadership seminars, manuals, books and other tools that can be disseminated to individuals, organizations and social systems worldwide. This plan will be implemented in the context of a global network of people who are committed to promoting the progress of all humanity. Creating an Image of Your Vision When you have finished defining your path from vision to action, create a picture of your overall vision. This will help you to consolidate your sense of your vision and mission, remember it, and communicate that vision to others. Below is an example of my picture for my own vision.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Allergy Process According to immunologist Dr. Michael Levi, an allergy is like a "phobia" of the immune system. In the 1950’s Levi won the World Health Association Award for his research demonstrating that viruses were infectious. As a result of his many years of work with the immune system, Levi contends that, when a person develops an allergy, the immune system has in essence formed a kind of phobic reaction to a certain type of substance, and then begins to panic when it gets around it. Symptoms of an allergy are produced by the results of this type of phobic reaction. Levi also asserts that other forms of allergies are like a "tantrum" of the immune system -- that is, the immune system is throwing some sort of fit because it was not being taken care of properly, or was getting so fatigued and tired that it was striking out as a person or a child might have a tantrum. In the same way that we learn and acquire emotional responses, our bodies learn and acquire immune responses. The fact that such deadly illnesses as small pox and polio have been virtually wiped off the face of the earth is a testament to the fact that our immune systems can learn. The major issue in dealing with an allergy is reeducating the immune system. Our immune system has two basic ways of dealing with foreign material in our bodies passive and active. A passive immune response is primarily carried out by macrophages - white cells in the blood stream that simply engulf and digest the foreign material. In fact, the term "macrophage" literally means "big eater." The active immune response is carried out by "killer" T cells - cells that attack and destroy foreign matter. The purpose of the passive immune response is to remove non-living matter from the body. The purpose of the active immune response is to attack and destroy living cells, like bacteria, that endanger the body. In the case of the virus, this means attacking cells in our bodies. This is because of the way a virus operates. A virus is basically a little bundle of genetic material that cannot reproduce itself because it lacks the rest of the cell structure to support that process. So instead the virus acts as a kind of a parasite that takes over the cells of its host in order to reproduce, depleting the resources of the unwilling host. In order to rid the body of a particular virus, then, the immune system must recognize and destroy the infected cells in our own body. In
some cases this is done by actually exploding the infected cell (through a chemical reaction). This is what causes the redness and irritation associated with infections and allergies. In the case of an allergy the immune system has made a mistake, in that it is responding to a harmless non-living foreign material as if it were a virus. Similar to a phobia, the immune system is panicking and is in such a confused state that it is attacking our own bodies even though there is no danger. In some ways it is a kind of an "I'll show you, I'll just hit myself" reaction. The goal of treating an allergy involves reeducating the immune system to utilize the passive rather than active protection in response to the foreign substance - a kind of physiological reframing. Like a phobia an allergy is a conditioned response. In fact, research has shown that allergies can be conditioned in guinea pigs using a procedure similar to that Pavlov used in his experiments with his dogs (Russel, Dark, et al, 1984). The researchers put the smell of peppermint into the guinea pigs' cages and then injected them with a substance that would naturally produce an active immune response. After repeating this five times over a short period of time, the researcher put the peppermint smell in the cage but did not inject the noxious substance. When they checked the blood of the guinea pigs they found that they were producing as full of an immune reaction as they would if they had been injected. Other studies (Ader & Cohen, 1981) demonstrated that rats could be conditioned to suppress immune responses. The field of psychoneuroimmunology is making many breakthroughs in the understanding of how the brain directs the immune system. Stress and emotional responses change chemical levels in the bloodstream that effect the functioning of the immune system. But immune cells also have been shown to respond directly to the same chemicals our brain and nerve cells use to communicate with each other. A basic premise of psychoneuroimmunology (which is shared by NLP) is that immune responses, such as allergic reactions, can be influenced by psychological factors. There is a famous example of this, dating back to the turn of the century, documented by a physician named MacKenzie (1886) who was treating a woman with a violent allergic reaction to roses. He had an artificial rose in his office and was surprised to discover that his patient, not realizing that the rose was fake, manifested the full allergic reaction as soon as she saw the rose. The implication is that our autonomic nervous system (even our immune system) may be influenced as much by mental representations and expectations generated from within our central nervous system as by stimuli from the outside world. Certainly, the immune system is capable of learning very quickly. Allergies are
known to appear and disappear almost spontaneously. Patients with multiple personalities will have allergies in one personality and not in another. People often "outgrow" certain allergic reactions. The cells involved in active immune responses are produced in our bone marrow at the rate of about 80 million cells per minute. So once the reeducation process is done it can spread rapidly. It is already known that allergies can, like a phobia, sometimes be treated through systematic desensitization procedures. However, like the phobia versions of these techniques, the process can be time consuming and often ineffectual. Using the model and techniques of NLP this desensitization process can be accelerated tremendously. The key questions from the NLP perspective are, "What are the psychological factors that will influence an allergy?" and "Can those factors be brought under control and can a person learn to have more control over his or her own body's responses, especially over the particular immune responses related to allergic reactions?" As a result of exploring these questions, Robert Dilts developed a technique for treating allergies using NLP that has had widespread success. Following Dr. Levi’s suggestion that an allergy was a type of "phobia" of the immune system, Dilts reviewed the celebrated NLP ‘ten-minute’ phobia pattern, developed by NLP founders Bandler and Grinder. This technique has been shown to make significant impact on people's phobic responses within a very short period of time. Dilts wondered if a similar sort of process could be developed to treat the "phobia" of the immune system that was responsible for allergic reactions. In conjunction with his work on the NeuroLink, a new method of biofeedback, Dilts created a technique for treating allergies. The technique is in some ways similar to the NLP Phobia Technique. It also differs in some important respects. Similar to the Phobia Technique, for instance, the Allergy Process involves establishing a disassociated state. This greatly facilitates the desensitization process. Both phobias and allergies also appear to be the result of what is called "response expectancy," a process which has strong mind-body implications. Response expectancy is the same process which is at the root of the placebo effect. People can very often bring on allergic response symptoms by the strength of their imagination, as MacKenzie’s patient with the allergy to roses demonstrated. From this perspective, allergic symptoms may be the result of a type of negative placebo effect. From the point of view of NLP, response expectancy is a result of the richness with which an individual mentally represents an anticipated response. This richness is a product of the submodality qualities of the inner map that the person creates of the response. Dilts asked people with allergies to explore effects that their mental
representations of the allergen had on their symptoms. Dilts found that certain qualities of visualization of the stimuli associated with the allergic reaction could begin to bring on physical responses associated with the allergy. He had people experiment with how different cognitive qualities of thinking about this allergic stimulus or trigger for their allergies affected their autonomic reactions, which he measured and recorded with the NeuroLink biofeedback device. If a person had an allergy to smoke, for instance, that person would be asked to visualize the smoke and notice what kind of reaction it produced in his or her body. Then, the person would be instructed to imagine the smoke coming closer and becoming surrounded by it, and notice what happens to his or her physical reactions. They were then asked to move the representation of the allergen (the substance creating the allergy) far away and notice how the representation of the distance of the substance changed their physiological reactions. Other dimensions such as size, color and shape were also explored until people had the sense that they were able to influence their physiological reaction to some degree. The core of the Allergy Process, however, came as a result of finding an appropriate "counterexample," and checking for any secondary gains associated with the allergic response. A counterexample relates to a context or situation in which a person could or should have had the allergic response, but does not. One of the most common kinds of counterexamples is to find a substance that is very similar to the substance that produces the allergic response, but to which the individual does not have the allergic reaction. Dilts chose to focus on the counterexample as a means to "reprogram" the immune system based on his research in the field of immunology. It appears that counterexample is one of the processes by which the immune system naturally functions. Edward Jenner (1749 - 1823), for instance, employed the process of counterexample to develop the first practical vaccination against smallpox. As a general practitioner in rural England, Jenner noticed that dairy maids who had contracted the relatively mild disease cowpox did not later contract smallpox. Jenner postulated that the carrier of smallpox must have some structural similarities to the cowpox carrier, so that the immune system learned how to detect them both if the person got cowpox. In 1796 he inoculated an 8-year-old boy with material taken from cowpox pustules, and the boy developed cowpox. Several weeks later Jenner inoculated the boy with smallpox, but the disease failed to develop. Jenner went on to promote smallpox vaccinations, the practice of which spread throughout the world, apparently eliminating this disease by the late 1970s. The implication of Jenner’s success is that the immune system is able to learn and generalize by recognizing and differentiating key features of substances in the body. Dilts reasoned that if the immune system could generalize an appropriate reaction to a
virus that was a deadly killer, it could be directed to generalize for a lesser problem, such as an allergy, using a similar process. Dilts initially experimented with people who had successfully firewalked - i.e., walked across hot coals without injury (an experience popularized by Anthony Robbins in the late 1980’s). Dilts hypothesized that the fact that people did not form blisters was a result of entering a special state of response expectancy in which they were able to selectively suppress certain immune system reactions. Following the lead of Russel, Dark, Ader and Cohen, Dilts used the NLP conditioning technique of anchoring to create a strong association between the ‘firewalk’ state and an external cue. This cue could then be paired with the allergen to accelerate the desensitization process. Dilts found that this state could be used to help people to easily shift allergic reactions, when anchored under the proper conditions. Relatively few people, however, had access to such an experience. Dilts found that other types of counter examples could be substituted for this experience to create the appropriate shift in response expectancy. For instance, it is possible for people to identify some substance that is potentially even more "toxic" than the substance which causes the allergy, but to which the person’s body has learned a more appropriate type of immune response. Someone may have an allergy to perfume, but not to gasoline, for example. Other may have allergic responses to some type of food, but be immune to harmful viral infections. Identifying these types of examples demonstrates that the immune system can keep the body safe without allergic symptoms. Another key area of focus in Dilts’ research related to identifying positive or secondary gains associated with allergic reactions that needed to be incorporated or preserved once the allergic response changed. Sometimes having an allergic response serves as a good excuse for not having to do certain activities, or for avoiding certain situations or confrontations. In other instaces, people are afraid that without an allergic response, they will be exposed to certain kinds of substances or certain kinds of situations that might actually be more detrimental to their health than the allergy. People with allergies to smoke can even believe that if they did not have the allergy they might start smoking cigarettes. Sometimes an allergy is the only excuse people allow themselves to take a rest, or to pay attention to their own health. It becomes a reminder for them to take care of themsleves. Often, an allergy is a communication that a person is under a fair amount of emotional or physical stress. There are even some people who are afraid of accepting the responsibility that would come with realizing that they had that much influence on their own health.
In special cases, if a person’s father, mother, or some other significant person in his or her life has had allergies, an individual may unconsciously feel that having a similar allergy is way to stay connected with those significant others. The purpose of identifying such positive intentions and secondary gains is to help the person add more choices. An underlying principal of NLP is that ecological change comes by adding new choices, not by taking away existing choices. Before a person is ready to shift an allergic reaction, he or she may need to find other ways of addressing certain life situations. Finding these new choices is analogous to the change the immune system needs to make. Keep in mind that an allergy is often the result of the brain and the immune system together making a mistake. The body thinks that it's being invaded by something that is not, in fact, actually dangerous. The immune system becomes conditioned to try to defend itself against something that isn't really harmful. The smoke, cat dander, pollen and foods to which people develop allergies don't invade our cells like a virus. What happens is that the immune system thinks that it is being invaded, and so it strikes out at the body’s own cells. The symptoms of an allergy are the result of the immune system destroying healthy cells in the body in an attempt to protect itself from an invader that isn't really there. Dilts noticed that many allergies were developed at a time in a person’s life, or under conditions which have psychological similarities to this confusion of the immune system. The immune system is the body’s equivalent of a psychological self-concept. Many people develop allergies at a time when they are at a transition point with respect to their own sense of identity. At these times a person can feel their sense of ‘self’ being challenged or threatened by something from the outside. In this case the allergy may develop as a reflection of the psychological threat, and the resulting stress it produces. Allergies associated with asthma, for instance, are often related to traumatic experiences. To address such situations, people may need to detach themselves from those early or traumatic experiences. Using NLP techniques such as Change Personal History, Reframing or Reimprinting, people can be helped to recognize that their identity has evolved and is different now than it was under those early circumstances. They can discover new ways of handling their life situations and their responses to crisis or danger, in the same way that the body can learn to have a different response to old triggers and stimuli. They can imagine how they would react differently if they took their current learnings, resources and abilities back into those early situations associated with the allergic response. By combining the disassociated state, the positive response expectancy, the
counterexample reference experiences and the new choices for preserving positive intentions and secondary gains into a simple technique, Dilts found that he could effectively help people to shift almost any allergic response to some degree. In a large number of cases people reported complete freedom from their symptoms. Dilts began his explorations in 1985, creating specific interventions for people who had different types of allergies. By 1987 the first general allergy processes were in use, employing a combination of anchors. Since that time a number of variations of the technique have come into use, including the Foreground/Background Process. Other notable variations and refinements have been contributed by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, co-authors with Dilts of Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being (1990). The technique normally takes about 20 minutes to a half an hour but can be done in as short a time as 10 minutes.
Background Reference(s) Learned Histamine Release; Russell, M., Dark, K. et al; Science Vol. 225, August 17, 1984, pp. 733-734. Psychoneuroimmunology, Ader, R. and Cohen, N.,Academic Press, New York, NY, 1981. Pavlovian Conditioning of Rat Mucosal Mast Cell to Secrete Rat Mast Cell Protease II; MacQueen, G. et al; Science Vol. 243, January 6, 1989, pp. 83-85. The Production of the So-Called ‘Rose Cold’ by Means of an Artificial Rose; MacKenzie, J., American Journal of Medical Science, 9, 1886: 45-57. Psychoneuroimmunology: The Birth of a New Field, Investigations, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Sausalito, CA, 1983.
NLP Related References [for NLP phobia techniques] They Lived Happily Ever After, L. Cameron-Bandler, 1978. Frogs Into Princes, Bandler & Grinder, 1979.
Specific References Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, et al, 1990. Overcoming Allergies, Anchor Point, October, 1987.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: NLP Allergy Technique ( From Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, R., Hallbom, T. and Smith, S., 1990.) 1. Have the explorer imagine or remember being near the substance that causes the allergic reaction. Have the explorer get fully enough into the experience that he or she begins to get some of the discomfort associated with the allergy. The more of the physiology associated with the symptom that can be brought up the better - especially physiology that is not typically under conscious control (i.e., eyes watering, skin flush or pale, coughing, sinus congestion, throat tightening, etc.). Explore which submodalities intensify and deintensify the degree of the discomfort. 2. Establish an anchor [A1] for a dissociated state. a. This can be done by giving the explorer the instruction to "Lean back comfortably and tilt your head and eyes upward. Visualize a thick glass shield between yourself and substance that triggers your allergic response. Imagine yourself floating back above you and looking down on yourself as if you were in the projection booth of a movie theater looking at yourself sitting in the audience." b. Set the anchor when you see that the explorer's breathing has become shallow and even, their eyes defocused and their facial muscles relaxed. 3. Establish a desired state anchor [A2] for how the explorer wants to respond around the substance that has been triggering the allergic reaction. Have the explorer develop a positive ‘reponse expectancy’ by imagining as fully as possible how he or she would want to react around the allergy producing substance and associate into it as much as possible. It can help to use the critical submodalities you discovered in step 1 to build up the new response. 4. Establish an anchor for several counterexample reference experiences [A3]. a. Have the explorer access an associated memory of being near something that is as close as possible to the substance that causes the allergy in as many qualities as possible but which does not trigger the allergic response. For example, the explorer may be allergic to cigarette smoke but not smoke from a campfire or incense, or the explorer may
be allergic to some cats but not all cats, or is allergic to cats but not dogs. b. It is also useful to identify some substance that is potentieally even more "toxic" than the substance which causes the allergy, but to which the explorer’s body has learned a more appropriate type of immune response. Someone may have an allergy to perfume, but not to gasoline, for example. This demonstrates that the immune system can keep the body just as safe, but without the allergic symptoms. c. Make sure you see the appropriate physiology when you set the anchor (i.e., clear eyes, smooth and even breathing, open throat, normal skin tone, etc.). 5. Check for any secondary gains or ecology issues regarding the allergic response. a. A common example might be an individual for whom the allergic reaction has been a substitute for standing up for him/herself around people who smoke. b. If the allergy has been connected with asthma in the past it is a good idea to have the person remember back to their first allergy/asthma attack and use reimprinting, reframing, change personal history, or your three anchors to add any needed resources. 6. Fire off the dissociated state anchor [A1] and have the explorer begin to imagine being near the allergy producing substance. Then fire off the anchors for the desired state [A2] and counterexample [A3] simultaneously. Make sure that you hold the anchors long enough that you see the full physiological responses associated with these experiences as opposed to the allergy response. 7. Starting with a small amount initially, begin to expose the explorer to the allergy producing material, increasing the amount in stages until he or she can be fully exposed to it without effect. At each stage start by firing the dissociation anchor [A1] and then the desired state and counterexample anchors [A2 + A3] simultaneously. You may also use the critical submodalities you found in step 1 to strengthen the new response. The explorer should be allowed to be in complete control of when and how much of the substance they will be exposed to. The basic NLP Allergy Technique has now been applied thousands of times in clinical and training settings and has been effective in changing a vast majority of allergy symptoms. The types of allergies have included those to airborne material, such as smoke, pollen, perfume, etc., to various foods, and even in cases involving asthma. In a study done in Salt Lake City (Hallbom & Smith, 1987), for example, thirty two individuals were guided through the allergy pattern for a multitude of allergies, including pollen, smoke and foods. They even treated a person who was
sensitive to poison oak, which is a kind of an allergy. Out of the thirty people, all but three showed immediate reduction of their symptoms. Most of the people in the study, in fact, showed a complete suppression of the allergic reaction immediately after learning the process. A six month follow up revealed that only three of the individuals who had responded positively had any recurrence of their allergies. In the Summer of 1994, a controlled clinical test of the Allergy Process was conducted with approximately 120 allergy sufferers. The study was conducted under the supervision of Dr. David Paul at a hospital in Vail, Colorado. The study showed that the Allergy Process produced significant reduction in the symptoms of many types of allergies, in particular food allergies. Details of this study are available from the Institute for Advanced Studies of Health (IASH). For more information, contact: Institute for the Advanced Studies of Health 346 S. 500 E. #200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84102-4022 (801) 534-1022 Fax (801) 532-2113
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
THE NLP SPELLING STRATEGY Spelling is an important and fundamental language skill that does not come "naturally" to everyone. In fact, intelligent people who otherwise excel in the classroom, even in language abilities, may experience strong and even debilitating difficulties in spelling. According to NLP ability with spelling is not a function of some kind of 'spelling gene' but rather the structure of the internal cognitive strategy one is using as one spells. Thus, if people experience difficulty with spelling, it is not because they are 'stupid,' 'lazy' or 'learning disabled' but rather because they are trying to use an ineffective mental program. I myself had difficulties spelling even up through my college years, even though I didn't experience problems in other subjects. Using the NLP model I eventually discovered an effective strategy that not only improved my own spelling but has been able to produce extremely effective results with other spelling students of all ages. Since I was teaching the concept of modeling in my NLP courses I often used spelling as an example of a simple and easily testable mental strategy. I would bring up good and poor spellers in front of the class in order to observe and demonstrate the differences in their mental strategies. It soon became very obvious that good spellers had a very consistent strategy and accompanying set of accessing cues. The vast majority of them tended to look up and to their left while searching for the spelling. According to NLP this indicates an accessing strategy of remembered visual imagery (Vr). When asked how they knew that their spelling was correct, many of them, as expected, did not know consciously how they knew it but said simply, "I just feel that it looks right." This would indicate a relationship between the kinesthetic and visual system. Further, if shown a page of writing containing a number of incorrectly spelled words, good spellers often claimed, "It makes me feel uncomfortable to see all of those misspellings," again indicating a visual and kinesthetic overlap. The fact that it was mentioned that seeing the misspelling made them feel uncomfortable suggests that the image causes the feeling and thus comes first in the sequence (V>Ki). Confirmation of this hypothesis came from those that were conscious of their internal strategy who reported seeing a mental image of the word accompanied by feeling of familiarity. The availability and clarity of the image along with the strength of the
feeling determined their degree of confidence about the correctness of the spelling. Poor spellers, on the other hand, had a variety of strategies - although none were the same as the strategy of the good spellers. In fact sometimes they would even vary those strategies in the middle of trying to spell a word. Many times this lead to inconsistency, extra effort, and frustration. Furthermore, as I had discovered as a child, creative spelling was not rewarded like creative writing was. The most common strategy of poor, but not hopeless or disabled spellers, was trying to sound out the correct spelling through breaking the sound of the word down into small enough pieces that they sounded like letters. This is called "phonics" (pronounced "puh-hon-iks" if you sound it out phonically). While phonics has a number of important features (for example, making a guess at the spelling of word one has never seen before), it is not the best strategy for spelling words in English since many words are not written like they sound, and the exceptions do not follow consistent verbal rules. This was, in fact, the strategy that I had meticulously learned when I was in grammar school. I had been taught to spell by sounding out. I have to admit I was a bit concerned when I first discovered one could not correctly spell the name of the method using the method (my first try came out "fonix" ). My consternation grew, however, as we began with basics - such as the names of the first ten numbers. Instead of "wun" the first number was spelled 'one' (that looked like it should be pronounced "oh-nee" ). There was no 'W' and an extra "silent E." The second number, instead of being spelled "tu" like it sounded, was spelled 'two' (As the comedian Gallagher points out, perhaps that was where the missing "W" from 'one' had gone). After 'three' ("tuh-ree" ), 'four' ("fow-er" ) and 'five' ("fi-vee" ) I knew something was wrong, but being young, I figured it was probably just something wrong with me. In fact, when 'six' and 'seven' came along I started to build back some hope - but then they struck with 'eight' ("ee-yi-guh-hut" ) and I felt like the next number looked as if it should sound - 'nine' (a "ninny"). When I discovered years later that good spellers simply remembered how the word looked, I actually thought it was cheating. It didn't involve any effort, you didn't have to start from scratch each time you spelled - it seemed too easy. Incidentally, even if the English language was completely phonetically based and phonics was 100% accurate, a visual strategy would still be more effective and easy since vision functions much more rapidly for visual material. In fact, I have interviewed a number of copy editors - people who are professional spellers - and have never encountered a single one who claimed to begin at the top of the page and sound out all of the words in order to know if they are correct. Rather, every one of them claims that they simply look down the page and the misspellings "jump out" at
them. This visual strategy worked so well I began to have the poor spellers and even people diagnosed as learning disabled or dyslexic try it out. To learn a word they were having trouble with, I instructed them to look at the correct spelling, move their eyes up and to the left and visualize it in their mind's eye. In order to associate the spelling with the feeling of familiarity, I would have them first think of something else they were already confident and familiar with in order to access a positive feeling state. Then when they looked at the word, it would become anchored to the positive feeling instead of the feeling of effort or frustration (as often becomes associated with spelling). People tend to automatically remember things that make them feel good. Sure enough, people who had always had trouble spelling were able to spell and retain even very difficult words. Of course, these simple instructions were not always enough. Adults especially had a fair amount of 'unlearning' to do. Often they would habitually and unconsciously try to use the old 'sounding out' strategy, which lead to confusion and conflict in trying to spell. To combat that tendency, I began to have them spell backwards as well as frontwards. It is very difficult to sound things out backwards (for example, try to figure out what 'Albuquerque'' sounds like backwards). The auditory representational system is very time dependent for perception, and sound tends to propagate in a particular sequence. The visual system, on the other hand, is more simultaneous. For example, think of which letter comes three letters after "P" in the alphabet. Now think of which letter comes three letters before "P" in the alphabet. If you primarily remember the letters of the alphabet utilizing the "ABC" song most English speakers learn as a child, you probably experienced much more difficulty identifying that "M" is the the letter that comes three letters before "P". People that use an auditory strategy such as this, sometimes even have to go all the way to the beginning of the alphabet and come forward in order to find the answer. Something visual maintains it shape whether we look at it left-to-right or right-to-left. Thus, if someone could read the letters of a word off backwards (i.e., from right-to-left) one could be pretty certain that person had a reasonably clear image of it in mind. Strategies Versus Techniques It is important to remember that there is a difference between a strategy and a mnemonic technique. A strategy involves setting a fixed outcome with a variable means to achieve it. One continues varying these mental operations until the image is fixed in the mind's eye. Memory techniques tend to be fixed means, or processes that produce variable outcomes. People end up concentrating more on what to do in order to remember the information than on the information itself. The NLP strategy involves the variation of fundamental sensory processes that require no training to learn. People often have to learn to remember the memory techniques before they can
use to remember what they have learned them for. Good spelling is function of learning how to learn new words. Just as soon as the grammar school student learns his ten words for the week, sure enough if someone doesn't give him ten more words. In fact, it is important to emphasize the fact it is a process when teaching it as a strategy. Sometimes a person who has just learned how to spell some difficult words, will say, "Well I know how to spell those words now but that doesn't make me a good speller." This is true as far as the content goes, but I remind them that they also know a process for how to learn new spelling words now, which is a very different level from simply having learned those words. As opposed to a 'drill-and-practice' approach, NLP focuses on the process of learning. It is like teaching someone how to fish as opposed to giving them a fish. As the wise saying points out, "If you give someone a fish, you have fed him for a day - if you teach him how to fish, you have fed him for the rest of his life." In many ways this orientation toward 'mental programming' makes it easier to adapt NLP to computerized instruction. In fact, I have made the basic spelling strategy into a computer program. The program follows the basic format described above. It shows the student the correct spelling of a word in a color selected by the student. The student is instructed to look up and to their left hand side and visualize the word in his or her mind's eye. After typing in the word left-to-right, the student is instructed to type in the spelling starting on the right hand side and moving to the left. The program is quite simple but has demonstrated significant results. Other Factors Influencing Spelling As a specific mental capability spelling is subject to be influenced by deeper psychological processes such as beliefs and identity issues. For instance, one useful belief I like to offer a new speller is that if they can spell these difficult words frontwards and backwards, simple words will be even that much easier and effortless. Belief and identity issues can come up in interesting ways. I once taught this spelling strategy to a man in his mid-thirties. After spelling words he had struggled with for years both frontwards and backwards he responded, "Now I know I can spell, but I don't think I'll use it very much." Surprised, I asked him why. He said "Well, I really don't want to become a stiff and insensitive person." Not being able to quite relate this in an obvious way to learning to spell I explored the issue further and discovered that he had a particularly insensitive spelling teacher when in his early years at school, and had unconsciously associated being concerned about proper spelling with being uncaring about the person learning to spell, which conflicted with the kind of person he felt himself to be. Another man in his forties had a similar resistance when it came to actually learning
an appropriate spelling strategy. He had a particularly difficult time with a teacher in his grammar school years and discovered that he still carried the belief that it would somehow be a violation of his own personal integrity to finally learn to spell claiming that he would be "finally giving in to that S.O.B. after all these years." In both of these cases these beliefs were fairly easily dealt with once they were uncovered. But one can see that such beliefs could create a large amount of unconscious resistance if not addressed. At the identity level I have found that most good spellers perceive their success as a statement about their identity and their failures as a specific behavior. In other words, they tend to think, "If I spell it right it is something that I did. If I spell it wrong it was just a mistake." Problem spellers tend to think, "If I spelled it wrong it was something that I did. If I spelled it right, it was just luck." Some schoolchildren also associate scholastic capability with being a particular type of person (i.e., a teacher's pet, etc.) and thus resist learning the capability of spelling because it reflects on their perception of their identity. In other words, it is sometimes more important to first have a student see himself (or tell himself or feel himself to be) a good student in a way that does not conflict with the other elements of his identity, before working to teach him how to spell specific words. While there are a number of NLP techniques designed to accomplish this, they are beyond the scope of this article.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: STEPS OF THE NLP SPELLING STRATEGY
VISUAL SPELLING STRATEGY 1. Place the correct spelling of the word in front of you so you can see it easily. 2. Close your eyes and think of something that feels familiar and relaxing. When the feeling is strong, open your eyes and look at the correct spelling. 3. Move your eyes up and to the left and picture the correct spelling in your mind's eye. (If you have difficulty use the Helpful Hints below.) 4. Look up at your mental image and write down the letters you see. Check what you have written against the correct spelling. If incorrect go to step #1. 5. Look up at your mental image and spell the word backwards (write the letters down from right to left). Check the spelling. If incorrect, go to step #3. HELPFUL HINTS A. Picture the word in your favorite color. B. Make any unclear letters stand out by making them look different than the others in some way - e.g. bigger, brighter, closer, a different color, etc. C. Break the word into groups of three letters and build your picture three letters at a time. D. Put the letters on a familiar background. Picture something like a familiar object or movie scene then put the letters you want to remember on top of it. E. If it is a long word, make the letters small enough so that you can see the whole word easily. F. Trace the letters in the air with your finger and picture in your mind the letters you are writing. Discussion Like all effective strategies, the NLP Spelling Strategy is made up of a T.O.T.E. (T.O. T.E. stands for Test-Operate-Test-Exit, the basic feedback loop operating in any mental program. For further information see NLP Vol.1.) The Test phase of the T.O. T.E. (regardless of how the information is input) involves checking a Visual=>Kinesthetic synesthesia (Vr=>Kr) involving the submodalities of the clarity of image and intensity of a feeling of familiarity. If there is no familiar image there, the three operations consist of:
1. thinking of something positive and easy to remember and anchor that feeling to the correct spelling by simply looking at the correct spelling; 2. looking up and left and visualizing the correct spelling in the mind's eye; and 3. looking up and left and spelling the word backwards. With long words, people often experience difficulty in being able to initially visualize the entire words easily (especially people new to the process of visualizing). Most often what happens is that some letters are clear but the rest get out of focus or hazy. In such a situation one needs some operations to make the unclear letters stand out. In this case there are two more sub-operations that may be used: a. breaking the word down into groups of letters (typically groups of three); and b. changing some sub-modality quality of the letters that have been difficult to visualize in such a way that makes them stand out. For instance, the letters can be made brighter, put in one's favorite color, put on a familiar background, made bigger, etc. Another operation that can help to anchor in the remembered image of letters that are not clear is to overlap from the kinesthetic system by tracing the letters in the air. The following T.O.T.E. diagram summarizes the basic elements of the overall strategy.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Resolving Conflicts With NLP Conflict is defined as "a state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests." Psychologically, conflict is a mental struggle, sometimes unconscious, resulting when different representations of the world are held in opposition or exclusivity. Conflicts can occur either between parts of ourselves internally (inner conflict) or externally with others (interpersonal conflict). Internally, conflicts occur between different parts of human experience and at many levels. Conflicts may occur about behaviors, for example. A person may want to watch a certain television program on one hand, but on the other hand go outside and get exercise. Conflicts may also occur between various capabilities, between creativity and protection. A person may have conflicting beliefs or values. An individual may believe it is very appropriate to learn mathematics, on one hand, but not believe that it is possible for him or her to learn. This will lead to a struggle with respect to learning math. Identity level conflicts often occur with respect to roles. A person may experience struggles between their duties as a parent on one side, and as a professional on the other. Interpersonally, different individual's maps of reality are sometimes so diverse that "bumps" arise when they attempt to communicate or interact together. Basic assumptions, beliefs, values and presuppositions about the world become clustered together to create different models of reality. When these models or maps don't contain mechanisms for responding creatively to "bumps" with other maps, energy is released in the form of disagreement, dispute, fighting, or other forms of conflict. Negotiation, mediation and arbitration are all various forms of managing interpersonal conflicts.
Conflicting 'Parts' Sometimes, people experience being "incongruent," in an "inner conflict," "of two minds," or "at odds" with themselves. These issues do not relate so much to external pressures, but rather to the deeper structures within the person himself or herselfÑto conflicts between different 'parts' of one's own mental system. In other words, these issues relate to conflicts between oneself and oneself. Freud believed such internal
struggles were ultimately at the root of many psychological problems. As he maintained "One side of the personality stands for certain wishes, while another part struggles against them and fends them off. There is no neurosis without such a conflict." According to Freud Conflict is produced by frustration...in order to become pathogenic, external frustration must be supplemented by internal frustration... external frustration removes one possibility of satisfaction, internal frustration tries to exclude another possibility, and it is this second possibility which becomes the debate ground of the conflict. In a typical situation, if we are prevented from reaching a goal due to an external impasse, we maintain our focus on the outcome, inhibit any "antithetical ideas" and continue to attempt other avenues or strategies in order to attain the goal. If there is an internal conflict, however, the "debate ground" shifts inward, and a battle begins between the two parts of one's self. As Freud points out, the external frustration is supplemented by internal frustration. It is as if the person is "caught between a rock and a hard place." And when the fight is between two parts of one's self, one can never "win." As Freud put it This conflict is not resolved by helping one side to win a victory over the other...one side in either event will remain unsatisfied. Attempting to solve this type of conflict by suppressing one side, as one would do with typical "antithetical ideas," creates a 'double bind' in which you are "damned if you do and damned if you don't." It is as if the struggle is between two conflicting intentions rather than between an intention and the uncertainty as to whether it will be achieved. This makes the situation different than what is addressed by reframing, in that the core issue is not understanding the intention of the part to which one has not been listening. In that case, the focus is on a particular problematic behavior. The resolution involves finding the intention behind the behavior and generating alternative choices in order to reach the intention. In the case of conflict, however, it is the confrontation of antagonistic intentions that is at issue. Because the parts are at cross purposes, no alternatives can be produced which satisfy both intentions directly. Furthermore, because the internal conflict is not grounded in external events or results, it cannot be resolved by feedback from some external source. In fact, in such
a situation, anything can become another stimulus (or excuse) for a fight. Even the simplest decisions lead to a struggle - a struggle which is never resolved because it is not really about the content of the decision but about the deeper structure beneath it. The constant stress coming from the conflict and frustration may lead to other symptoms, including physical symptoms. These symptoms also become a "debate ground" for the conflicting parts. Since systems attempt to reach balance or homeostasis, however, certain symptoms may actually provide a potential point of "compromise" between the conflicting parts. As Freud claimed The two powers which have entered into opposition meet together again in the symptom and become reconciled by means of the compromise contained in symptom-formation. That is why the symptom is capable of such resistance; it is sustained from both sides. . . It is a battle between two forces of which one has succeeded in coming to the level of the preconscious and conscious part of the mind, while the other has been confined on the unconscious level. That is why the conflict can never have a final outcome one way or the other...An effective decision can be reached only when they confront each other on the same ground. And, in my opinion, to accomplish this is the sole task of the treatment.
Conflict Integration Conflict Integration refers to the NLP procedure by which contradictory or incompatible responses, "parts" or cognitive processes are sorted and resolved. Conflict Integration is one of the core NLP interventions and is essential to the resolution of many mental, physical and interpersonal problems. According to Grinder and Bandler (The Structure of Magic Volume II, 1976, p. 45), the basic steps of conflict integration involve 1. Identifying the client's incongruencies by noticing contradictions within verbal and non-verbal messages. 2. Sorting the client's incongruencies into polarities via spatial sorting, fantasy (symbols), representational systems, role playing, or Satir Categories (Blaming, Placating or Super-Reasonable). 3. Integrating the client's incongruencies by first making contact between the polarities, and then achieving a meta position from which to bring the polarities together in a new way.
A key component to the process of Conflict Integration that has been added since the writing of The Structure of Magic Volume II is the identification and recognition of the positive intentions of both of the parts involved. A large part of the NLP conflict integration process involves sorting experiences into their appropriate levels in order to avoid unnecessary confusion and trouble. A typical approach to conflict resolution in NLP is to first "chunk up" one level above the conflict to find consensus with respect to "higher level" positive intentions. A second step involves "chunking down" one level below the level at which the conflict is taking place. At this "lower level" it is possible to find "complementary" resources related to the parts of the system which are seemingly in conflict.
Solving a Problem Through a Different Level of Thinking Than is Creating the Problem NLP Provides many skills and tools for addressing and resolving both internal and interpersonal conflicts. These include techniques of Reframing, Conflict Integration, shifting Perceptual Positions, and many fundamental communication skills such as the Meta Model, Calibration and non-verbal communication methods. The NLP Conflict Integration process was initially developed to address internal conflicts within an individual, and has also become the basis for the negotiations model in NLP. The following is a general overview of the basic NLP approach to addressing conflicts. 1. Clearly identify the key issues involved in the conflict. These issues will be expressed as either opposites or polarities. Determine at which logical level the conflict is most focused. e.g., investing or spending money versus saving money = a behavior level conflict 2. Establish an unbiased 'meta-position' that is clearly distinct from either of the parties in conflict. 3. Find the positive intention and purpose behind the issues of each party. The positive intention will necessarily be at a higher level than the issues creating the conflict. ("You cannot solve a problem at the same level of thinking that is creating the problem.") Positive intentions will typically not be opposites or polarities. More often they are complementary, and beneficial systemically as
opposed to individually. e.g., spending money = "growth"; saving money = "security" 4. Make sure that each party recognizes and acknowledges the positive intent of the other. This does not mean that either party has to accept the method with which the other is attempting to satisfy the positive intention, nor does it mean that either party has to compromise his or her position. 5. From 'meta position', keep 'chunking up' until a common intention on a higher level has been identified that both parties share. e.g., optimizing resources 6. Explore other alternatives for achieving the shared intention than the two which are producing the conflict. This may include a mixture of the two existing choices, but should include at least one alternative that is completely distinct from the two in conflict. (e.g., invest some money and save some money, borrow money, create an alternative income stream, find an investment partner, downsize some expenditures so that money can be invested in other areas, etc.) 7. Identify which choice or combination of choices will most effectively and ecologically satisfy the common intention and the individual positive intentions with the greatest positive impact systemically.
References The Structure of Magic Volume II, Grinder & Bandler, 1976. NLP Volume I, Dilts, R., Grinder, J., Bandler, R. and DeLozier, J., 1980. Reframing, Bandler, R. and Grinder, J., 1982. Changing Belief Systems with NLP, Dilts, 1990. Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, Hallbom, T. & Smith, S., 1990. Strategies of Genius Volume II, Dilts, R., Capitola, CA, 1994. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming
Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Integration of Conflicting Parts Internal conflicts occur when two or more "parts" of a person lead to behaviors which are contradictory. The most problematic conflicts occur when the opposing parts have negative judgments about each other. The resolution to the conflict comes from identifying a common positive intention The following is a general overview of the basic NLP technique for integrating conflicting 'parts'. 1. Identify the conflict you have and physically sort out the 'parts' in conflict. 2. Establish a 'meta-position' that is disassociated from either of the conflicting parts. 3. Ask each part to express its perceptions of the other. 4. Find the positive intention and purpose of each part. 5. Make sure that each part recognizes and accepts the positive intent of the other. 6. From 'meta position' identify what is a common intention on a higher level that both parts share. 7. Identify the resources and capabilities that each part has that would be helpful to the other part in order to accomplish its own positive intention and the common goal. 8. Physically synthesize and integrate the formerly conflicting parts into a new representation and internalize it in your body. 9. Imagine what it is like to go into both your past and future, taking this integration with you and experiencing how it positively influences the events of your life.
Specific Steps for Helping Another to 'Integrate' Conflicting Parts 1. Identify the conflicting parts your partner has. Common types of conflicts include logic vs. emotion, rational vs. intuitive, childhood beliefs vs. adult beliefs, past vs. future, etc. Calibrate the physiology of each of the parts in conflict (pay particular attention to asymmetries of movements and gestures).
2. Represent the parts in all sensory systems. For example, you can say, "Put the part of you that believes X in one hand (choose the hand that your partner used when expressing that belief). What image, voice and feelings do you have associated with that part of you?" If one of these has been missing have the explorer add it in. Put the other part in the other hand and do the same thing. 3. Have your partner associate into the perceptual position of each part and ask each part to look at the other and describe what it sees. At this stage the different parts will typically dislike and distrust the other. 4. Find the positive intention and purpose of each part. Make sure that each part recognizes and accepts the positive intent of the other. a. Make sure that each part realizes that their conflict is directly interfering with the achievement of their own purposes. 5. Have the explorer associate into each part and look at the other again, and this time describe the resources that the other has that would be helpful to its own positive intention. a. Secure a congruent agreement from the parts to combine their resources so they can more fully accomplish their own purpose. Usually the reason that they will have mistrusted or disliked each other previously is precisely because the other has not had these resources and has thus seemed foreign and out of control. 6. Ask your partner to bring his or her hands together at the same time that he or she creates a new representation of himself or herself in all sensory systems that fully integrates the resources of both parts. (Calibrate to an integration/ symmetry of the two physiologies that accompanied the separate parts.) a. Remind your partner that an integration is not a compromise or a contract. If you are successful there will no longer be two separate parts but rather one whole person. b. The "visual squash" technique described above is not always the only method of integration although it is the most common and is very effective. Sometimes, for instance, the explorer may want to expand a new image out from meta position to incorporate the conflicting parts. c. Sometimes a conflict may involve more than two parts. In such a case you may either expand this technique to include all three or do the integrations two at a time.
7. Integration of Conflicting Parts draws operationally from a combination of the NLP techniques of 'Visual Squash' and 'Reframing'. Conceptually, it based on the work of Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir.
Background Reference(s) People Making, Satir, V., 1972. The Gestalt Approach & Eyewitness to Therapy, Perls, F., 1973.
NLP Related Reference(s) The Structure of Magic Volume II, Grinder & Bandler, 1976. Frogs Into Princes, Bandler & Grinder, 1979. NLP Volume I, Dilts, Grinder, Bandler, DeLozier, 1980. Changing Belief Systems with NLP, Dilts, 1990. Strategies of Genius Volumes II & III, R. Dilts, 1995.
Specific Reference(s) Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, Hallbom, T. & Smith, S., 1990. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Figure And Ground The distinction between "figure" and "ground" relates to the fact that perception is relative rather than absolute. That is, our eyes, ears, skin and brain register changes and relationships in the world around us rather than absolute quantities. People, for instance, often talk about an image being "bright" or "distant" as if these qualities were a stable quality or ‘thing’ associated with a particular image. The fact is, an image is neither inherently ‘bright’ nor ‘dim’, ‘colorful’ nor ‘dull’, ‘distant’ nor ‘close’; it is distant, colorful or bright compared to something else - such as its background or another image. All forms of perception juxtapose a "figure" with respect to some "ground." A glass of water at room temperature, for example, may seem "warm" compared to the inside of a refrigerator, but "cool" compared to the inside of a sauna. What ends up being "figure" and "ground" is a function of our perceptual filters. A camera lens is a good example of a filter that alters our perception of figure and ground. When a lens is adjusted to focus on objects near us, distant objects blur and become "ground." When the lens is adjusted to focus on far away objects, those which are nearer become blurred and part of the "ground." The phenomenon of figure and ground in perception has been explored extensively by gestalt psychologists. A classic example is that of a picture that either appears to be a light colored chalice on a dark background, or two dark faces against a light background, depending on what aspect of the picture is focused on as ‘figure’ and what is perceived as ‘ground’.
This Picture Can Either Be Viewed As a ‘Chalice’ or ‘Two Faces’, Depending on What is "Figure" and What is "Ground." An enlightening experiment demonstrating the impact of figure and ground was done by gestalt psychologists with a group of dogs. The dogs were trained to approach something when shown a ‘white’ square and avoid it when shown a ‘gray’ square.
When the dogs had learned this particular discrimination task successfully, the experimenters switched to using the ‘gray’ square in contrast to a ‘black’ square. The dogs immediately shifted to approaching the object in response to the ‘gray’ square (which had previously triggered avoidance), and avoiding the object when shown the black square (which had not been ‘conditioned’ to anything). Presumably, rather than perceive the ‘gray’ and an absolute stimulus, the dogs were responding to the deeper ratio ‘lighter versus darker’ as opposed to ‘gray’, ‘white’ or ‘black’ as being ‘things’. From the perspective of Systemic NLP, the figure-ground relationship creates a natural reframing process. It provides a powerful way to shift the meaning or impact of experiences in our lives, and to bring out new insights. Many NLP submodality techniques, for example, are effective because they change figure and ground relationships. Changing the color or brightness of certain parts of an internal visual image, for instance, may bring it into the foreground as ‘figure’ or shift it to part of the background. Processes such as content and context reframing also alter figure-ground relationships to some degree by placing behaviors and experiences within the background of different contextual frameworks. Similarly, a number of Sleight of Mouth patterns, such as ‘Changing Frame Size’, ‘Consequence’, and ‘Hierarchy of Criteria’, operate by shifting figure-ground relations with respect to beliefs and belief forming experiences. An unpleasant situation, for example, may seem awful compared to positive peak experiences or high expectations. The same unpleasant situation may seem actually quite positive compared to a past catastrophe or potential disaster. Likewise, a painful event may loom as an all-consuming figure when perceived within the short term frame of the five minutes surrounding the event. That same painful event may seem almost trivial when perceived against the background of one’s lifetime. The Foreground-Background Process is an NLP technique, developed by Robert Dilts, which makes specific use of the figure-ground phenomenon in order to help transform limiting responses. The process uses common elements from the background of both limiting and resourceful experiences in order to transfer resources from the resourceful state to the limiting experience. Most change processes and techniques emphasize elements in the foreground only, which is more likely to lead to polarity responses and conflicts.
The Foreground - Background Process The Foreground - Background process is a method for shifting or reprogramming limiting automatic conditioned responses developed by Robert Dilts in 1987. Conceptually, it is drawn from the notion of "figure" and "ground" in human
perception. Our perceptual filters operate to selectively focus on certain aspects of our experience, in a manner similar to the lens of a camera. When a lens is adjusted to focus on objects near us, distant objects blur and become "ground." When the lens is adjusted to focus on far away objects, those which are nearer become blurred and part of the "ground." The meaning and impact that a particular experience holds for us depends upon what aspects of it we focus on as "figure" and what we perceive to be "ground." Operationally, the Foreground-Background process is based on Ivan Pavlov’s observation of his dog’s responses to ‘combined stimuli’. Instead of his well known dinner bell, for instance, Pavlov also used combination of sounds in this experiments with his dogs. For example, Pavlov explored combining the bell with other sounds (such as a buzzer and a whistle) in order to trigger a salivation response in his animals. Pavlov found that, with combined stimuli, one of the sounds always appeared to be in the foreground. Let’s say he had conditioned a dog to salivate using a combination of a bell, a buzzer and a whistle. After a sufficient period of pairing the three sounds with giving the dog meat powder, the combined sound might produce ten drops of saliva.
Pavlov Used a Combination of Sounds to Condition Salivation Pavlov then discovered that if he used the bell by itself, the dog might respond with eight drops of saliva. If he presented only the buzzer, he might get three or four drops of saliva. If he sounded the whistle alone, the dog might only produce one drop or not salivate at all. We could say that the bell (which produced nine of ten drops) was in the "foreground," and the whistle (which produced little or no response) was in the "background."
When Presented Individually, Some Sounds Were in the Foreground While Others Were in the Background Pavlov then tried experimenting with the "background" stimulus. For instance, he paired the whistle by itself with something sour or acidic placed in the dog’s mouth. Rather than triggering saliva, the sound of the whistle could be made to produce a suppression of the salivation response.
Pavlov Associated the "Background" Sound With the Suppression of the Salivation Response Pavlov then tried combining all of the sounds again. Surprisingly, the dog produced no saliva at all. The effect of the bell and the buzzer, which had both produced a significant degree of salivation earlier, were completely suppressed. The whistle, which had originally been in the background, had come completely into the foreground, overriding the other two stimuli.
When Pavlov Combined the Sounds Again, the Former "Background" Sound Had Come Into the Foreground and Suppressed All the Others Most of our naturally occurring responses are associated with ‘combined stimuli’. We are bombarded with a tremendous amount of sensory information, which we filter by bringing only parts of it into the foreground. Thus, when we respond to our environment - whether it is with anxiety, calm, fear, courage, frustration, joy or anger - our perceptual filters are often locked on only certain aspects of the experience, while the rest of the sensory input fades into the background. The ForegroundBackground process applies Pavlov’s discoveries in order to transform limiting responses by using parts of the experience that are in the background to bring in a new reaction through the "back door," so to speak, of our experiential panorama.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected].
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: The Foreground - Background Process The Foreground-Background process involves noticing what is in the "foreground" and "background" of perception with respect to a problem situation and a resource experience. Usually, what is foregrounded in the two experiences is quite different. The background of the two experiences, however, often shares many features. For a person who has a phobia of heights, for example, the distance to the earth, a sense of tunnel vision, and a dizzy feeling in the head may be very much in the foreground when the person is looking down from a building or ladder. When recalling a resourceful experience of feeling calm and courageous, he or she may notice that objects in his or her peripheral vision and an awareness of his or her center of gravity are in the foreground of perception. The feeling of the person's left earlobe, the space between his or her big toe and the adjacent toe, or the distance between the tip of his or her chin and chest bone, however, may be in the background of both experiences (like the whistle in Pavlov's experiments). Sensations which are naturally in the background of the problem experience can be linked to other responses, such as the resource experience.
Steps of The Foreground - Background Process 1. Identify an automatic limiting response that occurs in a well defined context and is testable. e.g., anxiety related to being in the dentist's office Associate into a specific example of the limiting response enough that you experience its affects on your physiology. a. a. Identify what is in the "foreground" of your awareness - i.e., which features of the limiting experience you are MOST aware of at the time it is happening. e.g., pitch of dentist's drill, awareness of heart rate and jaw You may check representational systems and sub-modalities for both external and internal perceptions. b. b. Identify what is in the "background" - find some things that you are not aware of during the experience and that have no bearing on it. e.g., soles of feet, earlobe, color of the walls 2. Identify a counter example to the response - that is, a time when you could or should have had the limiting response but did not. e.g., a time when dentist friend was demonstrating his equipment
If there is no counter example then identify an experience that is as close to the limiting one as possible in all respects but where there is no limiting response. Associate into this experience. a. a. Identify what features of this experience that you are MOST aware of (foreground ). As you focus on these features establish an anchor as you experience the intensification of the physiology [A1] . e.g., curious internal voice, dissociated image of whole office b. b. Establish a "common ground" - that is, features which are in the background of both the limiting experience and the counter example. e.g., awareness of soles of feet, color of the walls 3. Create a strong association between the common background feature and the foreground feature in the counter example experience. This may be done by focusing your attention on the background feature and firing the resource anchor [A1] and by using suggestion. e.g., "The more you pay attention to the soles of your feet the more you can notice how that curious internal voice grows louder and louder. And the as you find your awareness shifting to the color of the walls you are more easily able to maintain an image of the entire dentist's office." 4. Go back to the limiting experience and focus on the "common ground" feature that you identified in 2b. e.g., "Put yourself back into the dentist's chair in that first memory and simply put your awareness on the soles of your feet, and notice the color of the walls in that memory." If this does not change the limiting response then either A. identify a more powerful or appropriate counter example and repeat the process from 2a. e.g., getting a blood test and not noticing the pain B. go back to 2b and strengthen the association between the "common ground" and the foreground features in the counter example. 5. Test by focusing on the features that were the foreground in the limiting experience identified in 1a. You should now experience the response associated with the counter-example experience. e.g., "Now put yourself back in that dentist's office and actually focus your complete attention on the pitch of the drill, your jaw and your heart rate." The Foreground-Background process stands in marked contrast with many submodality techniques, such as the Swish Pattern, in which part of the stimulus which is most in the foreground, the so-called "driver submodality," is used to exchange one response for another.
One problem with focusing on elements in the foreground is that it creates a type of conflict, in that the two experiences struggle to dominate the foreground of consciousness. The Foreground-Background process has a very subtle, almost magical, quality to it. The change in the problem experience is gentle, unconscious and effortless.
References Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, Hallbom, T. & Smith, S., 1990. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
The Phenomenon of Gentling "Gentling" is a process involving trans-generational change. The term refers to the gentle handling of rats by their human caretakers. The gentle handling appears to cause behavior changes in rats that are passed on to other generations of rats. The phenomenon was discovered inadvertently by animal behaviorists doing experiments with rats. They observed: When female rats are handled gently during their infancy and early life, they appear at maturity less emotional, more ready to leave their cages, and less fearful of strange stimuli than do other rats. In fact, the animal is able to respond more effectively when confronted with normal situations; in other words, its emotional response to novel but normal stimuli is not as intense as it is in rats raised in the usual manner. When such rats become mothers, the body weight and readiness to explore of their young are different from those of standard controlled groups. These effects appear to be mediated through both the prenatal mother-fetus and the postnatal mother-infant relationship. Not only are the young themselves of a different temperament as the result of the early experiences of their gentled mothers, but, when these young bear babies their patterns of mothering are also different from what they would have been normally. Because the effect of the gentling that their mothers received becomes apparent in their grandchildren, it has been called "the grandmother effect." (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1979) The phenomenon of "gentling" appears to be distinct from that of "imprinting" (which can also involve the interaction between humans and other animals). Imprinting is a special form of learning, which also occurs during a critical early stage in life, in which the young within a species instinctively recognize and follow a "mother figure." While the "mother figure" is usually their biological mother, it can also be other members of their species, or in some cases a member of another species all together. Such imprints, however, are extinguished with the death of the individual, and not transferred naturally to their children. The offspring of a duckling that is imprinted to a human will not be anymore predisposed to imprint to humans than any other duckling. Imprints must be re-established through the life experiences of each
animal. The affects of gentling, on the other hand, appears to be passed on to following generations through some type of biological mechanism. Gentling also differs from imprinting in that it requires inter-species interaction (i.e., the baby rat must be "gentled" by a human rather than another rat). Imprints may be established with respect to other species (a duckling can become "imprinted" to a person), but this is the exception to the rule, and is certainly not a requirement of imprinting. Gentling, on the other hand, appears to actually require the initial involvement of the human. The positive affects of the gentle handling of animals by humans have also been observed in other experiments as well. In a study done on rabbits, "gentling" was found to have a remarkable impact on the health of the animals. Six groups of rabbits in different locations were being fed extremely high fat diets to see if they would develop heart disease. As the experiment progressed, five of the six groups were responding as expected; becoming ill and dying. But one group remained quite healthy. At first researchers thought that the group must not have been receiving the appropriate high fat diet. But, when they checked, they discovered the rabbits had been fed exactly as the same as the other groups. The researchers then postulated that the rabbits must have been allowed more exercise. But this was also shown to not be the case. The only difference, in fact, that they were able to find was that the individual responsible for feeding the rabbits was fond of them, and would pick them up and pet them gently at feeding time. Similar positive effects have been found to result from the gentle touching or "stimulation" of premature babies. The body weights and survival rates of premature children who are touched gently is significantly higher than those who are isolated. (It is also interesting to note that the nurses who were instructed to touch the babies gently reported that it changed their own feelings toward the babies, creating a sense of relationship with the infants.) While no data currently exists to indicate whether or not there is a trans-generational "grandmother effect" in either of these other instances of gentling, there is data which demonstrates that the opposite of gentling, "isolation," produces detrimental effects which are not transferred to other generations. It has been widely reported, for example, that baby monkeys who are isolated from contact with their mothers and other monkeys suffer enormous social-sexual dysfunctions. The isolation of a monkey infant for nine to twelve months after birth permanently destroys sociability with age mates as well as all forms of sexuality and social communication. Unlike the phenomenon of gentling, however, these negative effects do not seem to be passed down to their children.
Female monkeys, who have been isolated in infancy, and made to have children through artificial insemination, will abandon their offspring, and even physically abuse them. It has been observed, however, that the infants of isolate mothers continue to seek maternal attention and, unless actually killed by the mother, are surprisingly successful in forming maternal attachments. Moreover, after three to four months the brutal mothers, even though they still appear to ignore the infants, may begin to behave as if they enjoy the bodily contact with the infants and their sucking for milk. Surprisingly, most of these motherless mother monkeys who subsequently have a second or third infant come to behave as normal or nearly normal mothers. Apparently, their first infants have psychiatrically rehabilitated them. The contrast between the results of gentling versus those of isolation would appear to suggest a type of "psychobiological" filter that passes on 'positive' or evolutionary behavior traits, but limits those which are maladaptive.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: "Gentling" as a Path to Personal Growth The following process was developed by Robert Dilts in 1991 as a means to apply the process of "gentling" to facilitate personal growth. The process is designed to promote a positive "grandmother" or "grandparent" effect by using Time Lines and different Perceptual Positions. One key issue to be dealt with in attempting to adapt the gentling process to humans is, "What has the same relationship to humans that humans have to other species?" There is obviously no real analogy in terms of an actual creature or being. Besides something like the Earth itself, this relationship would be represented by something like a "guardian angel" or some type of spiritual being. The basic steps of the process involve setting up overlapping time lines representing the lifetimes of yourself, a parent and a grandparent. (It is not necessary that the parent and grandparent be actual individuals that you have known and interacted with in your life. They may be imaginary or archetypic figures.) Once the time lines are established, the exercise involves going back in your imagination to the birth of your grandparent, as if you were a guardian angel or spiritual guide, and offering some type of gift to that person in the form of a blessing, a metaphor or vision. The offering of the gift is accompanied by gentle touching (in imagination). After offering the gift, you associate into the perspective of your grandparent, as an infant, and imagine receiving this gift and being gentled. You then advance along the time line of your grandparent, maintaining the positive affects of the gift and the gentling, until you reach a point representing the birth of your parent. Here you repeat the process of offering the gift and "gentling" your parent; this time from the perspective of your grandparent as an adult. You then repeat the process you went through with the grandparent. You imagine stepping inside the skin of your parent, receiving the blessing and gentling, and then, holding them, move up your parent's time line to a point representing your own birth. From the perspective of your parent, you pass on the gift and the gentling to yourself. Finally, you associate into yourself, receive the gift, and return to your own present point on your time line. (You may also want to imagine passing the gift you have received from your parent and grandparent to your own children, or some significant other in your life.)
It is sometimes useful in this process to have a partner who serves as your own "guardian angel" and who gently touches you as a reminder or 'anchor' for your own state of wisdom and gratitude. Steps of the "Gentling" Process 1. Lay out three time lines for a) yourself, b) your parent, c) your grandparent.
Multi-Generationl Time-Lines 2. From a 'Spiritual 3rd Position' of the awareness of this family system as part of a larger whole or mind, identify a set of resources or gifts you would like to bring to this family in the form of: a) a blessing b) a metaphor c) a vision 3. From a state of wisdom and gratitude, imagine you are back in time to your grandparent's birth and early childhood. Fantasize that you can hold and touch your grandparent as an infant very gently as if you yourself were some kind of higher presence or spiritual guide. As you imagine holding and touching your grandparent very gently, offer your blessing and metaphor. 4. Take the vision and go into 'second position' with your grandparent bringing your vision to him or her. From the grandparent's position, imagine being held and 'gentled'. (You may invite your 'guardian angel' to touch you gently). Also imagine receiving the blessing and the metaphor. 5. Holding these resources and gifts in your heart as the grandparent, move up along the time line to the birth and infancy of your parent (your grandparent's child). In your grandparent's position, gentle your parent passing on the blessing, metaphor and vision. 6. Associate into your parent's perceptual position. Imagine being held, blessed and gentled - receiving the metaphor and the vision. (Again, you may invite your guardian angel to touch you softly as you do this.) 7. Staying in your parent's point of view, hold these gifts and resources in your heart and move up through your parent's time line to your own birth and infancy. From your parent's position bless and gentle yourself, passing on the metaphor and the vision. 8. Associate into yourself as a baby and imagine being held, blessed and gentled
by your parent - receiving the metaphor and the vision - inviting your guardian angel to touch you softly if it is appropriate. 9. Move up through your own time line to the present, spreading the resources brought along by the gifts of the blessing, metaphor, vision and gentling, that has been passed down to you from the previous generations.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Eye Movements and NLP Eye movements as indicators of specific cognitive processes is one of the most well known, if controversial, discoveries of NLP, and potentially one of the most valuable. According to NLP, automatic, unconscious eye movements, or "eye accessing cues," often accompany particular thought processes, and indicate the access and use of particular representational systems. The notion that eye movements might be related to internal representations was first suggested by American psychologist William James in his book Principles of Psychology (1890, pp. 193-195). Observing that some forms of micromovement always accompany thought, James wrote: In attending to either an idea or a sensation belonging to a particular sense-sphere, the movement is the adjustment of the sense-organ, felt as it occurs. I cannot think in visual terms, or example, without feeling a fluctuating play of pressures, convergences, divergences, and accommodations in my eyeballs...When I try to remember or reflect, the movements in question. . .feel like a sort of withdrawal from the outer world. As far as I can detect, these feelings are due to an actual rolling outwards and upwards of the eyeballs. What James is describing is well known in NLP as a visual eye-accessing cue [eyes moving up and to the left or right for visualization]. James' observation lay dormant, however, until the early 1970's when psychologists such as Kinsbourne (1972), Kocel et al (1972) and Galin & Ornstein (1974), began to equate lateral eye movements to processes related to the different hemispheres of the brain. They observed that right-handed people tended to shift their heads and eyes to the right during "left hemisphere" (logical and verbally oriented) tasks, and to move their heads and eyes to the left during "right hemisphere" (artistic and spatially oriented) tasks. That is, people tended to look in the opposite direction of the part of the brain they were using to complete a cognitive task. In early 1976, Richard Bandler, John Grinder and their students began to explore the relationship between eye movements and the different senses as well as the different cognitive processes associated with the brain hemispheres. In 1977 Robert Dilts conducted a study, at the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco, attempting to correlate eye movements to particular cognitive and neurophysiological processes. Dilts used electrodes to track both the eye movements and brain wave characteristics of subjects who were asked questions related to using the various senses of sight, hearing and feeling for tasks involving both memory ("right brain" processing) and mental construction ("left brain" processing). Subjects were asked a series of questions in eight groupings. Each grouping of questions appealed to a particular type of cognitive processing_visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and emotional (visceral feelings). Each was also geared to either memory (non-dominant hemisphere processing) or construction (dominant hemisphere processing). Dilts' recordings tended to confirm other tests which showed that lateralization of eye movements accompanied brain activity during different cognitive tasks. This pattern also seemed to hold for tasks requiring different senses. As a result of these studies, and many hours of observations of people from different cultures and racial backgrounds from all over the world, the following eye movement patterns were identified (Dilts, 1976, 1977; Grinder, DeLozier and Bandler, 1977; Bandler and Grinder, 1979; Dilts, Grinder, Bandler and
DeLozier, 1980): Eyes Up and Left: Non-dominant hemisphere visualization - i.e., remembered imagery (Vr). Eyes Up and Right: Dominant hemisphere visualization - i.e., constructed imagery and visual fantasy (Vc). Eyes Lateral Left: Non-dominant hemisphere auditory processing - i.e., remembered sounds, words, and "tape loops" (Ar) and tonal discrimination. Eyes Lateral Right: Dominant hemisphere auditory processing - i.e., remembered sounds and words (Ac) and "tape loops" (such as nursery rhymes), as well as tonal discrimination. Eyes Down and Left: Internal dialogue, or inner self-talk (Ad). Eyes Down and Right: Feelings, both tactile and visceral (K). Eyes Straight Ahead, but Defocused or Dilated: Quick access of almost any sensory information; but usually visual.
Basic NLP Eye Accessing Cues This pattern appears to be constant for right handed people throughout the human race (with the possible exception of the Basques, whose population appears to contain a fair number of 'exceptions to the rule'). Subsequent studies (Loiselle, 1985 and Buckner, Reese and Reese, 1987) have supported the NLP claim that eye movements both reflect and influence key cognitive componants of thought. Many left handed people, however, tend to be reversed from left to right. That is, their eye accessing cues are the mirror image of those of the average right hander. They look down and left for feelings, instead of down and right. Similarly, they look up and to the right to remember visual imagery, instead of up and to the left, and so on. A small number of people (including ambidextrous and a few right handed people) will be reversed in their some of their eye accessing cues (their visual eye movements, for example), but not the others. To explore the relationship between eye movements and thinking for yourself, find a partner, ask the following questions, and observe his or her eye movements. For each question keep track of your partner's eye movements in one of the boxes (following the questions below) by using marks, lines or numbers that represent the sequence of positions you observe. 1. Visual Remembered: Think of the color of your car. What kind of pattern is on your bedspread?
2.
3. 4.
5.
6.
7.
Think of the last time you saw someone running. Who were the first five people you saw this morning? Visual Construction: Imagine an outline of yourself as you might look from six feet above us and see it turning into a city skyline. Can you imagine the top half of a toy dog on the bottom half of a green hippopotamus? Auditory Remembered: Can you think of one of your favorite songs? Think of the sound of clapping. How does your car's engine sound? Auditory Constructed: Imagine the sound of a train's whistle changing into the sound of pages turning. Can you hear the sound of a saxophone and the sound of your mother's voice at the same time? Auditory Digital (Internal Self Talk): Take a moment and listen to the sound of your own inner voice. How do you know it is your voice? In what types of situations do you talk to yourself the most? Think of the kinds of things that you say to yourself most often. Kinesthetic Remembered: (Tactile) When was the last time you felt really wet? Imagine the feelings of snow in your hands. What does a pine cone feel like? When was the last time you touched a hot cooking utensil? (Visceral/Emotional) Can you think of a time you felt satisfied about something you completed? Think of what it feels like to be exhausted. When was the last time you felt impatient? Kinesthetic Construction: (Tactile) Imagine the feelings of stickiness turning into the feelings of sand shifting between your fingers. Imagine the feelings of dog's fur turning into the feelings of soft butter. (Visceral/Emotional) Imagine the feelings of frustration turning into the feeling of being really motivated to do something. Imagine the feeling of being bored turning into feeling silly about feeling bored.
It is important to keep in mind, as you are observing and tracking eye movements, that many people will already have habitual eye movements, related to their primary representational modality. A highly visual person may tend to look up and to the left or right, regardless of which sensory modality is assumed by your question. If you ask such a person to think of his or her "favorite song," the person may visualize the cover of the record, tape or CD in order to remember the name of the song. A kinesthetically oriented person may look down and check his or her feelings to determine how he or she feels about several songs in order to know which one is his or her "favorite." Thus it is important to ask people what they actually did in their minds as they were answering the questions in order to get an accurate sense of what their eye movements signified. Once you feel confident in eye movements as accessing cues, and in your ability to "read" them, there are many ways they can be used. As was mentioned earlier, habitual eye movements reflect a person's preferred sensory modality. If you ask someone, "What is something that is really important to you? Think of it now," the placement of the person's eyes as he or she is answering your question will probably tell you a lot about that person's most valued representational system. Eye movements can also be used to determine how truthful or congruent a person is being. If a person is describing an event that he or she has witnessed or participated in, for instance, the person's eyes should move primarily to his or her left (if the person is right handed), indicating memory access. If the person looks up and to the right a lot, however, it is likely that the person is constructing or reconstructing some aspect of the experience he or she is describing. This may indicate that the person is either uncertain or being untruthful about what he or she is saying. The most common application of eye positions in NLP is to determine the representational strategies a person is using in order to think or make a decision. Since many aspects of people's thinking processes are unconscious to them, spontaneous eye movements can be an extremely important part of eliciting and modeling a person's inner strategies for decision making, learning, motivation, memory, etc.
References Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Vol. II, Grinder, J., DeLozier, J. and Bandler, R., 1977. NLP Vol. I, Dilts, R., et al, Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1980.
Roots of NLP, Dilts, R., Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1983. Eye and Head Turning Indicates Cerebral Lateralization; Kinsbourne, M., Science, 179, pp. 539-541, 1972. Lateral Eye Movement and Cognitive Mode; Kocel, K., et al., Psychon Sci. 27: pp. 223-224, 1972. Individual Differences in Cognitive Style_Reflective Eye Movements; Galin, D. and Ornstein, R., Neuropsychologia, 12, pp. 376-397, 1974. The Effect of Eye Placement On Orthographic Memorization; Loiselle, François, Ph.D. Thesis, Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, 1985. Eye Movement As An Indicator of Sensory Components in Thought; Buckner, W., Reese, E. and Reese, R., Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1987, Vol. 34, No 3. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Eye Scanning Patterns From the NLP point of view, eye scanning patterns_the movement of the eyes from one position to another_reflect connections and overlaps (synesthesias), and also discontinuities, between different representational system functions; and thus between different states, parts, personalities, neural structures, etc. If you ask a person to move his or her eyes "very slowly" from one basic eye position (i.e., up-left, downright, up-right, lateral-left, etc.) to another, you will observe that movement is seldom perfectly smooth and linear. The ease or difficulty a person has in making such a motion is indicative of which cognitive and representational processes are habitually more connected or separated for that person. Creativity, flexibility and learning involve the ability to think in new and different ways. One approach to developing new abilities is to find habitual ways of thinking and then change or add to them. One way to find and break habitual ways of thinking using NLP is through eye movement patterns. Since our eyes reflect patterns of our internal processes they may be used as a tool for both diagnosing and changing habitual thought patterns. The following exercises were developed by Robert Dilts in 1986 in order to utilize eye scanning patterns as a means to explore your habitual thinking patterns, and then to expand and enrich them. "Eye Skating": Exercises For The "Mind's Eyes" Exercise 1: Exploring Representational Systems Through Eye Position As an exercise, try the following experiment. Keeping your head oriented straight in front of you, put your eyes into each of the basic eye positions indicated on the eye movement chart. Hold each eye position for 30 seconds. Have a partner keep track of the time for you so you are not distracted.
Notice the differences you experience between each position. Are some of them more comfortable, natural or familiar feeling than some of the others? Does it feel to you as if you are actually holding your eyes for a longer time in some of the positions than others? In some of the positions you might find yourself thinking or making certain types of associations. In others, you may just draw a complete blank. Which eye positions do you associate more with creativity? stuckness? being a dreamer? being a realist? being a critic? Exercise 2: Exploring the Effects of Eye Position on Problem Solving As a further experiment, take some problem or idea you are working on and simply hold your eyes in these different positions for a few minutes while you are thinking of it. Notice how it effects your thought process in relation to the problem or idea. How has the way in which you are thinking about the idea or problem changed as a result of each eye position? Be especially aware of how you are affected by the unfamiliar eye positions. Do any of the eye positions bring out certain kinds of feelings, sounds or imagery? Does moving your eyes to any of these locations change any of the qualities of the images, sounds or feelings you already have associated to the problem or idea? Exercise 3: Exploring Patterns of Eye Movement and Synesthesias Our physiology, and in particular our eye movements, form the underlying circuitry through which our strategies are manifested. Thus, our strategies are only as effective as the neuro-physiological circuitry which supports them. Much creative thinking comes from our ability to link our sensory representational systems together - as in a
synesthesia. Patterns of eye movements also reflect which senses we tend to habitually link together and how strong those links are. As another exercise, try moving your eyes between various combinations of the different eye positions; say, from up left to down right and back again, or from up right to up left and back again (if you use all 9 positions, there are about 45 possible combinations). Some of the most common and significant patterns are shown below.
Some Basic Eye Movements Move your eyes back and forth between the two eye positions you have chosen about 6 times. Start by moving your eyes very slowly at first and then speed up the movement. Try to move your eyes between the two positions in a straight, smoothly line. Then switch to another pair of eye positions and repeat the process again. Keep choosing new pairs until you have covered all of the basic pairs of eye positions. Find a partner to act as an observer. Have your observer notice exactly how your eyes move between the two positions. You will probably soon realize that movement is seldom perfectly linear. Often the eyes will move in little jerks, pausing briefly in certain places along the path of trajectory. Often the eyes will arc rather than move in a straight line from one location to the other. Sometimes the eyes will move farther in one direction than the other. Patterns of eye movements are a way of linking various parts of your neurology together by laying down a physiological track or path between the various parts of your brain that you use to represent information about the world around you. The ease or difficulty you have in moving your eyes to these different positions can help you to assess which neurological pathways are most open and smooth. In fact, we sometimes use this particular procedure to make what is called an "eye print" of an
individual. Like a finger print, a person's "eye print" is a representation about an individual's unique characteristics - but on a neurological instead of physical level. Eye prints can help you to get insight into which parts of a person's brain are habitually connected or separated, and thus what kinds of thinking processes a person might excel at or have difficulty with. This in turn can help assess what kinds of aptitudes, inner conflicts or personality traits a person might be most likely to experience and express. It can also be used as a way to define areas that may be improved and enhanced. As in the previous exercise on eye position, take note of which patterns of movement seem most comfortable, familiar and natural. Do some patterns seem more related or conducive to certain types of thinking? Once again notice which patterns of movement seem more connected with creativity? stuckness? being a dreamer? being a realist? being a critic? Exercise 4. Creating and Strengthening New Neurological Pathways Take the patterns of movement which seemed the most difficult, awkward or uncomfortable and "beat a path" between the to eye positions by moving your eyes back and forth between the positions. Your partner can help you by using his or her finger as a guide for your eyes. Have your partner hold a finger about a foot to a foot and a half in front of you and move the finger back and forth between the two eye positions you want to link together more strongly. Your partner should begin by moving the finger very slowly at first in a smooth, even, linear path. As your eyes accommodate to the movement, ask your partner to increase the speed of the finger motion, tracing the same path. You may do this without a partner by drawing a line on a piece of paper and use it as a guide by holding it in front of you at the proper angle. To assess the impact of creating these new links, once again take some problem or idea you are working on and notice how using each new circuit effects it. First take note of how you are thinking about the problem or idea. Is it primarily feelings, words, sound, or images? What qualities or submodalities seem to be emphasized in your current representation of the problem or idea? Then, without consciously focusing on the idea or problem, have your partner (or the paper guide line) lead you through the new eye pattern. Notice how it effects your thought process in relation to the problem or idea. How does the way in which you are thinking about the idea or problem change as a result of the new pattern? What changes in terms of the qualities of the images, sounds or feelings you had initially associated to the problem or idea? Exercise 5. Exploring and Creating New Circuits Through Eye Movement Patterns
Clearly, more sophisticated thinking patterns tend to require more sophisticated patterns of eye movements. If you begin to observe people, you probably notice that a person's eyes can move in some fairly involved sequences. Some patterns appear to be almost circular; others may be triangular, rectangular or some other type or combination of shapes (some examples are shown below).
Some Possible Patterns of Eye Movements As an experiment, try tracing some of these basic kinds of shapes with your eyes. Make a circle, a square, a triangle or some other shape. Make sure you repeat the pattern a few times to get a sense for how it effects you. How easy or comfortable is it to move your eyes in that pattern? Now try changing some aspect of the eye movement pattern. If you traced the circle in one direction, reverse it. If the base of the triangle was on the bottom, turn it upside down. What effect does that have on you or your state of consciousness? As with the previous eye exercises, take some problem or idea you are working on and notice how using a new pattern of circuitry effects it. Once again, note the cognitive structure of how you initially think about the problem or idea. What aspects
of imagery, sound and/or feeling seem to be emphasized in your starting representation of the problem or idea? Again, go through the new eye pattern without consciously focusing on the idea or problem, and notice how it effects your thought process in relation to the problem or idea. How does the way in which you are thinking about the idea or problem change as a result of the new pattern? What changes in terms of the qualities of the images, sounds or feelings you had initially associated to the problem or idea? In NLP, these types of eye movement combinations are used in a more precise way to develop new thinking strategies - such as in the New Behavior Generator strategy. Sometimes habitual synesthesia patterns can cause problems as well, and may need to be interrupted. The Failure Into Feedback strategy, in fact, explicitly addresses the relationship between eye position and synesthesia patterns. The process, which involves breaking and reestablishing synesthesia patterns through the use of eye movements, is described in detail in Changing Belief Systems with NLP (1990, pp. 25-53). The process of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Response), developed by Francine Shapiro, draws from this type of use of eye movements.
References Changing Belief Systems with NLP, Dilts, R., 1990. Tools for Dreamers, Dilts, R. B., Epstein, T. and Dilts, R. W., 1991. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Hierarchies of Criteria "Criteria" refers to the values or standards a person uses to make decisions and judgments. The term comes from the Greek word krites, meaning "judge." Our criteria define and shape the types of desired states that we will seek, and determine the evidences we will use to evaluate our success and progress with respect to these desired states. For example, applying the criterion of "stability" a product, organization or family, will lead to certain judgments and conclusions. Applying the criterion of "ability to adapt" may lead to different judgments and conclusions about the same product, organization or family. Criteria are often associated with "values," but they are not synonymous. Criteria may be applied to any number of different levels of experience. We can have environmental criteria, behavioral criteria and intellectual criteria as well as emotionally based criteria. Values, on the other hand, are at the same logical level as beliefs. From this perspective, values are similar to what are called "core criteria" in NLP. In fact, people may share similar values (like "success," "harmony," and "respect") but have very different forms of evidence for judging whether these criteria have been met or violated. This can be the source of either conflict or creativity. Recognizing that people have different criteria is essential for resolving conflicts and managing diversity. Culture contact, mergers between organization and transitions in a person's life often bring up issues related to criteria, hierarchies of criteria and criterial equivalences. Understanding people's criteria is important for successful mediation, negotiation and communication. Criteria also play an important role in persuasion and motivation. The identification and utilization of criteria are a key element in many NLP techniques and processes. It is the basis for the Hierarchy of Criteria technique, a number of Sleight of Mouth Patterns and is an important part of almost every NLP conflict resolution format. Establishing criteria for meeting goals and evaluating progress is an essential aspect of planning and decision making. "Criterial equivalence" is the term used in NLP to describe the specific and observable evidences that define whether or not a particular criterion has been met. People often differ in the representational systems, level of
detail and perceptual positions they use to evaluate their success in meeting their criteria.
Hierarchies of Criteria A person's Hierarchy of Criteria is essentially the order of priorities that person applies in order to act in the world. Hierarchies of criteria relate to the degree of importance or meaning which people attach to various actions and experiences. An example of a 'hierarchy of criteria' would be a person who values 'health' more than 'financial success'. Such a person would tend to put his or her health "first." This person would probably structure his or her life more around physical activities than professional opportunities. A person whose hierarchy of criteria placed "financial success" over health would have a different lifestyle. He or she might sacrifice health and physical well-being in order to "get ahead" monetarily. One of the main ways to elicit a person's hierarchy of criteria is through the process of finding what are known as "counter examples." Counter examples are, in essence, 'exceptions to the rule'. The following questions use the process of finding counter examples to reveal a person's hierarchy of criteria: 1. What is something that you could do, but do not do? Why? e.g., "I would not go into a toilet that has been marked for the opposite sex, because it is against the rules." Criterion = 'Follow the Rules'. 2. What could make you to it anyway? (Counter example) e.g., "I would go into a toilet marked for the opposite sex if there were no other choices, and I really had to go badly." Higher Criterion = 'Expediency in a Crisis'. As the example illustrates, the identification of counter examples can help to uncover 'higher level' criteria which override others. To get a sense of your own hierarchy criteria by exploring counter examples, answer the following questions: 1. What would motivate you to try something new? 2. What would cause to stop doing something, even if it satisfied your answer to question 1? (Counter example A) 3. What would make you start doing something again, even if you stopped for the reasons you identified in question 2? (Counter example B) 4. What would cause to stop doing it again? (Counter example C) As you reflect on your answers, notice which criteria have emerged, and in what order of priority. Perhaps you would do something that you felt would be "creative," exciting" or "fun." These would be your first level "criteria." You might stop doing
something that was creative, exciting and fun, if you felt you felt that you were being "irresponsible" to your family (Counter example A). In this case, the criterion of "responsibility" would override "creativity" or "fun." You might, however, do something that you thought was "irresponsible" anyway if you felt it was "necessary for your growth as a person" (Counter example B). "Growth" would thus be higher on your 'hierarchy of criteria' than "responsibility" or "fun." Going more deeply, you might find that you would quit doing something that was "necessary for your growth as a person" if you believed it would "jeopardize the safety of yourself or your family" (Counter example C). Thus, "safety" would be the higher on your "ladder" of criteria than the others. Incidentally, another way to identify counter examples (and thus hierarchies of criteria) is to ask: 1. What would motivate you to try something new? e.g., "If it were safe and easy." 2. What would motivate you to try something new, even if it did not did not satisfy your answer to question 1? (i.e., If it was not safe and easy.) e.g., "If I could learn a lot from doing it." Hierarchies of criteria are one the main sources of difference between people, groups and cultures. Similar hierarchies of criteria, on the other hand, are the basis for compatibility between groups and individuals. Hierarchies of criteria are a key aspect of motivation and marketing. Consider, for instance, the following hypothetical example of using the process of finding counter-examples to identify a customer's hierarchy of criteria for purchasing beer Q: What type of beer do you usually buy? A: Well, I usually get XYZ beer. Q: Why XYZ beer? A: It's the kind of beer I always get. I'm just used to it I guess. (Criterion 1 = Familiarity) Q: Yes, its important to be familiar with what you're buying isn't it. Have you ever bought any other kind of beer? (Identify counterexample) A: Sure. At times. Q: What made you decide to buy it even though you weren't already used to it? (Elicit higher level criterion related to counter-example) A: It was on sale. A big discount from its usual price. (Criterion 2 = Save Money) Q: Saving money can sure help out sometimes. I'm wondering, have you ever bought a beer that you weren't used to buying that wasn't on sale? (Identify next counter-example)
A: Yes. I was paying back some friends for helping me move into my new house. (Criterion 3 = Show Appreciation to Others) Q: Good friends can be hard to come by. Its good to show them how much you appreciate them. Is there anything that would motivate you to buy a beer that was unfamiliar and wasn't inexpensive even though you didn't need to pay someone back for a favor? (Identify next counter-example) A: Well sure, I've bought more expensive beers when I've been out with the guys at work. I'm no cheapskate. (Criterion 4 = Impress Others) Q: Yes, I guess there are certain situations where the kind of beer you buy can make a statement about your priorities. I'm really curious to know if there's anything that might get you to buy a more expensive unfamiliar beer if there was no one you owed a favor to or that you wanted to make a statement to? (Identify next counter-example) A: I suppose I might if I really wanted to reward myself for doing something difficult. (Criterion 5 = Appreciate Self) Assuming that this person is representative of a larger population of potential beer buyers, the interviewer has now uncovered a particular hierarchy of criteria that may be appealed to in order to sell an unfamiliar and more expensive beer to people that might not normally purchase it. This process of eliciting hierarchies of criteria by identifying counter-examples can also help in the process of effective persuasion. By getting people to answer these types of questions you can help them to break out of their habitual ways of thinking and can learn about the ordering of their values. This information can then be used to get around boundaries that are often taken for granted. As an example, this method of questioning was once taught to a group of men who were shy about meeting women because they didn't think they had anything to offer a woman. They were instructed to go out and interview women and learn to identify values in women that could help them realize that they had more choices socially. The following is an example of one such interview: Man: What kind of man would you most like to go out with? Woman: Someone who is rich and handsome, naturally. M: Have you ever gone out with someone who wasn't particularly rich or handsome? W: Yes. There was this guy I knew who was really witty. He could make me laugh about practically anything. M: Are the only people you go out with rich and handsome or witty, or do you ever consider going out with other kinds of people?
W: Well sure. I went out with this person who was so intelligent. He seemed to know something about everything. M: What would make you consider going out with someone who wasn't rich, handsome or witty, and who didn't particularly impress you with their intelligence? W: There was this one guy I really liked who didn't have any of those things but he just seemed to know where he was going in life and had the determination to get there. M: Have you ever gone out with anyone who didn't have money, good looks, wit, intelligence or determination? W: No. Not that I can remember. M: Can you think of anything that would motivate you? W: Well, if they did something or were involved in something that was unique or exciting I'd be interested. M: Anything else? W: If they really cared about me and helped me to get in touch with myself as a person..or brought out something special about me. M: How would you know if someone really cared about you?... This dialogue demonstrates how some simple questions may be used to get from surface level beliefs to deeper beliefs and values that can broaden a person's choices and flexibility. Recognizing that people have different criteria (and different hierarchies of criteria) is essential for resolving conflicts and managing diversity. Culture contact, mergers between organization and transitions in a person's life often bring up issues related to criteria, hierarchies of criteria and criterial equivalences. Some individuals and cultures value the 'achievement of tasks' more than they do the 'preservation of relationships'. Other have exactly the reverse set of priorities. Having some tools and strategies to be able to identify and address different hierarchies of criteria can be important to the success of managers, teachers, coaches and therapists.
References Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being; Dilts, R., Hallbom, T. and Smith, S., 1990. Changing Belief Systems with NLP; Dilts, R., 1990. Overcoming Resistance to Persuasion with NLP; Dilts, R., and Yeager, J., 1992. Visionary Leadership Skills; Dilts, R., 1996.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Hierarchy of Criteria Technique The following technique was developed by Robert Dilts in the mid-1980's as a means to identify and work with conflicts related to different levels of criteria. Criteria at different levels of one's "hierarchy of criteria" often bounce back and forth between "self" and "others," and move to successively higher Neuro-Logical Levels. That is, behavioral level criteria (e.g., "to do or achieve something for others") are often overridden by those related to capabilities (e.g., "to learn something for myself"). Criteria at the level of capability are overridden by those at the level of beliefs and values (e.g., "to be responsible to others," or "follow the rules"). Beliefs and values, however, will be overridden by criteria at the level of identity (e.g., "to be a certain type of person," or "to maintain personal integrity"). Different levels of criteria are also often associated with particular representational systems, submodality characteristics, or cognitive strategies. Knowing about these different aspects of criteria can help you to 'pace and lead' or 'leverage' various levels of criteria in order to overcome conflicts and achieve desired outcomes more effectively. In the following procedure, spatial sorting and the counter example process are used to identify different levels of criteria, and their representational characteristics, in order to help transform inner resistance to establishing a new pattern of behavior. Before beginning, lay out four different locations, side-by-side, as shown in the diagram. 1. In Location #1 identify a behavior that you want to do, but stop yourself from doing. e.g. Exercising consistently. 3. Step into location #2 and identify the criteria that motivate you to want the new behavior. e.g. I want to exercise in order to "be healthy" and "look good" . Identify the strategy, meta program patterns and/or submodalities used to decide each criterion. e.g. "health" = Ad/Vc "look good" = Vc 7. Move to Location #3 and elicit the criteria that stop you from actually doing the desired behavior.
(NOTE: These will be higher level criteria because, by definition, they override the criteria for motivation.) e.g. I do not exercise consistently because there is "no time"and "it hurts". Elicit the strategy, meta program patterns and/or submodalities used to decide each criterion. e.g. "No time " = Vr/K "It hurts " = K 12. Step to location #5 and elicit a higher level criterion that overrides the limiting criteria of step 3. For example, you could ask, "What is something that is important enough that I can always make time for it and would do it even if it hurts? What value does that satisfy that makes it more important? " e.g. "Responsibility to my family" Elicit the strategy, meta program patterns and/or submodalities used to decide this criterion. e.g. "responsibility to family" = Vc/k
Spatial Layout for Hierarchy of Criteria Technique 16. You are now set up to use the following sequence of techniques: a. Leveraging - Go back to location #1, anchor the behavioral content, then walk around locations #2 & #3 to location #4. Apply the highest level criterion to the wanted behavior to override the limiting objections. For example, you can say, "Since my behavior is a model for my family, wouldn't I be showing more responsibility by finding the time to keep healthy and look my best:?" b. Pacing the limiting criteria - Step from location #4 into location #3.
Find a way to achieve the desired behavior that will match the criteria on all three levels and doesn't violate the limiting criteria. For example, "Is there some kind of consistent exercise program that doesn't take much time, wouldn't be painful and in which I could involve my family? " c. Strategy/Submodality Utilization - Adjust the strategy, meta program and submodality features of the criteria of the desired behavior and the limiting criteria to match the strategy, meta program and submodality features of the highest level criterion.
References Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being; Dilts, R., Hallbom, T. and Smith, S., 1990. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Harnessing the Imagination Webster's Dictionary defines imagination as the "act or process of forming a conscious idea or mental image of something never before wholly perceived in reality by the imaginer (as through a synthesis of remembered elements of previous sensory experiences or ideas as modified by unconscious mechanisms)." Imagination, then, relates to mental representations or "images" which have been internally generated or constructed. In the words of Glanvill, "Our simple apprehension of corporeal objects, if present, is sense; if absent, is imagination." Imagination is also associated with creativity and innovative thinking. William Shakespeare wrote: The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact . . . The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, and as imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name. Shakespeare's allusion to imagination being associated with eyes "in a fine frenzy rolling" and glancing "from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven" corresponds with the NLP notion that eye movements accompany internal cognitive processes. Glancing from "heaven to earth" would involve moving from visualization to feelings or actions. Glancing from earth to heaven would imply moving from feelings to images. The implication being that imagination is primarily an interaction between internally generated activity within the visual and kinesthetic representational systems. Imagination may be contrasted with memory and ongoing sensory experience. Memory is the recollection of something one has already experienced in ongoing reality. Ongoing sensory experience involves the receiving of information through one's sense organs relating to the immediate external environment. Imagination involves forming a mental image of something that is not necessarily related to one's past experience, nor in the ongoing environment. However, as Webster points out, imagination does involve "the power to recombine the materials furnished by experience or memory." Francis Bacon, founder of the scientific method, claimed,
"Imagination is of three kinds: joined with belief of that which is to come; joined with memory of that which is past; and of things present, or as if they were present." Many NLP processes involve the use of imagination. Imagination may be used to create dreams, visualize outcomes, and see the longer term effects of those dreams and outcomes upon our lives. According to philosopher Bertrand Russell, "It is only through imagination that men become aware of what the world might be." By using our imagination and creating mental images, we stimulate and alert our neurology to a particular direction, triggering self-organizing, cybernetic processes which begin to automatically and unconsciously work towards achieving the outcomes we have imaged. As the old adage states, "Energy flows where attention goes." When we imagine a goal or dream in our mind's eye, it allows us to recognize and mobilize the resources necessary to turn imagination into reality - what Walt Disney called "imagineering." Imagination is also necessary to create and understand symbols and metaphors, and to provide motivation and meaning for our present actions. According to Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Einstein claimed that knowledge of the past and present was essentially "dead," and required imagination to bring it to life and put knowledge into action. As novelist and historian H.G. Wells maintained, "All youth lives much in reverie, thereby the stronger minds rehearse themselves for life in a thousand imaginations."
Imagination and Imagery Imagination is clearly based on our ability to create mental imagery. Webster's Dictionary defines imagery as "visible representation of objects," such as "pictures produced by an imaging system," or "mental images; especially: the products of imagination." In NLP, the term is used to refer to the activity of the visual representational system. From the NLP perspective, images are considered one of the primary building blocks of a person's model of the world. In particular, imagery is often used to define desired dreams, visions and outcomes. As Aristotle put it: "(1) No one can learn or understand anything in the absence of sense, and (2) when the mind is actively aware of anything it is necessarily aware of it along with an image...To the thinking soul images serve as if they were contents of perception...just as if it were seeing, it calculates and deliberates what is to come by reference to what is present; and when it makes a pronouncement, as in the case of sensation it pronounces the object to be pleasant or painful, in this case it avoids or pursues."
According to Aristotle, we construct a mental map ("image") of the future from associations drawn from ongoing sensory experience. The mind then "calculates and deliberates" by "seeing" or constructing mental "images" of "what is to come by reference to what is present," through memory and imagination (according to Aristotle's famous Law of Association). It is this internal map that determines whether we will perceive an object or situation to be "pleasant or painful." Because it is produced by the body's nervous system, imagery can also influence the body in several ways. Often, images of goals and outcomes form a focal point or "attractor," around which behavior becomes cybernetically self-organized. People use mental pictures of future outcomes and consequences as the basis for mobilizing or choosing particular actions in the present. In hypnotic work, imagery (often in the form of symbols and metaphors) is used as a means to understand and direct unconscious activity and create trance states, usually through the method of 'guided fantasy'. Imagery can also influence the function of the autonomic nervous system. Mental images, for instance, have been used to stimulate immune system functioning and other healing processes.
Visualization Visualization refers to the process of forming mental images. From the NLP perspective, visualization involves purposefully directing the activity of the visual representational system. Visualization may utilize memories, fantasy, or a combination of both. It is one of the fundamental processes through which people build their inner models of the world. The ability to form visual images has many uses. Visualization, for example, is one of the core tools used by NLP and other applied psychological methods for the purpose of planning and "programming" changes in behavior. It is also the basis of the ability to "dream," create and innovate. For many people, visualization is the primary component of imagination. A characteristic of many geniuses, for instance, is an exceptional ability to visualize. In fact, people like Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Nikola Tesla, and even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, all ascribed their creative genius to their ability to visualize. Visualization is often used by sports psychologists to help improve athletic performance. Numerous examples exist of how visualizing has promoted the increased development of physical skills. In one study, for instance, gymnasts who were to learn a new move were divided into two groups. One group was instructed to visualize themselves being able to do this particular move, while the other group was given no instructions. A couple of weeks later, when the time came for them to do this particular move, without the benefit of any previous physical practice, the group
who visualized had a 50%-60% success rate, whereas the group that had not visualized had only about 10% success initially. In another example, a basketball team was split into two groups in order to practice "free throws." One group physically practiced making the shots. The other group was instructed to sit in the bleachers and mentally practice by visualizing that they were making the shots. When the two groups competed with each other to see who performed better, those players who visualized actually made more shots successfully than the group who had actually practiced. Visualization is also used in various types of therapeutic work, typically in the form of 'guided fantasy', and has long been a primary tool for mind-body healing. Carl and Stephanie Simonton, for instance, incorporated visualization as one of the main components in their treatment of cancer. Sometimes people tend to approach visualization as if it were able to produce almost "magical" effects. From the NLP perspective, however, because visualization is an activity of the body's nervous system, it can also influence the body in several ways. For instance, visual images of goals and outcomes can form a focal point or "attractor," around which behavior becomes cybernetically self-organized. Thus, visualizing future outcomes and consequences can stimulate and mobilize the activity of the nervous system (both conscious and unconscious) in the present. This activity may also include functions involving the autonomic nervous system. Research has shown, for instance, that certain forms of visualization can stimulate immune system functioning and other healing processes. Many NLP techniques incorporate visualization as a key element. The New Behavior Generator, the Swish Pattern, Future Pacing, the Visual Squash, VK Dissociation, and the Disney Imagineering Strategy, all rely heavily on the process of visualization. However, almost all NLP techniques make use of visualization to some degree.
Mental Rehearsal Some time ago, a study was made of people who had survived airline accidents. Someone interviewed a number of people who had been involved in serious plane crashes but had survived, often unhurt. They were asked how they had managed to get free of the wreckage, with so much chaos going on, while many of their fellow passengers did not. It is an interesting question because escaping an airline wreck is not something you get much chance to practice. How do you prepare yourself to do something you've never done before? The most common answer to this question that the survivors gave was that they had run a kind of mental 'dress rehearsal' over and over in their minds. They would
visualize the sequence of undoing their safety belts, moving out of their seat, running down the aisle to the nearest exit, jumping down the slide, etc. They would repeat this imaging over and over, feeling themselves doing what they saw in their picture, until it seemed that they had already done this activity many times before. Then, after the accident, when there was total havoc, they did not need to waste any time or conscious awareness thinking about what to do. The program was already in place. One of these people even mentioned that after the crash, he found himself going out the exit and suddenly realized he could hear the person who had been sitting next to him screaming that he couldn't get his seat belt off. Mental rehearsal relates to our ability to practice a process or activity in our minds. In NLP, mental rehearsal is used to strengthen or improve behavioral performance, cognitive thinking patterns and internal states. When applied to behavioral performance, mental rehearsal involves creating internal representations, in the form of images, sounds and feelings, of some behavior or performance we desire to enact or improve (as an actor might silently rehearse lines for a play). Mentally rehearsing a cognitive strategy involves repeating the sequence of representational systems, and their accompanying accessing cues, that make up a particular mental program (the steps of the Spelling Strategy, for instance). To mentally rehearse an internal state, a person would repeat and anchor the physical patterns (posture, gestures, micromovements, etc.) and the cognitive qualities (type of internal imagery, inner voice, kinesthetic sensations, etc.) associated with that state. When applied to behavioral performance and internal states, mental rehearsal involves the repetition of the same behavioral or emotional content in different imagined contexts (e.g., holding the same posture and using the same tone of voice in a varitey of situations). When mentally rehearsing a cognitive strategy, however, it is important to apply the same representational sequence, or form, to a number of different types of contents (i.e., practicing the Spelling Strategy using a variety of different words). At the level of behavioral performance, there are several different strategies for mental rehearsal. The mental rehearsal of a particular activity may be done from either an associated or disassociated perspective, for example; i.e., imagining a situation from one's own perspective or watching oneself from the point of view of an observer, as if watching oneself in a movie or video. Mental rehearsal done from an associated perspective is like entering a "virtual reality" and becoming the actor in a play or movie. From a dissociated perspective, mental rehearsal allows a person to be more like the editor or director of the play or movie. Thus, when done from an associated perspective, mental rehearsal can be used in order to internalize, or "install," a particular behavior. When done from a disassociated perceptual position, mental rehearsal can be used to anticipate possible consequences of a particular action in a situation (its ecological impact or appropriateness, for instance), as a type
of mental simulation. In order to actually internalize a behavior, mental rehearsal is typically more effective when it is done from an associated perspective. The most direct form is to simply project oneself into a future situation, and imagine delivering the desired performance. To mentally rehearse a speech, for instance, you would imagine being in the future situation, and create a multi-sensory representation of the way you would like to perform. As you mentally rehearse giving an effective and compelling speech, you would imagine what you would be seeing in that situation, feeling the movements and expressions of your body, and hearing what your voice would sound like as you gave the speech. Other strategies include the New Behavior Generator Strategy, in which key elements of the desired performance are first described verbally. The linguistic description forms the basis for constructing a disassociated visual image of the desired actions. You then imagine enacting the performance you have fantasized from an associated position, and check your feelings of confidence and congruence about doing the imagined behavior. If there are any doubts, you return to the verbal description and either add to it or refine it.
Submodalities are an important influence on the effectiveness of some forms of mental rehearsal. Certain qualities of images, feelings and sounds can be important to include in order for the nervous system to internalize a particular pattern of behavior. In addition to whether or not an image of oneself is pictured from an associated or disassociated perspective, for instance, the quality of color, movement, depth, focus, distance, etc., of an image can make it more or less effective in leading to the desired behavioral results. This is particularly important for mentally rehearsing an internal state. In addition to the New Behavior Generator, mental rehearsal is a key element of many NLP techniques. In fact, a form of mental rehearsal called "Future Pacing," in
which a person imagines enacting changes in behavior in specific contexts, is a final step in practically every NLP intervention.
References Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being; Dilts, R., Hallbom, T. and Smith, S., 1990. Changing Belief Systems with NLP; Dilts, R., 1990. Overcoming Resistance to Persuasion with NLP; Dilts, R., and Yeager, J., 1992. Visionary Leadership Skills; Dilts, R., 1996. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: New Behavior Generator Strategy One of the most essential processes of change is that of moving from a dream or vision to action. NLP has developed a kind of 'all purpose' creativity strategy, organized around the process of moving from vision to action, called 'The New Behavior Generator'. The basic steps to the New Behavior Generator were set out by John Grinder in the late 1970's. The New Behavior Generator is an elegant strategy that can be applied to almost any situation that involves personal flexibility. The basic steps involve forming a visual image of a desired behavior, kinesthetically associating into the image on a feeling level, and verbalizing any missing or needed elements.
New Behavior Generator T.O.T.E. These three steps form a feedback loop in which vision and action interact through the intermediate processes of emotion and communication. The goal of the New Behavior Generator is to go through a type of mental 'dress rehearsal' by generating imaginary scenarios and bringing them to concrete actions by connecting the images to the kinesthetic representational system. The strategy is based on several key beliefs: A. People learn new behaviors by creating new mental maps in their brains. B. The more complete you make your mental maps, the more likely you will be to achieve the new behavior you want. C. Focusing on your goal is the quickest way to achieve new behaviors. D. People already have the mental resources they need to achieve new behaviors. Success is a function of accessing and organizing what is already there.
The New Behavior Generator is a 'How To' process that both expresses and supports these beliefs through the process of acting "as if". Like all NLP strategies, the New Behavior Generator follows a particular cognitive sequence, made up of processes involving the various sensory representational systems. Each step in the sequence is also supported by behavioral cues in the form of eye movements. These eye positions help to focus and stabilize the particular representational system to be accessed.
Basic Steps of the New Behavior Generator Strategy The basic steps of the New Behavior Generator Strategy involve: 1. Asking yourself, "If I could already achieve my new goal, what would I look like?" (Do this while putting your eyes down and to your left.) 2. Picturing yourself achieving your goal. (Look up and to your right to help stimulate your imagination.) 3. To help you visualize: a. Remember a similar successful achievement. b. Model someone else. c. Picture yourself first achieving a smaller part of the goal. (Move your eyes up and to the left or right.) 4. Stepping into the picture so you feel yourself doing what you pictured. (Put your eyes and head down and to the right as you get into the feeling.) 5. Comparing these feelings to feelings from a similar past success. (Keep your eyes and head turned down and to the right.) 6. If the feelings are not the same, name what you need and add it to your goal. Go back to step 1 and repeat the process with your expanded goal. (Move your eyes and head down and to the left.)
Sequence of Accessing Cues for New Behavior Generator Strategy Detailed Description of the Steps of the New Behavior Generator Strategy Each of the basic steps of the New Behavior Generator Strategy can be done with precision and rigor in order to enhance its practical effects. The following is a detailed description of each step in the strategy: 1. Say to yourself, "If I was already able to...(state your goal)...what would I look like?" (Ad) 2. Construct a visual image of what you would look like if you were in the act of achieving the full goal you have just stated. You should be seeing yourself in this image from a disassociated point of view as if you were above or next to yourself looking at yourself. (Vc) 3. If you have trouble coming up with a clear image of yourself, use one of the following strategies: a. Chunk down your goal into smaller steps. Ask yourself, "Is there any portion of my goal that I can see myself achieving?" for instance, "Can I see myself accomplishing the first step of my stated goal?" Visualize yourself successfully achieving that smaller part of your goal. (Ad_>Vc) b. Use an image of yourself from a similar successful situation. Ask yourself, "Is there something similar to my goal that I can already achieve?" Visualize what you do in that situation and edit or modify the image to fit your current goal. (Ad_>Vr_>Vc) c. Model someone else. Ask yourself, "Who do I know that is already able to fully achieve the goal I have stated?" Visualize the what this other person does to be successful. Then visualize yourself doing what
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you just saw your model doing. (Ad_>Vr_>Vc) Mentally step inside of the image you created of yourself achieving your goal so that you feel as though you are doing right now what you just saw yourself doing. What would you be seeing, hearing and feeling? (Vc_>Kc) Compare the feelings you have as you put yourself fully into that experience with the feelings you identified earlier from a similar experience in which you are already successful. (Kc/Kr) Decision Point a. If the two feelings match exactly so that you feel as confident that you can achieve your new goal as easily as the goal you have already achieved successfully, then you are done. b. If the two feelings do not match then name what is missing or what is needed (i.e., "creativity," "more confidence," "be more relaxed," etc.). Apply the same rule to this statement of the needed resource that you applied to your initial goal statement. That is, state it positively. For example, if your statement of what is needed is "be less nervous," ask yourself, "If I could be less nervous what would I be doing instead?" (Ad) Refine your goal by taking the name of the needed resource that you have identified and adding it to your goal statement by simply connecting it with the word "and." For example, the goal statement may now be something like, "I want to be more assertive with my co-workers (initial goal statement) AND keep in mind their feelings as well." Go back to step #1 and repeat the strategy. (Ad) 1. State Goal In Positive Form
2. Visualize Yourself Achieving It
4. 5. Does It Feel Like I Can Really Do It?
6. 7. Name What Is Needed Or What Is Missing
Specific Steps of the New Behavior Generator Strategy NOTE: You may add any number of needed resources to your goal statement so that when you are done you may have refined your goal to something like: "I want to be
more assertive with my co-workers AND keep their feelings in mind as well AND maintain a sense of my own self confidence AND remain cool if someone gets angry."
References Tools for Dreamers, Dilts, R. and Epstein, T., Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1991. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Motivation Motivation is generally defined as a "force, stimulus, or influence" that moves a person or organism to act or respond. According to Webster's Dictionary, motivation is "the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action;" and "the reason for the action." Thus, motivation relates to the internal processes that "move, impel, induce, or incite," people to do the things they do. It is "the call to action" that stimulates us to initiate behaviors in the world around us. "Needs, drives, and desires" are typically cited as internal motives of our behaviors. "Incentives, rewards and reinforcement" are considered motivations derived from external sources. One of the earliest theories of motivation was proposed by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle postulated that motivation was the result of an "appetitive" function, which always operated relative to some outcome or end. According to Aristotle, this "end" was provided or created by the thought processes of ongoing perception, memory or imagination. He claimed: [I]t is the object of appetite which originates movement, this object may be either the real or the apparent good...To the thinking soul images serve as if they were contents of perception...just as if it were seeing, it calculates and deliberates what is to come by reference to what is present; and when it makes a pronouncement, as in the case of sensation it pronounces the object to be pleasant or painful, in this case it avoids or pursues. In Aristotle's view, it was "the real or the apparent good" of some anticipated consequence, or image of "what is to come" derived in "reference to what is present," that simulated a living organism to pursue it (if positive) or avoid it (if negative). Sigmund Freud proposed the "pleasure principle" as the primary mechanism of motivation. According to Freud, organisms are driven to "seek pleasurable experiences" and "avoid pain;" a notion which clearly reflects Aristotle's concept of "appetites." Modern cognitive theories of motivation also mirror Aristotle's model, postulating that motivation is primarily derived from internal cognitive maps or "expectations" of
the potential consequences of various actions. According to the cognitive perspective, expectations relating to the projected outcomes of one's behavior are the primary source of motivation. From this view, how people feel, and what they do, depends on the value that they attach, and the causes they attribute to, anticipated consequences. Strong "positive" expectations, for instance, can push people to put out extra effort in hope of reaching some desired outcome. Expected consequences that are perceived as "negative," on the other hand, will lead to either avoidance or apathy. In addition to pain and pleasure, "needs" and "drives" are also associated with motivation. From the perspective of systems theory, for instance, the need for a system to maintain balance or homeostasis is considered one of the fundamental sources of motivation in organisms. According to cybernetics, deviation from a desired state automatically leads to corrective measures to attempt to regain the state. "Food seeking" behavior, for example, would be motivated by "hunger" which would occur as a result of a physiological imbalance created by some degree of food deprivation. Self-organization theory would view "consequences," "expectations" or "needs" as types of "attractors" around which the rest of the system "self organizes" in order to produce some type of stable state or pattern. Some models of motivation simply connect it with learned associations or conditioning, suggesting that it is essentially mechanically programmed in through repetition or external reinforcement. These theories of learning and motivation are centered around the paradigm of the 'reflex arc' - we take in some sensory stimulus, which causes some response, which is subsequently either positively or negatively reinforced. Attempts to motivate others which are based on the presuppositions of the reflex arc often center around giving people clearer stimuli, and providing appropriate 'reinforcements' in terms of praise, monetary rewards, fringe benefits, etc. Much of the research designed to support the 'reflex arc' paradigm has been done with rats, pigeons and dogs, however, and is unable to account for many phenomena related to motivation which seem to be independent of external reinforcements. Leonardo da Vinci, for example, created his voluminous notebooks on his own, without the need for any obvious "reflex arc" providing external "rewards," such as money or praise. This type of high degree of internal self-motivation seems to be a common pattern for works of creativity and genius. As opposed to the reflex arc, the standard NLP paradigm for learning and motivation is the T.O.T.E. (which stands for Test-Operate-Test- Exit). The T.O.T.E. Model (Miller, Gallanter and Pribram, 1960) combines Aristotle's notion that "appetites" are directed toward some end with the cybernetic concept of self-correcting feedback loops. The T.O.T.E. model maintains that behavior is goal driven (teleological) rather than stimulus driven (deterministic), as is proposed by the reflex arc. The distinctions
of the T.O.T.E. define the basic elements of a goal oriented feedback loop - unless certain conditions defined by the "Test" are met, the person will continue to "Operate" in order to attempt to fulfill those conditions. Thus, the "motivation" is the outcome or conditions to be achieved, not some external reinforcement. No additional "drive," "force," "external reinforcement," or other explanation is required. Natural, self-correction is an integral part of any healthy living, or self-organizing, system. Starting with the T.O.T.E. as its basis, the NLP view of motivation then incorporates all of the other various perspectives of motivation to some degree. NLP also adds the influence of other aspects of our mental programming. According to NLP, for instance, certain qualities (Submodalities) of the internal representation of some object or behavioral consequence (such as its color, brightness, distance, etc.) will influence whether we perceive it as "positive," "pleasurable," and "desirable," or "negative," "painful," or "frightening." Thus, adjusting the Submodality qualities of our internal representation of some outcome or expected consequence, will alter its degree of attraction, and thus the intensity of motivation we experience. Another important aspect of motivation in NLP relates to Meta Program Patterns. Meta Program distinctions refer to higher level patterns related to the T.O.T.E. - i.e., the ways that goals are established and assessed, and the way that operations and responses are selected in the attempt to achieve those goals. The goal or "Test" phase of the T.O.T.E., for instance, can be set up to represent either the state that a person wants to achieve, or what they seek to avoid. The goal state may be represented in terms of either a vision, logical construction, actions or an emotional state; and can come from past memories or constructions projecting possible futures. It may also be an attempt to maintain an ongoing present state. The goal and its achievement may be cast in terms of either a long term or short term time frame, and so forth. The Meta Program pattern distinguishing whether a person is "approaching positives" or "avoiding negatives," then, would determine what types of consequences would most likely move the person to action. Similarly, patterns relating to whether a person's outcome is represented with respect to the long term future or immediate present, or is oriented toward generalities or details, will have a significant effect on the types of situations and "reinforcements" that will most likely motivate that person. On another level, NLP perceives both Meta Programs and motivation as ultimately being driven by values and beliefs - i.e., the level of processes related to why we think and act the way we do. Values and beliefs shape how an individual "punctuates" and gives "meaning" to his or her perception of a situation. This, in turn, determines which kinds of mental programs and behaviors the person selects to approach that situation. Thus, our beliefs and values provide the internal reinforcement that supports or inhibits particular capabilities and behaviors. This makes them an important influence on motivation.
A person's "hierarchy" of "values" or "criteria," for instance, will greatly influence the way that person acts in the world. Hierarchies of values relate to the degree of importance or meaning which people attach to various actions and experiences. (They form a series of, what are called, "nested T.O.T.E.s.) An example of a 'hierarchy of values' would be a person who values 'relationship' more than 'achievement'. Such a person would tend to put his or her relationships "first." This person would probably structure his or her life more around maintaining good relationships than completing tasks and outcomes. A person whose hierarchy of criteria placed 'achievement' over 'relationships' would consistently act according to different priorities. He or she might sacrifice his or her relationships in order to achieve success. On a practical level, NLP combines these various influences on motivation together in order to identify and create particular Motivation Strategies which may be used to help a person to more effectively inspire or propel himself or herself toward particular goals and outcomes.
Motivation Strategies Motivation strategies are one of the seven basic classes of strategies identified by NLP. The others include: Memory, Learning, Creativity, Decision, Reality and Belief (or Convincer). Motivation strategies relate to the sequence of cognitive steps and operations that people go through in order to inspire themselves to do all of the things necessary to get what they want. Motivation strategies are similar to processes involving mental rehearsal, such as the New Behavior Generator and Future Pacing, though they differ in important respects. Both mental rehearsal and motivation strategies involve using imagination and visualization. The primary purpose of mental rehearsal, however, is to prepare oneself in one's imagination to respond or behave the way one wants in some future situation. Motivation strategies are ways to stimulate or propel oneself forward toward a dream, goal or outcome. Motivation, for instance, may be required in order to get oneself to go through mental rehearsal at all. Many people experience problems around the process of motivating themselves or others. This is often because, as Aristotle pointed out: [A]ppetites run counter to one another, which happens when a principle of reason and desire are contrary and is possible only in beings with a sense of time (for while mind bids us hold back because of what is future, desire is influenced by what is just at hand: a pleasant object which is just at hand presents itself as both pleasant
and good, without condition in either case, because want of foresight into what is farther away in One way NLP addresses such conflicts between short term and long term consequences is through the use of time lines and the "as if" frame, in order to create "foresight into what is farther away in time." This involves the use of visualization and the creation of an associated experience of the future. In addition to helping create positive expectations, motivation strategies are procedures which help people to tap into and direct their own inner source of motivation. Motivation strategies are typically formed around key values or "criteria." To get a sense of your own values and criteria, consider for a moment the following questions: "In general, what motivates you?" "What inspires you?" "What moves you to action, or 'gets you out of bed in the morning'?" Some possible answers might be: Success ● Praise ● Recognition ● Love and Acceptance ● Setting my sights on something that I want to make my own (a home, an education, a thinner body, a job, a cause) ● Making a difference in the world ●
These are all examples of "criteria" or "values" that form the basis of people's motivation strategies. Of course, a next important question would be, "How do you know if some behavior or consequence fits a particular criterion or value?" NLP would call these conditions your "criterial equivalences" or "evidences." These are typically much more sensory based than criteria or values themselves, and can be influenced by various sensory qualities of an experience. Consider the ways in which your sensory perceptions influence your degree of motivation. Think of an advertisement on television that made you want to own the product being advertised, for example. What was it about the add that inspired you to go out and buy the product? Was it the color, brightness, music, words, tone of voice, movement, etc. These particular features are known as "Submodalities" in NLP, and often play a significant role in people's motivation strategies.
References Parable of the Porpoise; Dilts, R., 1992.
Strategies of Genius, Volume ; Dilts, R., 1994. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Basic Motivation Strategy The following strategy demonstrates how the various elements of imagination, expectation, criteria, submodalities and association can be combined into a simple strategy to help people better inspire and motivate themselves to take actions which will lead them to desired outcomes. Imagine yourself having already achieved a dream or outcome that matches a highly valued criterion, and are really enjoying it. Get in touch with what you are seeing, hearing, doing and feeling while enjoying these benefits. 2. Adjust the sensory qualities of your internal experience in such a way that it feels more motivating or compelling. Does the experience become more compelling and attractive if you add more color? Brightness? Sound? Words? Movement? What happens if you bring the image closer or move it farther away? What happens if you make the sounds or words louder or softer? What do you experience if you make the movement quicker or slower? Identify which qualities make the experience feel the best. Applying those qualities, experience the good feelings that come from having your outcome Remember those feelings as you picture yourself doing the things that you know will help you move closer to your dream or outcome. (You can create a self anchor in order to help transfer those feelings, or use the submodality qualities you identified in step 2.)
A Basic Motivation Strategy Involves Adjusting the 'Submodalities' of an Image of a Particular Behavioral Consequence such that it Intensifies the Feelings of Success or Pleasure that Accompany the Image. The purpose of initially focusing on the outcome and its positive consequences, rather than the particular behavior required to reach the outcome, is to create an "attractor" that will stimulate the natural self-organizing functions of the nervous system. It also helps to create a positive feeling state, or "outcome expectancy," that is later linked to the behaviors required to reach the outcome (which may not be as inherently positive as reaching the outcome). Thus, you are using the positive feelings of what is "farther away in time" to leverage or support the necessary short term actions required to reach the longer term desired state.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Synesthesia and the Structure of Beliefs In NLP, the phenomenon of "overlap" has to do with the connections between the senses. We can "overlap" an image and a sound together, for example. Sounds or images may also be overlapped onto feelings. Overlap is possible because our sensory experiences become mixed together in our nervous systems. It is this connecting together of information from the different senses that makes creativity and learning possible. The process of overlap, for instance, makes it possible to form cognitive strategies in which sensory processes and representations are linked together in a particular sequence. Experiences which involve an overlap of the senses are usually more rich and powerful than perceiving something through a single sense alone. Certainly, many of the most powerful experiences in our lives (such as 'religious' or 'spiritual' experiences) involve an integrating together of the various senses. The process of overlap is used in many NLP processes in order to create or enrich a particular experience. To create a resource state, for example, a person may be instructed to, "Visualize how you would look if you were able to act effectively and resourcefully." When the person is able to form an image, the picture may be overlapped onto the kinesthetic representational system by suggesting, "As you watch yourself in that image, notice what feelings and body sensations would accompany those actions." The image and feelings could be overlapped onto the auditory system by asking, "If you had those feelings and sensations in your body, how would your voice sound? What sort of tone and rhythm goes with those feelings?"
Synesthesia As the phenomenon of overlap demonstrates, not all of our mental experiences are clearly distinguishable in terms of the five senses. Sometimes experiences become connected and overlapped so completely that it is not possible to easily distinguish one from the other in a causal relationship - they are both there simultaneously but each needs the other in order to be there. Feeling moved by a piece of music or art would be an example of this. The feeling could not exist without the art and the art could not exist without the feeling.
In NLP, such a connection is called a synesthesia. The term literally means "a synthesizing of the senses." Synesthesias are usually more rich and powerful than perceiving something through a single sense alone. Synesthesia patterns can also be a very important factor in determining the ease or effectiveness in which certain mental functions are performed. As with the development of the senses themselves, the strength of the various synesthesia relationships vary for different people. Thus, synesthesia has to do with the interconnection between representational systems, characterized by phenoma like "see-feel circuits," in which a person derives feelings from he sees, and "hear-feel circuits," in which a person gets feelings from what they hear. Any two sensory modalities may be linked together. Synesthesia links have to do with the mutual influence between sensory representations. Certain qualities of feelings may be linked to certain qualities of imagery - for example, the intensity of a feeling may be linked to the brightness of an image; the color of an image (red or blue, for instance) may influence the temperature of a feeling; people may feel the impact of a particular image at different locations in their bodies depending on its quality of movement; and so on.
Synesthesia is at the basis of our appreciation of art, our ability to feel compassion for the misfortunes of others, and is a core quality of genius. They are also the basis of the so-called "fuzzy functions" in NLP.
Fuzzy Functions "Fuzzy Functions" were defined by John Grinder and Richard Bandler in The Structure of Magic Volume II (1976) as a connecting or overlapping of our sensory representational systems. Technically, Grinder and Bandler define "fuzzy functions" as:
Any modeling involving a representational system and either an input channel or an output channel in which the input or output channel involved is a different modality from the representational system with which it is being used. In traditional psychophysics, this term, 'fuzzy function', is most closely translated by the term 'synesthesia'. Hearing a loud noise (auditory input channel) and feeling startled or frightened (kinesthetic representational system), for example, is a "fuzzy function" because the sound has overlapped onto physical and emotional sensations. Seeing internal imagery while listening to music, or having emotional responses to seeing various facial expressions would also be a results of "fuzzy functions." Fuzzy functions are typically characterized by terms such as "see-feel" or "hear-feel" circuits. According to Grinder and Bandler, fuzzy functions are the way in which our experience acquires meaning, but can also be the source of confusion and stress. Fuzzy functions create problems when they lead to stuck states and when we have no choice about them. Problematic fuzzy functions can be dealt with by sorting and separating the representational channels that have become fused or confused. This can be accomplished a variety of ways. Accessing Cues and Submodality interventions can be used to help people clarify and influence different aspects of their sensory experience. The Failure Into Feedback process, for example, employs the use of both eye movements and submodalities to sort and restructure fuzzy functions related to the experience of failure.
Failure Into Feedback Strategy One of the core presuppositions of NLP is that "there is no failure, there is only feedback." Another variation of this is the notion that "there are no mistakes, there are only outcomes." The implication of these statements is that the results of our attempts to reach our goals may be interpreted in different ways. Depending upon the nature of a particular outcome, it may take more or less effort to accomplish a particular goal. In many instances, our ultimate success is not a function of immediate results; it is a function of an ongoing feedback loop. Sometimes you even need to do something that you know probably won't work in order to get the feedback necessary to progress. A good illustration of this is the example of an inventor who had developed a very complex three dimensional imaging device. It had taken him years to complete it, and he had made many versions that had not worked. During an interview he was asked, "How did you manage to deal with all of the failures you encountered along the way?" Initially the inventor appeared confused by the question. Finally he said, "I
guess I didn't consider them failures. I just figured they were a solution to a problem other than the one I was working on at the time." And, in fact, something that hadn't worked at one stage in the development of the device, was often a legitimate solution at another stage. Another example is that of the man who invented xerography, Chester Carlson. In an interview he said that at several points he had to make a machine that he knew would not work in order to get the feedback he needed to know what to do next. You might say he had to make a 'grander failure' than the earlier version. Yet, while most of us may agree that it is better to interpret lack of success as "feedback" rather than "failure," changing our feelings about an unsuccessful situation is "easier said than done." The Failure Into Feedback Strategy is a process that uses the NLP concepts of 'synesthesia' and 'accessing cues' to help transform experiences of failure into productive learning experiences. It was developed to address limiting beliefs about capabilities. An assumption of the process is that a "belief" is more than a particular representation of an experience. Rather, it is a synesthesia, or "synthesis," of several representations which form a kind of "molecule" of experience. In order for us to form a belief about an experience, we must not only, say, visually remember the external details of an event, but also have feelings, and/or self talk, mental fantasies, recalled messages from others, etc., attached to the memory. When these various forms of representations are detached from one another and considered in their elemental state, they do not have any particular "meaning." The words, "Be careful," for instance, are just words until we associate them with feelings and images. If we connect those words to a feeling of anxiety and a remembered image of a situation in which we failed to achieve a desired outcome, they may form the core of a belief "molecule" relating to avoidance. If, on the other hand, we add to this "molecule" a fantasized image of the desired goal and put in the additional words, "Be careful...and be wise, and you'll make it OK," and the meaning of the molecule is transformed. The anxiety may shift to being more of a sense of anticipation and alertness that helps us to approach our desired state rather than avoid failure. The Failure Into Feedback Strategy offers a method to identify and "break up" limiting "molecules" of experience, and then to enrich and reassemble the cluster of experiences into a more useful and appropriate model of a situation.
References The Structure of Magic, Volume II; Grinder, J. and Bandler, R., 1976.
Changing Belief Systems With NLP; Dilts, R., Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1990. Strategies of Genius, Volume I; Dilts, R., 1994. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Steps of the Failure Into Feedback Strategy 1. Identify the problem attitude or belief a. Observe the physiology and eye position associated with the belief. b. Find out what is happening internally in each of the representational systems (VAK) during the belief.
Sorting the Synesthesia Into the Appropriate Eye Positions 2. Separate the VAK "synesthesia" by putting each sensory representation into the "appropriate" NLP eye position. 3. Look up and right (to visual constructed) and clarify your image of the desired capability. Check the communication (positive intent) of the feeling (by itself) and the words (by themselves) in relationship to the desired goal as opposed to the past memories. 4. Look at the pictures of the memories associated with the belief and build a more realistic perspective of the total situation by putting positive memories intermixed with the memories associated with the problem, so that they fit on your time line in the appropriate time sequence. a. See how the formerly negative memories can actually provide positive feedback that can lead you directly to the desired goal. b. You may even want to modify or add to the desired goal based on what
you learned from looking at the memories. c. Make sure you can see steps that can connect the memories and the positive goal. 5. Identify a positive, resourceful reference experience; i.e., a set of perceptions related to something you believe you can achieve in the future. Establish an anchor for the experience. 6. Make the structure of the desired state molecule the same as the positive reference experience. Fire the anchor for the positive reference experience while looking at the desired goal to help this process.
Creating the New Synesthesia"Molecule" The Failure Into Feedback process is described in detail in the book Changing Belief Systems with NLP by Robert Dilts; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1990
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Modeling Webster's Dictionary defines a model as "a simplified description of a complex entity or process" - such as a "computer model" of the circulatory and respiratory systems. The term comes from the Latin root modus, which means "a manner of doing or being; a method, form, fashion, custom, way, or style." More specifically, the word "model" is derived from the Latin modulus, which essentially means a "small" version of the original mode. A "model" of an object, for example, is typically a miniature version or representation of that object. A "working model" (such as that of a machine) is something which can do on a small scale the work which the machine itself does, or expected to do. The notion of a "model" has also come to mean "a description or analogy used to help visualize something (as an atom) that cannot be directly observed." It can also be used to indicate "a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a formal description of an entity or state of affairs." Thus, a miniature train, a map of the location of key train stations, or a train schedule, are all examples of different possible types of models of a railway system. Their purpose is to emulate some aspect of the actual railway system and provide useful information to better manage interactions with respect to that system. A miniature train set, for instance, may be used to assess the performance of a train under certain physical conditions; a map of key train stations can help to plan the most effective itinerary to reach a particular city; a train schedule may be used to determine the timing required for a particular journey. From this perspective, the fundamental value of any type of model is its usefulness.
Overview of Modeling in NLP Behavior modeling involves observing and mapping the successful processes which underlie an exceptional performance of some type. It is the process of taking a complex event or series of events and breaking it into small enough chunks so that it can be recapitulated in some way. The purpose of behavior modeling is to create a pragmatic map or 'model' of that behavior which can be used to reproduce or simulate some aspect of that performance by anyone who is motivated to do so. The goal of the behavior modeling process is to identify the essential elements of thought and action required to produce the desired response or outcome. As opposed to providing purely correlative or statistical data, a 'model' of a particular behavior must provide a description of what is necessary to actually achieve a similar result.
The field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming has developed out of the modeling of human behaviors and thinking processes. NLP modeling procedures involve finding out about how the brain ("Neuro") is operating, by analyzing language patterns ("Linguistic") and non-verbal communication. The results of this analysis are then put into step-by-step strategies or programs ("Programming") that may be used to transfer the skill to other people and content areas. In fact, NLP began when Richard Bandler and John Grinder modeled patterns of language and behavior from the works of Fritz Perls (the founder of Gestalt therapy), Virginia Satir (a founder of family therapy and systemic therapy) and Milton H. Erickson, M.D. (founder of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis). The first 'techniques' of NLP were derived from key verbal and non-verbal patterns Grinder and Bandler observed in the behavior of these exceptional therapists. The implication of the title of their first book, The Structure of Magic (1975), was that what seemed magical and unexplainable often had a deeper structure that, when illuminated, could be understood, communicated and put into practice by people other than the few exceptional 'wizards' who had initially performed the 'magic'. NLP is the process by which the relevant pieces of these people's behavior was discovered and then organized into a working model. NLP has developed techniques and distinctions with which to identify and describe patterns of people's verbal and non-verbal behavior - that is, key aspects of what people say and what they do. The basic objectives of NLP are to model special or exceptional abilities and help make them transferable to others. The purpose of this kind of modeling is to put what has been observed and described into action in a way that is productive and enriching. The modeling tools of NLP allow us to identify specific, reproducible patterns in the language and behavior of effective role models. While most NLP analysis is done by actually watching and listening to the role model in action, much valuable information can be gleaned from written records as well. The objective of the NLP modeling process is not to end up with the one 'right' or 'true' description of a particular person's thinking process, but rather to make an instrumental map that allows us to apply the strategies that we have modeled in some useful way. An 'instrumental map' is one that allows us to act more effectively - the 'accuracy' or 'reality' of the map is less important than its 'usefulness'. Thus, the instrumental application of the behaviors or cognitive strategies modeled from a particular individual or group of individuals involves putting them into structures that allow us to use them for some practical purpose. This purpose may be similar to or different from that for which the model initially used them. For instance, some common applications of modeling include: 1. Understanding something better by developing more 'meta-cognition' about the
processes which underlie it - in order to be able to teach about it, for example, or use it as a type of "benchmarking." 2. Repeating or refining a performance (such as in a sport or a managerial situation) by specifying the steps followed by expert performers or during optimal examples of the activity. This is the essence of the 'business process reengineering' movement in organizations. 3. Achieving a specific result (such as effective spelling or the treatment of phobias or allergies). Rather than modeling a single individual, this is often accomplished by developing 'techniques' based on modeling a number of different successful examples or cases. 4. Extracting and/or formalizing a process in order to apply it to a different content or context. For example, an effective strategy for managing a sports team may be applied to managing a business, and vice versa. In a way the development of the 'scientific method' has come from this type of process, where strategies of observation and analysis that were developed for one area of study (such as physics) have been applied to other areas (such as biology). 5. Deriving an inspiration for something which is loosely based on the actual process of the model. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes which was based on the diagnostic methods of his medical school professor Joseph Bell is a good example of this.
Deep Structure and Surface Structure NLP draws many of its principles and distinctions from the field of transformational grammar (Chomsky 1957, 1965) as a means to create models of people's verbal behavior. One of the essential principles of transformational grammar is that tangible behaviors, expressions, and reactions are 'surface structures' which are the result of bringing 'deeper structures' into reality. This is another way of saying that the models we make of the world around us with our brains and our language are not the world itself but representations of it. One important implication of the principles of transformational grammar is that there are multiple levels of successively deeper structures in the structure and organization within any coding system. An important implication of this, with respect to modeling, is that it may be necessary to explore various levels of deep structure, behind a particular performance, in order to produce an effective model of it. Furthermore, different surface structures may be reflections of common deep structures._For effective modeling, it is frequently important to examine multiple examples of surface structures in order to better know or identify the deeper structure which produces it. Another way to think about the relationship between deep structure and surface structure
is the distinction between "process" and "product." Products are the surface level expressions of the deeper and less tangible generative processes which are their source. Thus, "deep structures" are latent potentials that become manifest in concrete surface structures as a result of a set of transformations. This process includes the selective destruction as well as the selective construction of data. In this regard, one of the fundamental challenges of modeling comes from the fact that the movement between deep structure and surface structure is subject to the processes of generalization, deletion and distortion. That is, some information is necessarily lost or distorted in the transformation from deep structure to surface structure. In language, for example, these processes occur during the translation of deep structure (the mental images, sounds, feelings and other sensory representations that are stored in our nervous systems) to surface structure (the words, signs and symbols we choose to describe or represent our primary sensory experience). No verbal description is able to completely or acccurately represent the idea it is attempting to express. The aspects of deep structure which become manifest, are those for which enough missing links (deletions, generalizations, distortions) have been filled in that the potential latent at the level of deep structure is able to complete the series of transformations necessary to become manifest as surface structure. One of the goals of the modeling process is to identify a complete enough set of transforms so that an appropriate and useful expression of the deep structure may be attained. M
Modeling Capabilities The focus of most NLP modeling processes is at the level of capabilities, the how to level. Capabilities connect beliefs and values to specific behaviors. Without the how, knowing what one is supposed to do, and even why to do it, is largely ineffective. Capabilities and skills provide the links and leverage to manifest our identity, values and beliefs as actions in a particular environment. The fact that NLP modeling procedures tend to focus on capabilities, by the way, does not mean they only consider that level of information. Often, a gestalt of beliefs, values, sense of self, and specific behaviors are essential to produce the desired capability. NLP maintains that, by focusing on developing capabilities, the most practical and useful combinations of "deep structure" and "surface structure" will be produced. It is important to keep in mind that capabilities are a deeper structure than specific tasks or precedures. Procedures are typically a sequence of actions or steps that lead to the accomplishment of a particular task. Skills and capabilities, however, are frequently "nonlinear" in their application. A particular skill or capability (such as the ability to think creatively, or to communicate effectively) may serve as a support for many different kinds of tasks, situations and contexts. Capabilities must be able to be "randomly accessed," in that the individual must be able to immediately call upon different skills at
different times in a particular task, situation or context. Instead of a linear sequence of steps, skills are thus organized around a T.O.T.E. - a feedback loop between a) goals b) the choice of means used to accomplish those goals and c) the evidence used to assess progress towards the goals. According to NLP, in order to effectively model a particular skill or performance we must identify each of the key elements of the T.O.T.E. related to that skill or performance: 1. The performer's goals. 2. The evidence and evidence procedures used by the performer(s) to determine progress toward the goal. 3. The sets of choices used by the performer(s) to get to the goal and the specific behaviors used to implement these choices. 4. The way the performer(s) respond(s) if the goal is not initially achieved.
Levels of Complexity of Skills and Capabilities It should be kept in mind that capabilities themselves are of different natures and levels of complexity. Some skills and capabilities are, in fact, made up of other skills and capabilities. The ability to "write a book" is made up the abilites relating to the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling of the language in which one is writing, as well as knowledge relating to the subject one is writing the book about. These are often referred to as "nested T.O.T.E.s," "sub-loops," or "sub-skills," because they relate to the smaller chunks out of which more sophisticated or complex skills are built. The capability of "leadership," for example, is made up of many sub-skills, such as those relating to effective communication, establishing rapport, problem solving, systemic thinking, and so on. Thus, the modeling process itself may be directes toward different levels of complexity with respect to a particular skills and capabilities. 1. Simple Behavioral skills would involve specific, concrete, easily observable actions that take place within short periods of time (seconds to minutes). Examples of simple behavioral skills would include: making a particular dance move, getting into a special state, shooting a basket, aiming a rifle, etc. 2. Simple Cognitive skills would be specific, easily identifyable and testable mental processes which occur within a short period of time (seconds to minutes). Examples of simple cognitive skills would be: remembering names, spelling, acquiring simple vocabulary, creating a mental image, etc. These types of thinking skills produce easily observable behavioral results that can be measured, and provide immediate feedback. 3. Simple Linguistic skills would involve the recognition and use of specific key words, phrases and questions, such as: asking specific questions, recognizing and
responding to key words, reviewing or 'backtracking' key phrases, etc. Again, the performance of these skills is easily observable and measurable. 4. Complex Behavioral (or Interactive) skills involve the construction and coordination of sequences or combinations of simple behavioral actions. Abilities such as juggling, learning a martial art technique, successfully executing a play in a particular sport, making a presentation, acting a part in a film or play, etc., would be examples of complex behavioral skills. 5. Complex Cognitive skills are those which require a synthesis or sequence of other simple thinking skills. Creating a story, diagnosing a problem, solving an algebra problem, composing a song, planning a modeling project, etc., would be examples of capabilities involving complex cognitive skills. 6. Complex Linguistic skills would involve the interactive use of language in highly dynamic (an often spontaneous) situations. Abilities such as persuation, negotiation, verbal reframing, using humor, storytelling, doing a hypnotic induction, etc., would be examples of capabilities involving complex linguistic skills. Clearly, each level of skill needs to include and incorporate the abilities, or T.O.T.E.s, employed by the levels preceding it. Thus, it is typically more challenging and involved to model complex skills than simple ones; and it is easier to learn modeling by beginning with simple behavioral and cognitive skills before moving to more complex tasks. Often, however, complex skills can be "chunked down" into a group or sequence of simpler ones.
Modeling Methodology One of the pivotal parts of the modeling process is the methodology used to gather information and identify relevant features and patterns relating to the T.O.T.E.s of the person(s) being modeled. While standard forms of information gathering, such as questionnaires and interviews, can access some information, they often fall short of identifying the unconscious or intuitive operations used by a human expert. They also often assume or delete important information regarding context. In addition to questionnaires and interviews, it is often useful and necessary to incorporate more active methods for gathering information such as role plays, simulations, and the 'real life' observation of the expert in context. While NLP modeling methodology does employ interveiws and questionnaires, the primary form of modeling in NLP is done by interactively engaging the individual(s) to be modeled in multiple examples of the skill or performance to be studied. This provides the "highest quality" information, and creates the best chance to "capture" the most practical patterns (in the same way that having a living model is generally much more desireable for an artist to work from than a verbal description).
Three Basic Perspectives in Modeling Modeling often requires that we make a "double" or "triple" description of the process or phenomenon we are attempting to recreate. NLP describes three fundamental perceptual positions from which information can be gathered and interpreted: first position (associated in one's own perspective), second position (perceiving the situation from the standpoint of another person), and third position (viewing the situation as an univolved observer). All three of these perspectives are essential for effective behavioral modeling. 1st Position Own Point of View
2nd Position Other's Point of View
3rd Position Outside Observer
Effective Modeling Involves Exploring a Particular Phenomenon or Performance from Multiple Perspectives There is also a fourth perceptual position, which involves perceiving a situation from the perspective of the whole system, or the "relational field," involved in the situation. Because NLP presupposes that "the map is not the territory," that "everyone forms their own individual map of a situation," and that there is no single "right" map of any particular experience or event, taking multiple perspectives is and essential skill in order to effectively model a particular performance or activity. Perceiving a situation or experience from multiple perspectives allows a person to gain broader insight and understanding with respect to the event. Modeling from 'first position' would involve trying something out ourselves, and exploring the way that "we" do it. We see hear and feel from our own perspective. 'Second position' modeling involves standing "in the shoes" of the person to be modeled, attempting to think and act as much like other person as possible. This can provide important intuitions about significant but unconscious aspects of the thoughts and actions of the person being modeled. Modeling from 'third position' would involve standing back and observing the person to be modeled interacting with other people (including ourselves) as an uninvolved witness. In third position, we suspend our personal judgments and notice only what our senses perceive, as scientist might objectively examine a particular phenomenon through a telescope or microscope. 'Fourth position'
would involve a type of intuitive synthesis of all of these perspectives, in order to get a sense for the entire 'gestalt'.
Implicit and Explicit Modeling Skilled performance can be described as a function of two fundamental dimensions: consciousness (knowing) and competence (doing). It is possible to know or understand some activity, but be unable to do it (conscious incompetence). It is also possible to be able to do a particular activity well, but not know how one does it (unconscious comptetence). Mastery of a skill involves both the ability to "do what you know," and to "know what you are doing." One of the biggest challenges in modeling human experts comes from the fact that many of the critical behavioral and psychological elements which allow them to excel are largely unconscious and intuitive to them. As a result, they are unable to provide a direct description of the processes responsible for their own exceptional capabilities. In fact, many experts purposefully avoid thinking about what they doing, and how they are doing it, for fear it will actually interfere with their intuitions. This is another reason it is important to be able to model from different perceptual positions. One of the goals of modeling is to draw out and identify people's unconscious competences and bring them to awareness in order to better understand, enhance and transfer them. For example, an individual's unconscious strategy, or T.O.T.E., for "knowing which questions to ask," "coming up with creative suggestions," or "adapting the non-verbal aspects of one's leadership style," can be modeled, and then transferred as a conscious skill or competence.
One of the Purposes of Modeling is to Help People to 'Do What They Know' and to 'Know What They Are Doing' Cognitive and behavioral competences may be modeled either 'implicitly' or 'explicitly'.
Implicit modeling involves primarily moving to 'second position' with the modeling subject in order to build personal intuitions about that individual's subjective experience. Explicit modeling involves moving to a 'third position' to describe the explicit structure of the modeling subject's experience so that it may be transferred to others. Implicit modeling is primarily an inductive process by which we take in and perceive patterns in the world around us. Explicit modeling is essentially a deductive process by which we describe and put those perceptions into practice. Both processes are necessary for effective modeling. Without the "implicit" phase, there is no effective intuition base from which to build an "explicit" model. As NLP co-founder John Grinder pointed out, "It is impossible to make a description of the grammar of a language about which you have no intuition." On the other hand, without the "explicit" phase, the information that has been modeled cannot be built into techniques or tools and transferred to others. Implicit modeling by itself will help a person to develop personal, unconscious competence with the desired behavior (the way that young children typically learn). Creating a technique, procedure or skill set that can be taught or transferred to others beyond oneself, however, requires some degree of explicit modeling. It is one thing, for example, to learn to spell well, or develop and effective golf swing for oneself; it is another thing to teach other people how to do what you have learned. NLP, in fact, was born from the union of implicit and explicit modeling. Richard Bandler had been intuitively "implicitly" modeling the linguistic skills of Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir through video tapes and direct experience. Bandler was able to reproduce many of the therapeutic results of Perls and Satir by asking questions and using language in a similar manner as they did. Grinder, who was a linguist, observed Bandler working one day, and was impressed by Bandler's ability to influence others with his use of language. Grinder could sense that Bandler was doing something systematic, but was unable to explicitly define what it was. Bandler was also unable to explicitly describe or explain exactly what he was doing and how he was doing it. He only knew that he had somehow "modeled" it from Perls and Satir. Both men were inrigued and curious to have a more explicit understanding of these abilities that Bandler had implicitly modeled from these exceptional therapists - an understanding that would allow them to transfer it as a 'conscious competence' to others. At this point Grinder made the offer to Bandler, "If you teach me to do what you are doing, then I will tell you what you are doing." In a very real way, Grinder's historic invitation marks the beginning of NLP. Grinder's words encapsulate the essence of the NLP modeling process: "If you teach me to do what you are doing" (if you help me to develop the implicit intuitions, or 'unconscious competence', that you possess so that I too can accomplish similar results), "then I will tell you what you are doing" (then I can make an explicit description of the patterns and processes we are both using). Notice that Grinder did not say, "If you let me objectively observe and statistically analyze what you are doing, then I will tell you what you are doing." Grinder said, "Teach me to do what you are doing." Modeling arises from the practical and instrumental intuitions that come from "leading with experience."
Grinder and Bandler were able to work together to create the Meta Model (1975) by synthesizing (a) their shared intuitions about the verbal capabilities of Perls and Satir, (b) direct observations (either in life or through video tape) of Perls and Satir as they worked, and (c) Grinder's explicit knowledge of linguistics (in particular, transformational grammar).
The Meta Model Arose from the Combination of Bandler and Grinder's Intuitions, the observable behavior of Perls and Satir, and Grinder's Explicit Knowledge of Linguistics Bandler and Grinder next collaborated to apply a similar process in order to model some of the Hypnotic language patterns of Milton H. Erickson; this time with Grinder also participating in the initial "implicit" modeling of Erickson's behavior. They, and other NLP developers, have since used this process of modeling to create innumerable strategies, techniques and procedures in practically every area of human competence.
References Modeling with NLP; Dilts, R., 1998. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Some Beginning Modeling Drills and Exercises The purpose of the following exercises is to provide some experience with the basic processes and procedures of modeling. They primarily focus on the information gathering phase of the modeling process, and cover a range of modeling skills, including "implicit" and "explicit" modeling formats, and the use of multiple perceptual positions to gather different types and levels of information about a particular performance.
Mirroring Exercise Mirroring is a method of building a strong "second position" with someone else. It is a fundamental skill for modeling another person and for developing intuitions about the person's internal experience. To get a sense of the influence and effects of mirroring, try out the following exercise. 1. Choose a partner, or person to converse with. Do not tell the person initially that you will be mirroring him or her during the conversation. 2. Enter into a conversation with the person, asking for his or her opinions about various subjects. 3. As you are conversing, begin to subtly mirror the other person's physiology (including voice tone and tempo). [Hint: This can be most easily done in the context of 'active listening'; that is, reflecting back statements the person has made, by commenting, "So what you are saying is....", and then stating your understanding of the person's opinion.] 4. When you are fully mirroring, you will be sitting in the same posture, using the same types of gestures, speaking at a similar speed and volume, and in a similar voice tone range, as the other person. If you are completely mirroring the other person, you will even be breathing at the same rate and in the same part of the chest cavity as the other. Notice what it feels like when you have reached this level of rapport. 5. One way to test your degree of rapport is by "second guessing" the other person's opinion on a couple of subjects that you have not yet discussed. Often mirroring will give you access to information that is being unconsciously communicated and received, and you will "pick up" information about the other person without being consciously aware of how you got it. This is why mirroring is such a powerful tool for modeling. 6. To get another sense of the influence of mirroring on your interaction, you can
try out what it is like to abruptly mismatch the other person in posture, gestures, voice tone and breathing. Both you and your partner should experience quite a jolt if you do this, and feel as if your quality of rapport has changed dramatically. 7. Before concluding your conversation and letting your partner in on what you were doing, make sure you have reestablished rapport by once again physically mirroring your partner.
Mirroring Involves Matching the Physical Patterns of Another Person
"Implicit" Modeling from Second Position This exercise is to be done with four persons: (1) the Person to be modeled, (2) a Subject to interact with the individual being modeled, (3) a Modeler, and (4) an Observer 1. The Subject and the Person to be modeled engage in a conversation (for approximately 5 minutes) about a topic, chosen by the Person being modeled. The Modeler "implicitly" models the Person by going to 'second position' with the person, and focusing the on the micro muscle movements of the individual. 2. The Modeler then 'stands in' for Person he or she has been modeling - i.e., the Modeler continues the conversation with the Subject "as if" he or she were that Person. 3. The Modeler is to receive explicit feedback and coaching by the Person being modeled and the Observer about how accurately he or she is acting like the Person being modeled. (If the Modeler expereinces difficulty, you can repeat steps 1 & 2 another time.) 4. The Modeler is then sent out of the room, and the Subject and the Person being modeled converse about a different topic (5 min.), chosen by the Subject this time. 5. When the Modeler returns, he or she is to once again "stand in" for the Person being modeled, and converse with the Subject about the new topic "as if" he or
she were that Person. (The Subject should try to replicate the order of the questions and interaction of the conversation as much as possible.) 6. After about 5 minutes, the Subject, Observer and the Person who has been modeled are to give the Modeler feedback as to how accurately his or her performance matched that of the Person being modeled.
Building Double and Triple Descriptions Through 'CoModeling' The process of Co-Modeling involves the participation of two people in the modeling process to build a "double-description" and "triple-description" of the process to be modeled. Co-Modeling allows for the immediate intertwining of both the explicit and implicit modeling processes. In much the same way that our two eyes see depth by giving us a 'double-description' of the visual world around us, Co-Modeling gives depth to the modeling process by providing multiple simultaneous perspectives of the same subject. These exercise are to be done in groups of three (A, B & C): A = Person to be Modeled; B & C = Modelers.
Exercise 1: Building Intuitions Using Second Position 1. Person A demonstrates a simple behavioral skill to be modeled (e.g., a dance step, a culturally related gesture or greeting, entering a particular resource state, etc.). 2. Persons B & C go into a state of "not knowing," and enter into 'second position' with A for a few minutes. 3. B & C then write down explicitly what they think is going on in A based on their implicit experience gained from 'second position'. 4. B & C compare their models, identifying similarities and differences between their two descriptions. 5. A, B & C then work together to create a "triple description" of the key
elements of the behavioral skill demonstrated by A.
Exercise 2: "Explicit Modeling" Using Third Position 1. Person A demonstrates a simple behavioral skill to be modeled. 2. Staying in a 'third position', or 'observer' position, persons B & C have 10 minutes to elicit verbal information and behavioral demonstrations from A, in order to get explicit information about the skill being modeled. (Note: B & C may ask about any level of information_ i.e., physiology, representational systems, language patterns, T.O.T.E., metaprograms, beliefs, etc. They can explore any level of information they think will provide the most useful information about the skill being modeled.) 3. B & C then write down explicitly what they think is going on inside A, based on their observations and the information that they have elicited. 4. B & C compare their models, identifying similarities and differences between the two descriptions. 5. Again, persons A, B & C work together to create a third description of the key elements of the behavioral skill demonstrated by A. Notice the different dynamics and quality of information that comes from the two exercises.
Exercise 3: Modeling States of Excellence Combining Second and Third Position 1. Person A selects and domonstrates an example of a personal resource state, or "state of excellence." 2. Person B models A implicitly, using 2nd position. 3. Person C models A explicitly, from 3rd position. C asks 'why' questions which address beliefs, values, metaprograms, meta-outcomes; and 'how' questions which address goals, evidences and operations (the T.O.T.E. distinctions). 4. Person A now chooses an experience which is opposite to the first example (i. e., a "stuck state"). 5. B & C repeat steps 2 and 3 above. 6. B & C compare and contrast their own models of A's examples of excellence and its opposite, and explore what is similar and what is different about their descriptions.
Group Modeling The process of co-modeling can be generalized to an entire group. The following is an exercise that allows a whole group to get involved in the modeling process, and
form a "triple description." 1. The group selects a skill from a trainer, or from another person (from outside group), that the group is interested in learning or knowing more about. 2. The group divides into two teams A & B. Team A uses 2nd position, and team B uses 3rd position, to develop descriptions of the skill to me modeled. 3. The person to be modeled dmonstrates several examples of the skill, and each team generates a description, using the position they have been assigned. Members of the 3rd position team (B) may choose to focus on different levels of distinctions (physiology, language patterns, cognitive strategies, beliefs, etc.) in order to form their descriptions. 4. Team delegates then summarize the findings and descriptions of their teams to the rest of the group, and the whole group synthesizes the descriptions into a common model.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Presuppositions Presuppositions relate to unconscious beliefs or assumptions embedded in the structure of an utterance, action or another belief; and are required for the utterance, action or belief to make sense. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, to presuppose means to "suppose beforehand" or "to require as an antecedent in logic or fact." The term "suppose" comes from Latin, and literally means "to put under" from sub ("under") + ponere ("to put"). There are two types of presuppositions that are significant in NLP: linguistic presuppositions and epistemological presuppositions.
Linguistic Presuppositions Linguistic Presuppositions occur when certain information or relationships must be accepted as true in order to make sense of a particular statement. For example, to understand the statement, "As soon as you stop trying to sabotage our therapeutic efforts, we'll be able to make more progress," one must assume that the person to whom the statement is directed already has been, in fact, trying to sabotage the therapeutic efforts. The statement also presupposes that there is some kind of therapeutic effort being attempted and that at least some progress has been made. Similarly the statement, "Since they leave us no alternative, we must resort to violence," presupposes that no alternative, in fact, exists and that "they" are the ones who determine whether there are alternatives or not. Linguistic presuppositions are typically explored or challenged in NLP by asking, "How, specifically, do you know that?" True linguistic presuppositions should be contrasted with assumptions and inferences. A linguistic presupposition is something that is stated in the body of the statement itself which must be 'supposed' or accepted in order for the sentence or utterance to make sense. In the question, "Have you stopped exercising regularly?" for example, the use of the word stop implies that the listener has already been exercising regularly. The question, "Do you exercise regularly?" has no such presupposition. Conclusions such as "The speaker thinks exercise is important," or "The speaker is
unfamiliar with the exercise habits of the listener," are not presupposed by the questions. They are assumptions and inferences we might make about the question, but are not presupposed within the question itself. Consider the following two statements: The authorities prevented the demonstrators from marching because they feared violence. The authorities prevented the demonstrators from marching because they advocated violence. The two statements have exactly structure, with the exception of the words "feared" and "advocated." Depending on which word is used, we assume that the term "they" refers to either the "authorities" or the "demonstrators." We are more likely to think that it is the authorities who fear violence, and the demonstrators who advocate violence; but this in not presupposed by the statement itself. It is assumed by us as listeners. Both sentences presuppose that there were demonstrators who were planning to march, but that is all. An inference related to the two statements above would be that "the demonstrators and the authorities were not the same group of people." Inferences relate to logical conclusions which are made that are based upon the information provided by the statement. Presuppositions, assumptions and inferences all reflect beliefs and values, but in different ways. In The Structure of Magic Volume I (1975) NLP founders Bandler and Grinder identify twenty-nine different forms of linguistic presuppositions.
Epistemological Presuppositions Epistemological presuppositions are deep, and often unstated, beliefs that form the foundation of a particular system of knowledge. As the foundation of an epistemology, they must be "presupposed," and cannot be proven. In fact, they are the fundamental assumption upon which all of the other concepts and ideas within the epistemology are "proven." Euclid, for example, built his entire geometry upon the concept of the 'point'. A point is defined as 'an entity that has a position but no other properties'-it has no size, no mass, no color, no shape. It is of course impossible to prove that a point really has no size, mass, color, etc. However, if you accept this presupposition, along with a few others, you can build a whole system of geometry (i. e., "A line is the shortest distance between two points," "A 'rectangle' is four lines connected together at equal angles," etc.). The conclusions of this system can then be 'proved' with respect to their adherence to the fundamental but unproven concepts. It
is important to realize that one does not have to accept Euclid's assumption about a point in order to create a geometry. There are other geometries based on different presuppositions. For instance, MIT mathematician Seymour Pappert (1980) built his fascinating 'Turtle geometry' for children substituting the notion of a 'Turtle' for a 'point'; a 'Turtle' being an entity that has a position and a direction. The fundamental presuppositions of NLP form the basic epistemology upon which the methodology and technology of NLP is built. They are like the fundamental concepts of Euclidian geometry. And, similar to Euclid's notion of a "point," the basic presuppositions of NLP cannot be "proven" in any objective fashion. You cannot objectively 'prove', for instance, that there really is a "positive intention" behind a particular behavior; that is why it is considered a 'presupposition'. Similarly, one cannot 'prove' that the 'map is not the territory' and that 'there is no one right map of the world'. These are part of the basic 'epistemology' of NLP - they are the basic beliefs upon which the rest of the model is based. Thus, accepting the presuppositions that 'the map is not the territory' or 'behind every behavior is positive intention' is ultimately an act of faith. If we accept these presuppositions, then we will find or create them in our experience, rather than waiting for the proof that they are "true." Like many other aspects of NLP, the basic NLP Presuppositions have been synthesized from many different fields: general semantics, transformational grammar, systems theory, cybernetics, pragmatism, phenomenology, and logical positivism. The essential epistemological presuppositions of NLP can be summarized as follows: 1. Map is Not the Territory. As human beings, we can never know reality. We can only know our perceptions of reality. We experience and respond to the world around us primarily through our sensory representational systems. It is our 'neuro-linguistic' maps of reality that determine how we behave and that give those behaviors meaning, not reality itself. It is generally not reality that limits us or empowers us, but rather our map of reality. 2. Life and 'Mind' are Systemic Processes. The processes that take place within a human being and between human beings and their environment are systemic. Our bodies, our societies, and our universe form an ecology of complex systems and sub-systems all of which interact with and mutually influence each other. It is not possible to completely isolate any part of the system from the rest of the system. Such systems are based on certain 'self-organizing' principles and naturally seek optimal states of balance or homeostasis. 3. At some level, all behavior is "positively intended". That is, it is or was perceived as appropriate given the context in which it was established, from
the point of view of the person whose behavior it is. People make the best choices available to them given the possibilities and capabilities that they perceive to be accessible within their model of the world. Any behavior no matter how evil, crazy or bizarre it seems is the best choice available to that person at that point in time. 4. The Law of Requisite Variety. In systems theory there is a principle called the Law of Requisite Variety, which states in order to successfully adapt and survive, a member of a system needs a certain minimum amount of flexibility. That amount of flexibility has to be proportional to the variety in the rest of the system. One of the implications of the Law of Requisite Variety is that if you want to get to a particular goal state you have to increase the number of operations which could possibly get you there in proportion with the degree variability in the system. It is important to explore variations in operations used to accomplish goals, rather than simply repeat the same one _ even if it produced creative results in the past. Because the environments and contexts in which we operate change, the same procedure will not always produce the same result. If you want to consistently achieve your goal, you must vary the operations you are using to get to it. When you always use the same procedure, you will produce a varying result. So, as a system becomes more complex, more flexibility is required. Another implication of the Law of Requisite Variety is that the part of the system with the most flexibility will be the catalytic element within that system - like the queen in a game of chess. All of the models and techniques of NLP are based on the combination of these four principles. They form the basic framework upon which NLP is built. According to these presuppositions, wisdom, ethics and ecology do not derive from having the one 'right' or 'correct' map of the world, because human beings are not be capable of making one. Rather, the goal is to create the richest map possible that respects the systemic nature and ecology of ourselves and the world in which we live. To explore the impact of different epistemological presuppositions, try out the following exercise: 1. Find references experiences in your own life is which you acted congruently from each of these presuppositions. 2. Fully associate into the state connected with the experience of each presupposition. Notice the posture and physiology of your body, and where your attention is focused. What perception of reality arises from this state? 3. Break state, and then think of the opposites of each of these presuppositions: There is one single correct map which is the territory. We are not part of the same system. You are separate from the
system you are in. Reality occurs linearly and mechanically. You can't trust anyone because people are basically negatively intended, or act randomly with no intention at all. There is only one right way to do things. If something works once, it will always work. You don't have the capabilities you need. You are what you do. 4. Act "as if" these 'counter-NLP' presuppositions are true. Notice the posture and physiology of your body, and where your attention is focused. What state and perception of the world arises from these presuppositions? 5. Go to an observer position and contrast the two states and realities. Which do you find the most "natural" for you, and easiest to sustain? Which seem most "foreign" and difficult to maintain? How do you experience the difference? What do you learn about yourself, your culture and your congruence with NLP presuppositions? 6. Consider the following beliefs: a. You can't control the system but it is predictable and you can prepare yourself for what is going to happen. b. You can get what you want in this system but you must do the right thing. c. You can't get what you want in this system no matter what you do. d. Everyone in this system is out for themselves so you must protect your own interests. e. If you don't get what you want right away it will be too late. Take each belief and act 'as if' it were true. What epistemological presuppositions could be at the basis of each belief?
Summary of Key NLP Presuppositions The fundamental Presuppositions of NLP form the basic epistemology upon which all the rest of its methodology and technology are built. NLP presuppositions are like the core concepts of Euclidian geometry. They are the primary ideas and assumptions from which everything else in the field is derived. They form the philosophy behind all of the NLP models, distinctions and techniques. Like many other aspects of NLP, the basic NLP Presuppositions have been synthesized from a number of different fields, including: general semantics (Alfred Korzybski), transformational grammar (Noam Chomsky), systems theory (Gregory Bateson), cybernetics (W. Ross Ashby), pragmatism (William James), phenomenology (Edmund Husserl), and logical positivism (Bertrand Russel and Alfred North Whitehead).
The following is a summary of the basic presuppositions of NLP, and their corollaries. The Map is not the Territory. 1. People respond to their own perceptions of reality. 2. Every person has their own individual map of the world. No individual map of the world is any more "real" or "true" than any other. 3. The meaning of a communication to another person is the response it elicits in that person, regardless of the intent of the communicator. 4. The 'wisest' and most 'compassionate' maps are those which make available the widest and richest number of choices, as opposed to being the most "real" or "accurate". 5. People already have (or potentially have) all of the resources they need to act effectively. 6. People make the best choices available to them given possibilities and the capabilities that they perceive available to them from their model of the world. Any behavior no matter how evil, crazy or bizarre it seems is the best choice available to the person at that point in time - if given a more appropriate choice (within the context of their model of the world) the person will be more likely to take it. 7. Change comes from releasing the appropriate resource, or activating the potential resource, for a particular context by enriching a person's map of the world. Life And 'Mind' Are Systemic Processes. 1. The processes that take place within a person, and between people and their environment, are systemic. Our bodies, our societies and our universe form an ecology of systems and sub-systems all of which interact with and mutually influence each other. 2. It is not possible to completely isolate any part of a system from the rest of the system. People cannot not influence each other. Interactions between people form feedback loops - such that a person will be effected by the results that their own actions make on other people. 3. Systems are 'self organizing' and naturally seek states of balance and stability. There are no failures, only feedback. 4. No response, experience or behavior is meaningful outside of the context in which it was established or the response it elicits next. Any behavior, experience or response may serve as a resource or limitation depending on how it fits in with the rest of the system. 5. Not all interactions in a system are on the same level. What is positive on one level may be negative on another level. It is useful to separate behavior from "self" - to separate the positive intent, function, belief, etc. that generates the
behavior from the behavior itself. 6. At some level all behavior is (or at one time was) "positively intended". It is or was perceived as appropriate given the context in which it was established, from the point of view of the person whose behavior it is. It is easier and more productive to respond to the intention rather than the expression of a problematic behavior. 7. Environments and contexts change. The same action will not always produce the same result. In order to successfully adapt and survive, a member of a system needs a certain minimum amount of flexibility. That amount of flexibility has to be proportional to the variation in the rest of the system. As a system becomes more complex, more flexibility is required. 8. If what you are doing is not getting the response you want then keep varying your behavior until you do elicit the response.
References Applications of NLP; Dilts, R., 1983. Strategies of Genius; Dilts, R., 1994-1995. Tools of the Spirit; Dilts, R. and McDonald, R., 1997. Modeling With NLP; Dilts, R., 1998. Mindstorms; Papert, S., 1980. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Operationalizing NLP Presuppositions The field of NLP is based on a set of fundamental presuppositions about ourselves, our behavior, and our world. NLP presuppositions, however, are not simply theoretical axioms. They are intended to be principles to live by. The following exercise was designed by Robert Dilts, Todd Epstein and Judith DeLozier to help people enact or "operationalize" the key NLP presuppositions in their relationships with others. Identify a situation involving another person in which you were not able to perform as masterfully as you know you that you could have. Enrich your perception of the system or 'problem space' surrounding this experience by considering the following questions. 1. The map is not the territory. Every person has their own individual map of the world. There is no single correct map of the world. Find at least two other maps or ways of perceiving the situation. How would a (anthropologist, artist, minister, journalist) perceive this situation? 2. At some level all behavior is (or at one time was) "positively intended". It is or was perceived as appropriate given the context in which it was established, from the point of view of the person whose behavior it is. It is easier and more productive to respond to the intention rather than the expression of a problematic behavior. Consider the positive intention(s) behind the behavior(s) associated with the issue or situation. What could be the positive intentions (protection, attention, establishing boundaries, etc.) behind the behaviors of the other person and/or your reactions? 3. People make the best choices available to them given possibilities and the capabilities that they perceive available to them from their model of the world. Consider the issue or situation from at least three points of view (self-other-
observer). What do you see, hear and feel through your own eyes, ears and body? Step into the shoes of the other person. How would you perceive the situation if you were that person? Imagine you were an uninvolved observer looking at this situation. What would you notice about the interaction from this perspective? 4. It is not possible to isolate any part of a system from the rest of the system. People cannot not influence each other. Interactions between people form feedback loops - such that a person will be effected by the results that their own actions create with respect to other people. Consider in what way you might be participating in creating or maintaining the issue or situation. What part are you playing in reinforcing this pattern? 5. Not all interactions in a system are on the same level. What is positive on one level may be negative on another level. It is useful to separate behavior from "self" - to separate the positive intent, function, belief, etc. that generates the behavior from the behavior itself. Consider what kinds of factors might be influencing the issue or situation (e. g., environment - where, behavior - what, capabilities - how, beliefs & values - why, identity - who, system - who else or what else). How is the external environment or context influencing this situation? (physical space, background noise, quality of air, etc.) What are the specific behaviors involved in this interaction? (averting eyes, tone of voice, specific gestures, etc.) What capabilities are involved or missing in this situation - i.e., something that you or the other person knows or does not know how to do? (creativity, rapport, calibration, etc.) Are there beliefs or values that are being violated or missing from the interaction? Are you operating from different criteria? (safety, loyalty, boundaries, play, etc.) Why is this interaction meaningful? How are you and the other person perceiving your sense of self in this interaction? (peer, subordinate, victim, rescuer, etc.) What influences from the larger system (the 'field') may be effecting this interaction? (other members of the group, past experiences, expectations, assumptions, etc.) 6. No response, experience or behavior is meaningful outside of the context in which it was established or the response it elicits next. Any behavior,
experience or response may serve as a resource or limitation depending on how it fits in with the rest of the system. Consider the problem or difficulty from more than one time frame. (i.e., long term, short term - past, present, future) Have you looked at this situation with respect to an hour, a day, week, a month, a year from now? How is this current situation influenced by the past? What if I saw this experience as part of a cycle instead of linear cause and effect? 7. The 'wisest' and most 'compassionate' maps are those which make available the widest and richest number of choices, as opposed to being the most "real" or "accurate". Clarify the perspective, level and time frame from which you are experiencing the issue or situation. Are you clear about which perspective you are taking when you are experiencing the situation? Are you clear about which level of process is influencing you in this interaction? At which level is your attention most focused? Are you clear about the time frame from which you are perceiving the situation? 8. In order to successfully adapt and survive, a member of a system needs a certain minimum amount of flexibility. That amount of flexibility has to be proportional to the variation in the rest of the system. As a system becomes more complex, more flexibility is required. If what you are doing is not getting the response you want then keep varying your behavior until you do elicit the response. Make sure you have at least three different choices for responding to the issue or situation. What are three other ways that you could respond to this behavior or situation?
NLP Presuppositions Exercise The following exercise, designed by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, is another way to operationalize NLP presuppositions with respect to a specific symptom, situation or problem. It involves establishing reference experiences for each presupposition and
then transfering them into a particular context in which you would like to experience them more strongly. First, lay out a space for the problem context or situation. Then arrange a series of locations, representing various NLP presuppositions, around the problem situation.
Exercise 1: Building Intuitions Using Second Position 1. Standing in the context space, access the symptom or problem state, and the context in which it occurs to create an anchor. 2. Step into each presupposition space, accessing and anchoring the idea, then look at yourself in the problem context (disassociated), through the filters of the presupposition. 3. Access the presupposition full, then step into the context space, adding the presupposition. 4. Continue around the circle until all spaces have been accessed and integrated. (Copyright © 1995-1997 by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith. Reprinted with permission.)
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Fourth Position "Fourth position" is a perceptual position which involves being associated in the whole system or 'field' relating to a particular interaction. It involves experiencing a situation with the best interest of the entire system in mind. Fourth position is a "we" position, and is characterized by the use of 1st person plural language - "We are," "Us," etc. Fourth position is an essential component of wisdom and ecology. Although it was not included in the original group of perceptual positions (first position - self, second position - other, third position - observer), fourth position is just as fundamental. It is essential for effective leadership, team building and the development of group spirit. As the term implies, fourth position presupposes and encompasses the other three perceptual positions. People who are not able to achieve fourth position have difficulty experiencing themselves as a member of a group or community. The experience of fourth position comes from finding the deeper common factors and characteristics which unite and connect all of the members of a group or system. It is the foundation of what is known as "groupmind". Fourth position should be distinguished, however, from simple consensus. Consensus is essentially agreement among individuals. Fourth position comes from a felt sense of "sameness" and identification with all members of a system. It also presupposes that one has already taken the other three perceptual positions. The relationship of fourth position to the others can be most easily envisioned as the tip of a pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid is made up of the three primary perceptual positions -- self, other and observer. The fourth position, or system position, is the crest of the pyramid, which encompasses and adds depth to the other three.
Perceptual Position Pyramid In functional systems, all the members of the system are able to assume and experience fourth position to some degree. The ability to reach a fourth position perspective greatly facilitates group management and is a key characteristic of visionary leadership. Effective leaders are able to identify with the whole system they are influencing. Fourth position is also a key perspective for modeling. Fourth position, for example, can be especially important when exploring and understanding other cultures in which individuality, or the sense of a personal "I" is not emphasized, or the notion of the community or the "we" is the rule. In Bali, for example, particular social castes have only four names for all of the people within that group. The names essentially stand for "first born," "second born," "third born" and "fourth born." If a family has more than four children, the name of the fifth child starts again with the name for "first born." Thus, the names reflect the group or the caste, not the individual. Theirs is organized more around the experience of the community than the individual. The first explicit use of a "fourth perceptual position" in an NLP technique was in the Meta Mirror process (Dilts, 1988, 1990, 1992), developed by Robert Dilts as a result of the Syntax of Behavior series he did with John Grinder in 1988. The process was based on getting a position that both encompassed and reflected upon first, second and third positions, in order to help resolve problems resulting from judgments made from third position. In 1989, the concept of 'fourth position' was expanded to be a "system position", or what was often referred to as a "company position" in the Meta Map for Leadership (Dilts, 1989, 1998), as a result of Dilts' modeling of the skills and strategies of effective leaders. This position was characterized by the word "we" and involved the "identification" with the team, group or system which one was leading, creating "a thinking vision of the system," and "considering the best interests of the entire system." It was at this time that fourth position began to become referred to also as a
"We" position. Webster's Dictionary defines the use of the term "we" as referring to "a group that is consciously felt as such by its members." In his classic work on group dynamics, Kurt Lewin (1939) referred to the sense of cohesiveness (the feeling of "we-ness") as one of the basic properties of any group. When cohesiveness is high, members are motivated to participate in the group's activities and to help the group attain its goals and objectives. Such an experience provides group members a sense of security and identity, and a feeling of personal worth - or in Lewin's words, "the ground on which the person stands." The degree of cohesiveness experienced by a group is generally a function of the degree of overlap of the interests and values of group members, and the degree of communication and 'rapport' that they are able to achieve with one another. The NLP concept of rapport stems back to 1976. Creating rapport is generally defined as the establishment of trust, harmony and cooperation in a relationship. "Harmonious mutual understanding," "agreement," being "in tune" and "in accord," are some of the words used to describe the process or state of being in rapport with another. The process of body mirroring to create rapport is one of the earliest and most well known NLP techniques (although mirroring is not a guarantee of the creation of the state of rapport because a person can still easily stay in his or her own "first position" and not necessarily enter the "we" experience.) The NLP notion of rapport was derived from the work of Milton Erickson. As a hypnotherapist, Erickson created and entered into a special state of rapport called the "therapeutic trance." In 1978, a student noticed that, as Erickson was in the process of leading a client into a trance state, Erickson himself exhibited the characteristics of trance, including pupil dilation, change of muscle tonus and breathing. When asked if he was entering trance when he hypnotized his clients, Erickson's response was "invariably." To this reply the student asked, "Who is hypnotizing who in that case?" Again Erickson replied "invariably," suggesting that the state of rapport is a loop of mutual influence and interaction in which each element is influencing, and influenced by, the other elements. The first use of the term "we" as an explicit part of an NLP technique was in the Composition Strategy (Dilts & Grinder, 1982) format for creative writing. "We" is the fourth of the narrative positions used to generate "prompts" for stimulating ideas while writing; along with "I," "You," "She," He," and "They." The advent of the notion of spatial sorting and psychogeography (the psychological effects of physical location) in NLP (Dilts, 1987, 1990), along with perceptual positions, brought new developments to the NLP notions of perceptual positions, rapport and the experience of "we". It could be easily demonstrated that shifting one's
'psychogeography' while communicating with another would dramatically alter the perception of the relationship. Standing or sitting face-to-face, for example, tends to focus attention strongly on the perception of "I" and "you." Standing side-by-side promotes the experience of operating as partners in a framework of "we."
The Influence of 'Psychogeography' on the Experience of Interpersonal Relationships The use of psychogeography to create the experience of being aligned with another person, sharing the perception of partners and operating as a "we" unit, is an explicit step of both the Meta Mirror and Meta Map for Leadership processes. The Logical Level Co-Alignment process (Dilts, 1992), was designed to create a sense of "we-ness" between individuals in a group by finding commonalities as multiple levels of experience. The process primarily emphasizes overlaps with respect to beliefs, values, a sense of identity and "spiritual" perceptions (defined as "the experience of being part of a larger system that reaches beyond ourselves as individuals to our family, community and global systems; the sense of something that goes beyond our own image of ourselves, our values, beliefs, thoughts, actions or sensations - i.e., who and what else is in the larger systems of which we are a part.") The Spiritual Healing process, developed by Dilts and McDonald for the Tools of the Spirit program (first conducted in 1992), incorporated a state of "spiritual wholeness" as an additional element of the "fourth position." "Spiritual wholeness" was defined as "the sense of being part of something larger than oneself" (Dilts & McDonald, 1997). This fourth position was used to create 'spiritually extended' 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions. Bringing the influence of this fourth position back into first position creates a sense that others are an "extension of" oneself. Taking it into second position creates the experience of being "one with" the other. Linking this fourth position to third position creates the realization that the interaction taking place between the first and second positions is "part of" a much vaster system.
The experience of the fourth position sense of "we" has also been enhanced by the development of Somatic Syntax (Dilts and DeLozier, 1993, 1996). Stephen Gilligan's notion of the relational field, introduced into NLP through the series of workshops Love in the Face of Violence (conducted with Robert Dilts) has added further emphasis to the experience of "we." Other perspectives with respect to the NLP notion of fourth position include those suggested by Peter Wrycza and Jan Ardui (1994) who link it with a "witnessing awareness encompassing and behind all positions," and Robert McDonald (1998) who associates perceptual positions with different "levels of awareness," arguing that fourth position is not actually a "position" at all, but the emergent result of an interaction between the other positions. Of course, the crucial point, from the NLP perspective, is not merely the definition or description of fourth position or a "we-position" (the map is not the territory after all), but rather the process by which people can be lead to have the experience to which we are referring.
References Field Theory in Social Science; Lewin, K., 1951. Steps to an Ecology of Mind; Bateson, G., 1972. Applications of NLP; Dilts, R., 1992. Turtles All the Way Down; DeLozier, J. and Grinder, J., 1987. Changing Belief Systems With NLP; Dilts, R., 1990. Cognitive Patterns of Jesus of Nazareth; Dilts, R., 1992. Perceptual Positions Revisited; Wrycza, P. and Ardui, J., NLP World, Vol. 1, No.2, 1994. Tools of the Spirit; Dilts, R. and McDonald, R., 1997. Courage to Love; Gilligan, S., 1997. An Interview With Robert McDonald; Anchor Point, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1998. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Creating a "We-Field": Evolving a Shared Resource (A "We-Source") Through Somatic Syntax The following 'Generative NLP' process was first developed by Robert Dilts (GTC, London, 1998). Further refinements were added by he and Robert McDonald for the Group Mind, Team Spirit seminar. The purpose of this process is to share and enhance the experience of resourceful states by exploring them from different perceptual positions. The process produces the experience of fourth position through the co-creation of "a felt sense of sameness" between people that is explicitly derived from being in the other three perceptual positions. The process incorporates principles of spatial sorting, psychogeography and Somatic Syntax. To be done initially in pairs. 1. Identify a recent resourceful experience. Associated in your own first position (seeing through your eyes, feeling your feelings and hearing the world around you), explore the movement associated with that resourceful feeling and experience. 2. Facing your partner, demonstrate that movement to him or her, and, staying in your own first position, watch the movement of your partner. From your own perspective, imitate the movement of your partner. 3. Now, switch places and "step into the shoes of" (go to second position with) your partner. Make your partner's movement "as if" you actually were that person. Notice how you experience the movement differently. 4. Go to an observer position (third position) and sense the similarities and differences between your partner's movement and resource, and your own. 5. Return to your own first position. Turn so that you and your partner are standing side by side. Begin to make your initial resource movement once again. At the same time, your partner is to start making his or her movement. Together with your partner, make slight incremental adjustments in your movements until you find a common movement that blends your two resource states and movements into a fourth position, or "we-field," that represents the integration of both of you.
6. As a pair, find another pair and repeat this same process; this time using the movement you created together as a couple. Then repeat it again in foursomes, etc., until you have found a common movement for the whole group. Another variation of this process in a group (say of seven) would be for each person in the group to make his or her own resource movement, one at a time. While that person is making the movement, the rest of the group goes to "second position" taking on the movement themselves. When all group members have demonstrated their movements, the group members begin to first individually make their movements, incrementally changing them and blending them into a "group resource" movement. This process demonstrates the generative aspects of perceptual positions (and in particular fourth position), preserving Bateson's notion of characterological adjectives and the creation of a "larger mind" as a function of the interactions between two or more others. Bateson provides the example of the dog and gibbon at play who create activities that are neither exclusively "dog" behaviors or "gibbon" behaviors, but "gibbon-dog" behaviors. The fourth "dog-gibbon" position emerges naturally out of their interaction. Thus, such a fourth position is, in Bateson's terms, "immanent" in the interaction between the dog and gibbon, rather than being some sort of "transcendent" awareness.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Intellectual Property and NLP There is currently a great deal of ignorance and confusion about intellectual property in the NLP field. This ignorance has created a high degree of paranoia on one hand, and rampant disregard for the rights of others on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some of the basic intellectual property issues relevant to NLP and to propose some ways the issue of intellectual property may be acknowledged and addressed within the field of NLP.
Certification Versus Authorization One general problem area relating to intellectual property is that of certification. Webster's Dictionary defines a "certificate" as, "a document issued by a school, a state agency, or a professional organization certifying that one has satisfactorily completed a course of studies, has passed a qualifying examination, or has attained professional standing in a given field and may officially practice or hold a position in that field." NLP organizations offer a variety of certifications which relate to different aspects of this definition. This in itself can create some confusion about the implications of a particular certification. A certificate of completion merely states that "one has satisfactorily completed a course of studies." Any organization or institute can offer such certification. A certificate issued as the result of an assessment or qualifying examination is a statement of skill. It is a symbol of what one has learned and is able to do behaviorally. Again, so long as there are clear assessment procedures, practically any organization or institution can offer such a certificate. A professional certification that asserts someone "has attained professional standing in a given field and may officially practice or hold a position in that field" is a little more tricky in that the certifying organization or school needs to have the appropriate professional position or reputation to grant a person rights to "officially practice" or "hold a position" in a field. Beyond that, it is important to distinguish between "certification" and "authorization." Certification has to do with a person's, skill and their ability to practice in a field. Authorization has to do with the permission to use intellectual property. Authorization involves intellectual property rights and ownership. With respect to
training, for example, certification relates to a person's skill as a trainer. Authorization relates to the rights to use material related to the content of a training. NLP models, techniques and skills may be applied to the 'process' of training or presenting, or offered as the 'product' of a training or presentation. Mastering the applications of NLP to the process of training or presenting is what trainer "certification" is about. Selling NLP models and techniques as the product of a particular training or presentation relates to "authorization." Attesting to the fact that someone has demonstrated proficiency and understanding as a trainer is different than authorizing that person to copy and sell intellectual property. A "certified" NLP Trainer is not automatically "authorized" to use particular intellectual property (i.e., copyrighted material or trademarks) without the authorization of the owner of that material. One can only give another person permission to use intellectual properties that one has rights to. To make an obvious example, the fact that someone has been certified as an NLP Trainer by a particular institute does not authorize that person to make copies of books, manuals, tapes and other materials that are not the property of that institute. The certification is simply an assertion by that institute that the individual has demonstrated training skills according to whatever standards and assessment procedures have been established by that institute. No NLP trainer, association, society or institute automatically has the rights to materials developed by a particular individual in the field, unless some type of specific licensing arrangement has been made. To understand this point better, it is important to look more closely at the issue of intellectual property rights.
Copyrights The two areas of intellectual property that have most relevance to NLP are copyrights and trademarks. In the United States, copyright law is derived from the US Constitution. The same section of the Constitution that provides for patents gives Congress the power to "promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing to authors, for limited times, the exclusive right to their writings". Copyright law was basically established to protect writings, but has been expanded to include other expressions of ideas. A book, for instance, is copyrightable. So are photographs, drawings, architects' drawings, records and music. You can also secure copyrights for works of art, paintings and statuary, maps and computer programs. You can even copyright reproductions of works of art. They are all expressions of ideas. You cannot copyright an idea, and you cannot patent an idea. You can patent a specific article of manufacture based on an idea, and you can get a copyright on a specific
rendition of an idea. This is a fundamental distinction that relates to what have become known as "NeuroLogical Levels" in NLP. Copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights relate primarily to 'environmental level' products, and extend to specific behaviors (such as "performance rights") in some cases. "Property" relates to something concrete and tangible. Processes at the level of capabilities, beliefs, values and identity cannot be intellectual "property." Intellectual property laws relate to dynamics which function at a particular level, and the rules which apply to one level do not apply on others. As President Thomas Jefferson pointed out, "If two people get together and exchange a dollar, they each walk away with a dollar. If two people get together and exchange an idea, on the other hand, they both walk away with two ideas." 'Dollars' are at the level of concrete, environment. 'Ideas' are at the level of capabilities and beliefs. The distinction between ideas and their expression is important in order to understand how copyrights work. For example, if someone were to write a history of the City of San Francisco, that person could copyright his or her book on the history of San Francisco. That would not prevent someone else from getting the same idea and writing a history of San Francisco. The facts that are involved would have to be the same. If someone has written a history of San Francisco and copyrighted it, then he or she is protected from someone else coming in and taking that particular work, copying, publishing and selling it as their own. But it would not stop someone else from writing his or her own history of San Francisco. One big question, of course, is how close can someone be to a book or a computer program without infringing on it? Could someone change a few lines or have exactly the same structure and just paraphrase the sentences? Copyright infringement of written works can sometimes be difficult to demonstrate. It involves looking at specific paragraphs and sentences. You have to look at all the elements that make up the work and see how much of it is similar. In order to get a copyright you have to create something new and original. You may well be able to get a copyright on your arrangement of somebody else's song, for instance -- to the extent that you added something else to it. That doesn't mean that you have the right to use it. If you make a unique variation of someone else's work, you must still respect the other person's rights in his or her original work. On the other hand, the original composer does not automatically have the right to the unique arrangement you have created either. The issue of intellectual property rights with respect to NLP can be just as complicated. In some ways, in fact, NLP is probably most similar to music relation to
intellectual property rights. With music, for instance, you can copyright the underlying musical composition. You can copyright the specific printed sheet music that is sold to the public. You can copyright a record that is made of someone singing that particular song. So there are three different copyrights you can get on that one underlying composition. All of them based on specific renditions of the musical idea. Most of the issues with respect to intellectual property and NLP arise in reference to seminars. There are a number of rights related to giving seminars. There are "copyrights, there are the so-called "performance rights," and there are "unfair competition rights." The current US copyright law gives you a copyright in your work as soon as you reduce it to some concrete form. As soon as you've put the ideas down on paper, you immediately have rights in that work, whether you have placed a copyright notice on it or not. If a few copies are distributed -- let's say you send a few copies of an article out to publishers to see if they're interested in publishing it -- you have not lost your right to copyright it. In fact, the copyright law provides for registration for unpublished works. You could take the copy of your work and go down and make a photocopy of it and send it to the Copyright Office and you could register it, in unpublished form. And you would have a copyright in the work. The copyright notice is a "C" in a circle - © - the name of the person claiming the copyright, and the year in which it is published. A typical example of a copyright notice would look something like: Copyright © 1997 by Meta Muddle Associates. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author or publisher. The typical length of a copyright is based on the author's life plus fifty years. When you file the application for registration, you include your birth date which becomes an essential feature of the copyright coverage. (You can't sue for infringement of copyright until you have registered the copyright with the Copyright Office.) If it's a "work for hire," then the copyright is for seventy-five years from the date of publication. "Work for hire" is where the author is hired to produce the work. Say Walt Disney Studios hires someone to write a story for a movie, and that work is produced as a result of their being hired. That would be a work for hire, and the life would be seventy-five years.
In addition to copyrights in manuals and handouts, if the seminar is recorded, the presenter can copyright the tapes, so long as what he or she is presenting is original. The presenter could prevent someone from taking the tape and making an essentially identical performance of the seminar. Of course, the tape could be used as the basis for a book, and a person could copyright the book. He or she would also have rights in any translations made from tapes or books. Again, remember the distinction between ideas and their expression. When someone has been to an NLP training, that person has the right to use the ideas that he or she has learned with his or her clients. The person does not have the right duplicate and distribute copyrighted material used or received during the training unless he or she has obtained permission or authorization from the author or publisher of that material.
Fair Use Under the current US copyright laws, there is a fair use doctrine. It's always been possible to quote from somebody's copyrighted work as long as you show that it's their copyright and that you contact the copyright owner and tell them you're quoting from their book. You obviously can't take a best seller and then say, "As they said in Gone With The Wind..." and then repeat the entire book. But you can pick certain pieces out of a book. It's considered a "fair use" as long as you haven't taken the entire work and used it for your own purposes. If you are using it as an illustration of some sort, as part of a much larger work, it is considered a fair use. Anybody can list anybody's books in a bibliography and say "this paper is based in part on ...." The person who has published the book under that name has no objection he can make to the fact that you have used his book in preparing your paper. Mentioning it is like mentioning the name of a public figure. Newspapers do it all the time. If you do something noteworthy, they can tell: it's not a violation of your right of privacy to report that fact that you climbed the side of the Bank of America building to the top and were arrested by the police. Whenever you've done anything that's noteworthy, such as publishing a book, that item is a fact that can be used. So a bibliography is no problem so far as listing the names. You would get into a problem if you had an appendix and in the appendix you essentially reprinted somebody's doctor's thesis or a chapter out of somebody's book without their permission. Then you're getting into copyright infringement. Plagiarism, of course, is copyright infringement. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else's intellectual property as your own. Sometimes this is done unintentionally, when a person fails to cite the sources of material that he or she is using.
In general, If you're going to make a quotation of content from somebody's work, it is good practice to get their approval ahead of time, such as a signed letter of release. When asking for permission to use copyrighted material, you should furnish the following information: 1. The pages you want to use, titles, and/or page numbers in a specific publication. 2. The group or publication that will be receiving the information. 3. Where and when you will be using the materials. 4. The number of copies you want to make.
Trademarks Copyrights are not the same as trademarks, although people sometimes confuse the two. A "Trademark" essentially relates to the name or logo of a particular trade. You cannot copyright a name, short slogan or a trademark. Copyrights are reserved for expression of ideas, such as books, photographs, records, drawings, etc. But a name that distinguishes one company from another is not copyrightable. Instead, you register trademark rights in the name relating to a trade. To claim a trademark, you would place the letters "TM" after the name. (You cannot use the "R" in a circle until you have actually registered the name with the Patent Office.) In the U.S. you register a name as a trademark either with the state or federally. Every state in the union will register trademarks. They will register the name of your company or the name you sell a product under. In the state of California, you could claim exclusive rights in a name and you could register it with the Secretary of State. If you want to register the name federally, then you have to go to the Patent Office in Washington and register it. You cannot register a name federally until you have actually engaged in interstate commerce. There is currently a great deal of confusion relating to the difference between NLP as 'field' and NLP as a 'trade'. A 'trade'-mark only extends to a trade. The problem is, NLP is both a field and has become a trade, which has created a lot of misunderstanding about the nature of NLP trainings. This is probably one of the most important issues for the NLP community to clearly sort out. Teaching people NLP for educational purposes is different than involving them in a vocation or trade. Unless the participants of an organization's trainings sign a statement saying, "The undersigned clearly understands that the education being provided is solely for avocational / recreational purposes and not to provide training for employment. Such education is being pursued for personal entertainment, recreation, individual edification or as a hobby," that training could
be considered vocational, or part of a "trade." As such it would come under various governmental laws and regulations that are different than for education alone. The generic use of the letters "NLP" may indeed indicate the name of a "field," but the use of "NLP" to identify a professional certification or licensing program may relate to a trade.
Some Ideas to Address Intellectual Property Rights in NLP The following are some suggestions about possible ways the field of NLP might address some of the issues raised in this paper. One possible way to deal fairly with intellectual property in NLP could be to set up a Copyrighted Materials Distribution Center, where each author or publisher can set their own terms for how to sell or distribute their materials, much like the music business does with songs.
Credit History One difficulty in giving proper credit arises when an idea, or expression of an idea, is the result of a group effort. (As Isaac Newton said when asked about his great discoveries in physics, "I was merely standing on the shoulders of giants.") Unlike other creative fields, like the music and film industries, NLP has not yet established conventions for crediting the people involved in creative group efforts. Films acknowledge not only the actors, but the directors, producers, screenwriters, editors, special effects creators, etc., who are all key parts of making a successful movie. NLP needs to establish a clear set of roles relating to the types of contributions which might be made with respect to NLP developments. There is a kind of "credit karma" that comes from acknowledging the contributions of others. When you give credit, you get back credibility. There are a number of different elements in the creation and development of something, whether it be an object, theory, technique or idea. First of all, most products of creation have both a conceptual and operational side. The conceptual elements are the ideas that serve as the theoretical foundation of the product. The operational elements have to do with the implementation of ideas. In terms of the conceptual and operational development, there are a number of basic roles. There is 1) the primary creator role which typically serves as the 'focal point' for the development. Then there are various support roles including 2) individual who have the conceptual or operational background, 3) ongoing contributors who help to test and refine concepts or operations, and 4) those who make further adaptations and refinements of the material.
For example, while Robert Dilts served as the 'focal point' for the development of a number of techniques and formats such as Reimprinting, Failure into Feedback, Belief Integration and Logical Level Alignment, there were many other people to be acknowledged for their support roles. The technique of Reimprinting, for instance had both a conceptual and an operational history. Conceptually, Reimprinting is drawn from the background concept of "Imprinting" of Konrad Lorenz, which was extended to "re-imprinting" by Timothy Leary. It is also conceptually supported by Sigmund Freud's ideas from his Studies in Hysteria, and the family systems work of Virginia Satir. Operationally, however, Reimprinting is drawn primarily from the Change Personal History technique of NLP developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Contributing support is different than background support in that it comes during the formation and "beta testing" of a process. For instance, the physicalization of the timeline, and spatial sorting of "significant others," as part of Reimprinting technique came from a series of discussions with Judith DeLozier and John Grinder and a resulting set of seminars Dilts did with Grinder, called Syntax. Other incidental conceptual and operational support came from Dilts' colleague Todd Epstein, as the technique became formalized. Adaptations relate to conceptual and operational refinements or improvements on a process, model or technique once it has been established. The "Forgiveness Pattern" by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, for example, represents a significant, creative variation on Reimprinting, allowing someone to work with significant others without the need for working with a time line. The Failure into Feedback technique is primarily an extension of the work on accessing cues and cognitive strategies begun in the early days of NLP and described in the book Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. I. The innovative relational aspects of the process, however, were stimulated by the work of Max Wertheimer and his colleagues in the area of Gestalt Psychology.
The Belief Integration process draws operationally from a combination of the NLP techniques of the Visual Squash and Reframing. Conceptually, it has been heavily influenced by the work of Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir. On a fundamental conceptual level, the notion of Logical Levels in belief change is drawn from Gregory Bateson's applications of logical levels in his studies of systems and schizophrenia. And much of the inspiration for the methods of applying these ideas was derived from the innovative work of Milton H. Erickson M.D. These suggestions are only the beginning of an important dialogue that needs to be continued among the key innovators and developers in the NLP field. It is only when these issues have been sorted out that we will truly begin to have credibility as a field. For further information on intellectual property rights and copyright issues, visit World Intellectual Property Organization an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Guidelines for Using Copyrighted Materials As an NLP developer, trainer and practitioner, I believe that it is important for the credibility of the field of NLP that individuals and organizations honor the copyrights on printed materials. It is a way of demonstrating integrity and showing respect for other people's work. I understand people's desire for as much information as possible, but it is important to get it, and provide it, in an ecological way that doesn't infringe upon the rights of others. The following guidelines regarding duplicating or reusing copyrighted materials follows the standard academic practices with respect to copyrights and intellectual property.
Standard Guidelines for Coprighted Materials 1. If you are not directly quoting or reproducing someone else's printed material, but are simply referring to it or talking about it, you do not need to request permission. In this case, you are not actually "copying" anything, but rather expressing your own ideas about someone else's work. Instead, you want to cite the sources from which you are drawing the ideas you are teaching about or discussing. (It is more an issue of giving appropriate credit, so that you don't appear to be plagiarizing someone else's ideas, than it is an issue of copyrights specifically.) Crediting a source is typically done by referring to the name(s) of the author(s) and the date of the work you are drawing from in the body of your publication, and then including a full reference to the work in a 'bibliography' or 'references' section of your manual, book or publication. Consider the following example, from Tools for Dreamers (Dilts, Epstein & Dilts, 1993, pp. 23-24), referring to the T.O.T.E. model: "A mental strategy is typically organized into a basic feedback loop called a T.O.T.E. (Miller, Gallanter & Pribram, 1960). The letters T.O.T.E. stand for Test-Operate-Test-Exit. The T.O.T.E. concept maintains that all mental and behavioral programs revolve around having a fixed goal and a variable means to achieve that goal. This model indicates that, as we think, we set goals in our mind (consciously or unconsciously) and develop a TEST for when that goal has been achieved. If that goal is not achieved we OPERATE to change something or do something to get closer to our goal. When our TEST criteria have been satisfied we then EXIT on to the next step." Since there is no direct quotation of Miller, Gallanter and Pribram's work, it
has been cited parenthetically. In the back of the practitioner booklet is bibliography including a full reference their work in which they offer their own definition and description of the T.O.T.E. This typically includes: title of publication, author, publisher, city, state or country, and date of publication: Plans and the Structure of Behavior, Miller, G., Galanter, E., and Pribram, K., Henry Holt & Co., Inc., 1960. 2. If you are making a direct quotation, reproduction or translation of less than half a page, you customarily do not need to request permission from the author or publisher, but should cite the specific source from which the material is quoted, including the page number(s) if possible. As an example, consider the following discussion of "congruence," taken from the 1998 NLPU 100A Practitioner manual (p.46): According to Webster's Dictionary, "congruence" in a system is "marked by inner harmony, coherence, or agreement of its parts." In NLP, a state of congruence is a result of all of a person's internal beliefs, strategies and behaviors being in full agreement and oriented toward securing a desired outcome. For this reason, congruence is considered an essential resource state in NLP. The notion of congruence has been fundamental to NLP since its inception. In The Structure of Magic Volume II (1976), Grinder and Bandler defined congruence in the following way: The term 'congruency' is used to describe a situation in which the person communicating has aligned all of his output channels so that each of them is representing, carrying or conveying the same or a compatible message. When all of a person's output channels (body posture and movements, voice tonality and tempo, words) are representing the same or compatible messages, the person is said to be congruent. Other people's experience of a congruent human being is usually described in terms of that persons's having personal presence, knowing what he is talking about, being charismatic, dynamic and a host of other superlatives. (p. 45)
Congruence may be contrasted with "incongruence," which refers to a state of inner conflict resulting from inner struggle, typically at the level of beliefs or identity. These struggles are usually at a deeper level and are less conscious than typical cognitive activities. For this reason, the factors influencing states of congruence or incongruence are often outside of awareness. Thus, maintaining a state of congruency involves learning to pay attention to and interpret signals from one's unconscious mind. Again, in the back of the practitioner booklet is bibliography including a full reference for The Structure of Magic: The Structure of Magic Vol. II, Grinder, J. and Bandler, R.; Science and Behavior Books, Palo Alto, California, 1976. 3. If you are making a direct quotation, translation or reproduction of half a page or more (including graphics), you should request permission from the author or publisher. In addition to citing the specific source from which the material is quoted, you should include a copyright notice referring to the author or publisher and the words "reprinted with permission" (provided you have received that permission). The following is an example from the Pattern of the Month section of my web page on the Internet. My article on Operationalizing NLP Presuppositions includes the following description: NLP Presuppositions Exercise The following exercise, designed by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, is another way to operationalize NLP presuppositions with respect to a specific symptom, situation or problem. It involves establishing reference experiences for each presupposition and then transferring them into a particular context in which you would like to experience them more strongly. First, lay out a space for the problem context or situation. Then arrange a series of locations, representing various NLP presuppositions, around the problem situation.
1. Standing in the context space, access the symptom or problem state, and the context in which it occurs to create an anchor. 2. Step into each presupposition space, accessing and anchoring the idea, then look at yourself in the problem context (disassociated), through the filters of the presupposition. 3. Access the presupposition fully, then step into the context space, adding the presupposition. 4. Continue around the circle until all spaces have been accessed and integrated. (Copyright © 1995-1997 by Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith. Reprinted with permission.) In this case, no specific reference has been made to another publication, because the exercise has not yet been published in book or other major publication. This reference would be added, and included in the bibliography of the manual, when such a source was published. In general, if you are going to make a substantial quotation of content from somebody's work, it is good practice to get their approval ahead of time, such as a signed letter of release. When asking for permission to use copyrighted material, you should furnish the following information: 1. The pages you want to use, titles, and/or page numbers in a specific publication. 2. The group or publication that will be receiving the
information. 3. Where and when you will be using the materials. 4. The number of copies you want to make. The publisher or author may request a nominal fee for some reproduction, depending on how the material is to be used. The following page provides an example of a copyright request form.
Robert B. Dilts P.O. Box 67448 Scotts Valley, CA 95067-7448 Phone (831) 438-8314 Fax (831) 438-8571 E-Mail:
[email protected] Website: http://www.nlpu.com Copyrighted Materials Request Form
A signed authorization is required each time you want to use copyrighted materials. To request to reproduce copyrighted materials, fill out the form below and send it to the above address. Please limit your request to a small portion of any one publication, and submit your request at least one month before you need an answer. Please provide the following information: Your Name__________________________________Fax ________________________ Address Information_______________________________________________________ _________________________________________Telephone____________________ Title of publication from which you want to copy pages _________________________________ Page number or numbers of the material you plan to distribute ____________________________ (If it is more convenient, you may attach copies of the material you want to reproduce to this request form. You have our permission to make a copy for this purpose.)
To whom will you distribute this material? ____________________________________
Where will you distribute this material? ___________________________________ When will you distribute this material? ____________________________________ Approximately what percentage of your publication will this material provide? ___________________ How many copies will you make of each page? _______ Total number of copies to be made: _______ If your request is approved, the copyright notice referencing Robert Dilts must appear on the bottom of each page. You can add "Reproduced with permission of the author," after receiving signed authorization. (If this material is more than 10% of your publication, please send a copy of your whole handout or publication in which you intend to use the material.)
Approved: ______________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
NLP and Self Organization Theory Self-organization theory is a branch of systems theory that relates to the process of order formation in complex dynamic systems. Drawing from the fields of cybernetics and gestalt psychology, self organization theory offers a new paradigm for perception and change. Many of the most recent and significant developments in self organization theory (especially those related to applied psychology) have been spearheaded by Dr. Peter Kruse at the University of Bremen, in Germany. Paradoxically, self-organization theory arose from the study of chaos. Scientists studying chaos (the absence of order) noticed that when enough complexly interacting elements were brought together, rather than create chaos, order seemed to 'spontaneously' form as a result of the interaction. In our nervous system, for instance, self-organizing processes are thought to be the result of massive associative connections between our nerve cells. These associations are thought to be established and elaborated according to the 'Hebb' rule. Hebb was a Nobel prize winning neurologist that discovered if two interconnected neurons in a similar state respond simultaneously, their connection is strengthened. In other words, rather than a 'beaten path' established by physical force, the strength of the associative connections between the parts of our brain and nervous system is determined by a kind 'rapport' between the nerve cells. [The Hebb rule may even be at the root of the basic strategy for establishing rapport in NLP, which involves the 'mirroring' of another person's behavioral or cognitive patterns.] Rather than being robotically controlled by external 'stimuli' which produce mindless, reflexive reactions (as in the models of Pavlov, Skinner and the Behaviorists), self organizing systems organize their own behavior in relation to certain focal points in their environment. According to 'self-organization' theory, order in an interconnected system of elements arises around what are called 'attractors', which help to create and hold stable patterns within the system. These attractors form a kind of 'landscape' that shape and determine patterns of interaction within the system. Figure 1 illustrates a simple landscape made of two 'attractors', represented as two valleys or 'basins'. If one imagines that the ball shown in the diagram is able to move over the landscape, it is easy to visualize how the bottoms of the valleys would make a very stable location for the ball. The ridge where the ball is sitting, however, would be a very unstable location. If the ball were resting at the bottom of one of these valleys, it would take
much more energy to move it to a new location than it would if the starting state of the ball were in the unstable location.
Attractor 'Landscape'
Figure 1. Attractor 'Landscape' In many ways the mental and emotional fabric of our lives could be viewed as such a landscape. Perceptual "attractors," for example, are the focal point in a phenomenon around which the rest of our perceptions become organized. Consider the 'stimulus' provided by figure 2. Is it an image of a young woman wearing a necklace or old woman with her head bowed?
young woman or old woman?
Attractor 'Landscape'
Figure. 2 Attractor 'Landscape' of the Picture Above Of course, the picture itself is simply a complex combination or 'landscape' of lines and light and dark areas. The women, young or old, are not really on the paper, but rather in our minds. We "see" a "young" or "old" woman because of basic
assumptions and deep structures within our own nervous systems - what Aristotle referred to as "formal causes." To move between the 'images' in the 'landscape' we need to first destabilize our focus on one attractor and subsequently restabilize or 'fixate' our attention around the new attractor. Some other examples of 'attractor landscapes', are shown in figures 3 and 4. The first group shows the face of a man transforming or "morphing" into the body of a woman. At the extremes the two images are clear and 'stable'. The intermediate images become progressively more ambiguous. In the middle, it is more difficult to "fix" upon one particular image. Again, the experience of "man's face" or "woman's body" are not in the marks on the paper but in our own nervous system (a bee or a dog would not be likely to recognize either image).
Man or Woman?
Figure 3. The Face of Man or the Body of a Woman? Figure 4 shows a transformation between the words "endure" and "change" as two verbal 'attractors'.
endure and change
Figure 4. "Endure" or "Change?"
Of course, 'attractors' are not only a perceptual phenomenon. They occur in other forms as well. For example, a similar process seems to be behind the neurological mechanisms by which we are able to establish different 'parts' of ourselves within the same nervous system. As an analogy, the images of the women in the earlier picture would be like two 'parts' of a person. Under certain circumstances, a person's nervous system could self organize to bring a 'younger' part into the foreground. In other situations, the 'older' part could be in the foreground. The NLP conception of an "imprint" is also quite similar to the notion of an 'attractor'. Of course, in self organizing systems, the 'force' of the "attraction" does not actually come from the object or event outside of the system, but is rather the result of the interaction between the system and its environment. 'Attractors' are simply an external reference point around which the rest of system organizes its activity. For example, for a newly hatched duckling, 'movement' is the initial attractor around which the nervous system of the duckling begins to form the rest of its representation or "imprint" of 'mother'. According to self organization theory, internal states (either problem states or states of excellence) would be considered patterns of organization within the nervous system of the individual which could be 'self organized' and maintained under certain conditions. Aspects of the events in which these states first occurred could become anchors or 'attractors' around which the state would spontaneously self organize and reoccur later on. Thus, events and "imprints" function as the initial "attractors" for our later models of the world; both drawing out experiences and collecting them into memory. These collections of representations then become an "attractor" themselves for the next level of organization. In self organization theory, the 'strength' of an attractor is described in terms of the 'depth' and 'width' of its 'basin'. The 'depth' of the basin relates to the intensity of the attraction. The 'width' of the basin relates to how easy it is to access that particular state in different situations. For example, some of our states may be very strong and powerful, but only available to us in a small number of special circumstances - like moments of inspiration that are intense but few and far between. Other states may be relatively weak, but are available to us in many different circumstances - such as short moments of irritation or doubt which may occur in a variety of situations but are easily overcome.
'Depth' and 'Width'
Figure 5. The Influence of an 'Attraction' is Described in Terms of the 'Depth' and 'Width' of its 'Basin' Thus, a basin that is 'deep' but 'narrow' would be a strong state that we only experience on occasion. A 'shallow' but 'wide' basin would be like a state that we are able to experience in many different situations, but which is not very intense. A 'shallow' and narrow basin would represent a very transient state that we experience only rarely and not very strongly. A 'deep' and 'wide' basin would be a state that is intense and easy to get to in a variety of different circumstances.
Figure 6. Different Types of States Can Be Represented as Different "Basins" The individual 'attractor landscapes' of our own lives would depend to a certain degree on the influence of our personal histories. For instance, a person who has experienced a traumatic event, but in a very unusual circumstance, might develop a very intense reaction (a 'deep' basin) but only in very specific circumstances (a 'narrow' width). Someone who has a phobia of going over a specific bridge would be an example of this. A person who has had a frightening experience but in a more
common situation might have an intense reaction as well, but experience it more often and in more contexts (its basin is 'wider'). This would be more like the situation of a person who has something like agoraphobia (fear of going out of doors). Establishing a 'metacognition' or 'meta position' with respect to challenging past experiences could be viewed as a way to help make the 'attractor basin' of those particular experiences 'wider' (available to our conscious awareness in more circumstances) but also more 'shallow' (lowering the emotional affect associated with the experience). Within the metaphor of a 'landscape', change processes could be viewed in one of two ways; 1) surface level or 2) deep level changes. 'Surface' level change would involve moving the ball to a different part of the landscape; but leaving the landscape unchanged. Trying to ignore a bad feeling and stay optimistic would be an example of attempting to move the ball of one's 'consciousness' to a different part of one's mental or emotional landscape. Change at the level of 'deep structure' would involve modifying the landscape itself by actually altering the 'attractors' or the attractor 'basin'. Finding the source of the bad feeling and transforming by 'reimprinting' for instance, would be an example of this level of change. The basic process of deep level change in a self organizing system involves first 'destabilizing' the existing attractors which hold the system in its present state, and then introducing or activating a new attractor that will alter the 'landscape' of the system. In self organization theory, the resulting change in the landscape is considered to be produced or 'unveiled' through the process of 'iteration'. This is because self organizing systems tend to impact their environment by continually attempting to manifest their own internal deep structures. Looked at from this perspective, solutions to problems emerge organically through successive cycles of iteration - similar to Freud's notion of "associative correction." A strong representation of a goal, for example, can be an "attractor" for possible resources and solutions (in the form of a T.O.T.E. loop). Each stage of the process of achieving that goal is another 'iteration', building upon the previous ones, until the final product is produced; much like organic growth in nature or a mathematical fractal.
'destabilizing'
Figure 7. The basic process of change in a self organizing system involves first 'destabilizing' the existing attractors which hold the system in its present state, and then introducing or activating a new attractor that will alter the 'landscape' of the system. In NLP, 'attractor' type phenomena are believed to occur with respect to the 'submodalities' of the various sensory representational systems. The submodality characteristics of an experience determine much about the type and degree of affect that experience will have for a person. In other words, it is not only the content of a particular experience or memory that will determine how a person responds, but the formal characteristics of the representation of that experience. The same image, for example, may be experienced as either attractive or repulsive depending on certain submodality characteristics. An inviting image of a slice of chocolate cake may seem less inviting if the color of the cake is suddenly changed to green, for instance. As another example, there was a time in my mother's process of healing her cancer in which an image came into her mind of a demonic looking creature dressed in black that threatened her and made her feel doubtful and afraid. She tried to block the image and put it out of her mind; but it kept returning. It was as if this image had become an 'attractor' for her fears and doubts. (In the metaphor of a 'landscape', this creature was like a hole or ditch along the path of her healing. She would try to roll the ball out of the middle of the basin, but as soon as she stopped efforting, the ball would roll back to the bottom.) Rather than blocking out the image, I invited my mother to explore the positive purposes of fear and doubt. She realized that the positive intention of both of them was to protect her and to make sure she was taking care of herself. Having understood and acknowledged those intentions we decided to use a more appropriate 'attractor'. Rather than simply trying to make the old one go away, we adopted a strategy of
'pacing and leading'. I first asked her if she could just make the image of the demonic figure slightly smaller. She was able to do this and, when she did, its affect became a little less. I then asked if she could make the image two-dimensional - not change the content of the image, but simply make it two dimensional. She was also able to do that, which lessened the affect even more. I then asked if she could put a frame around it. She did. Finally I asked if she could change its color. She imagined the figure in a bright yellow outfit. At this point the image of the creature had become so laughable and harmless to her that it just seemed to disappear on its own_never to return. In place of this creature my mother decided to insert the image of a 'guardian angel'. To make the image of this angel powerful and 'attractive', she made the image large, three-dimensional, bright and glowing with light. This new image would also satisfy the positive intention of protecting her and making sure she was taking care of herself, but the affect, of course, was quite different. As another example, the celebrated NLP 'fast-phobia' cure essentially involves destabilizing the mental representations at the basis of the phobic response. One of the versions of the NLP phobia technique involves finding the 'mental movie' associated with the phobic response and then changing it to 'black and white' and running it backwards. This often destabilizes the rigidity of the phobic association enough that it becomes open to "associative correction" and is able to spontaneously reach a new state of equilibrium. Similar processes, like the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Repatterning) technique for dealing with post-traumatic stress, also essentially involve interrupting patterns that are highly stable because they are blocked, "strangulated" or 'frozen'. The EMDR process, for instance, involves having a person move his or her eyes back and forth rapidly while thinking of a frightening or traumatic event. The movement of the eyes in effect 'scrambles' or destabilizes the representation. Providing the person has other resources available, this destabilization will often lead to 'associative correction' without further intervention on the part of the facilitator.
Conclusion Self-organization theory offers a powerful and refreshing alternative to the typical 'mechanistic' views of human behavior put forward by Behaviorism and many aspects of NLP. The metaphor of a 'landscape' also provides a more systemic and organic explanation for how many NLP techniques work (see Strategies of Genius Volume III). The principles of self-organization also provide a rich source for more generative and ecological applications of NLP by placing the source and power for healing and change within (rather than outside of) the individual. For more information on Self-Organization:
Synergetics of Cognition, H. Haken & M. Stadler (Ed.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1989. Self Organization Theory Meets NLP (video), R. Dilts & P. Kruse, NIK, Ausser der Scheifmuhle 67, 28203 Bremen, Germany, 1994 (Fax: 49-421-33 55 843). [This article includes material excerpted from Strategies of Genius Volume III, by Robert Dilts, Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1995.]
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Exercise: Shifting and Attractor 'Landscape' The following exercise will help you to practice shifting your own "attractor landscape" by exploring and altering the "attractor basin" associated with two different internal states. 1. Identify a resource or resource state that you would like to transfer to other contexts. 2. Identify a situation or context in which you would like to be more resourceful or flexible. 3. Establish a meta position and sort the two experiences identified above into separate spatial locations.
Existing 'Landscape'
Existing 'Landscape' of Internal States 4. Associate into each of the two experiences and explore the current 'landscape' by changing various parameters one at a time, and noticing what happens. Representational i.e., Systems Submodalities Physiology 5. Associate into the resource experience and 'deepen' the 'attractor basin' by finding which parameters intensify the experience.
Deepening the Resource 'Basin'
Deepening the Resource 'Basin' 6. Access the presupposition fully, then step into the context space, adding the presupposition. 7. 'Widen' the 'attractor basin' of the resource by: a. stepping into the location for the situation or context to be improved. b. 'destabilize' the landscape by shifting the relevant cognitive or physiological patterns. c. transferring the 'attractors' associated with the resource experience.
Widening the Resource 'Basin'
Widening the Resource 'Basin' to Alter the 'Landscape Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected].
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Fractals and Human Behavior A fractal is a complex geometric pattern that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a smaller copy of the whole. Fractals are generally "self-similar" (the bits look like the whole) and independent of scale (they look similar, no matter how close you zoom in). Benoit Mandelbrot, the discoverer of the Mandelbrot set, coined the term "fractal" in 1975 from the Latin fractus meaning "to break". Because fractals are generally made of irregular curves or shapes repeated at every scale they are difficult to represent with classical geometry, and have developed into their own branch of mathematics.
Fractal Dragon
The Fractal Dragon (Benoit B. Mandelbrot/IBM) Many mathematical structures are fractals; e.g. the Sierpinski triangle, Koch snowflake, Peano curve, Mandelbrot set and Lorenz attractor. Fractals also describe many real-world objects that do not have simple geometric shapes, such as clouds, mountains, turbulence, and coastlines. Fractal type equations are also used to as the generative engines behind many "artifical life" simulations. As an example of a simple fractal, consider the following set of instructions:
Set three points (A, B and C). Start somewhere in between the three points. Randomly select one of the three points (say B). Move halfway between wherever you are and that point and leave a dot. Then randomly select one of the three points again (maybe A this time). Move halfway between your current position and that point and leave another dot. Repeat this process again and again many times. What pattern do you think will emerge? The following graphic was created by a computer program applying the above instructions (known as the Sierpinski triangle):
Sierpinski Triangle
The Sierpinski Triangle From an NLP perspective, fractals are a good example of how a simple process at the level of deep structure can generate a complex pattern at the level of surface structure. The sophistication and complexity of the resulting surface structure belies the simplicity of the deeper structure pattern which generates it. Being able to identify the underlying pattern (deep structure) which generates a fractal is a good illustration of what is known as "code congruence" in modeling. The goal of modeling is to make descriptions of some behavior or phenomenon that will allow us to reproduce it, or some aspect of it. One of the problems that people encounter in attempting to model the behavior of others is that they become overwhelmed by the complexity of the resulting patterns. Modeling the deeper structure behind behaviors involves identifying the generative beliefs and strategies which underlie our overt actions. Relatively simple cognitive processes (analogous to
the instructions which produce the Sierpinski triangle) often produce complex behaviors. Bandler and Grinder's Meta Model is a good example of this. It is a type of "linguistic fractal." By identifying a basic set of linguistic distinctions and responding with simple questions, a person can produce a sophisticated verbal interaction similar to that of an experienced therapist. Descriptions of generative processes are typically more "code congruent" than descriptions of the resulting content. As an analogy, the attempt to describe the resulting pattern of the Sierpinski triangle in terms of objects_ i.e., "big triangles and little triangles"_ would require a great deal of information if one were to attempt to reproduce the pattern precisely. The sizes and locations of many different "objects" would need to be specified. The simple instructions used to actually create the fractal, however, do not operate at all in terms of specifying "locations and sizes of triangles." Rather, they operate on the basis of identifying reference points (A, B and C) and relationships with respect to those points (moving "half way" between a current location and a chosen point). It should be pointed out, by the way, that applying the Sierpinski triangle instructions to other numbers of reference points does not produce the same results. If four points are used instead of three, for instance, no coherent pattern emerges. Instead of "big squares and little squares" the result appears to be just a random placement of dots. If five reference points are used, a pattern again results (that looks somewhat like a "sand dollar"), but which is nothing like the sophisticated triangular pattern which emerges from using three reference points.
Results of Applying the Sierpinski Triangle Instructions to Four or Five Points Instead of Three This reflects another difficulty people face when modeling. Patterns that produce the desired results in one set of circumstances, do not produce the same effects when the context or conditions change. A pattern or rule that works effectively to produce
order among a group of three people, for example, may produce only random results if a fourth person is added. A creativity strategy that works well to integrate three materials or ideas may falter if a fourth item is included. While this is not always obvious when working with human behavior, it becomes graphically clear when attempting to produce fractals. Thus, a better understanding of fractals can teach us many practical things about modeling human behaviors. Many behaviors could be considered to be types of "neurolinguistic" fractals. Dance, for instance is a type of somatic fractal. Many forms of music are a type of auditory fractal (consider Ravel's Bollero, or Pacelbel's Canon in D, for example). Clearly, many types of images are created as a result of the intuitive application of fractal patterns.
You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Exercise: Making 'Neurolinguistic' Fractals The following exercises were designed by Robert Dilts as a means to help people get a better "feel" for how fractals operate in our behavior. They use Somatic Syntax to practice creating, identifying and applying principles related to mathematical fractals with respect to tangible behavior.
Somatic Fractal Exercise Get together with a partner. 1. Identify a simple pattern or shape, such as a circle, triangle, or an "S" shape; but do not tell your partner what pattern you have selected. 2. Ask your partner to close his or her eyes. Begin to make the pattern by moving your finger. 3. Continuing to make the pattern with your finger, begin to make it with your wrist, your arm, hsoulders, head, hips, etc., until you are making the pattern with as many parts of your body as possible in a type of "dance." 4. Have your partner open his or her eyes and see if he or she can guess the simple "deep structure" pattern from which your somatic fractal is being derived.
Resource Fractal Exercise 1. Identify and associate into a resourceful state (e.g., creativity, confidence, focus, etc.) 2. As you fully "relive" what it is like to be in this state, notice a pattern or quality of movement that accompanies the state. 3. Mindfully make a few subtle variations in this movement, and notice the impact they have on your experience of the resourceful feeling, in order to get the sense of its deeper structure. 4. Transfer the pattern and quality of movement to some other part of your body. If the movement naturally involved your arms, for instance, transfer it to your
shoulders. Make any adaptations you need to until it seems natural, and you can feel the sense of the resourceful state as a result of making the movement with this other part of your body. 5. Transfer the resourceful movement to as many parts of your body as you can (i. e., face, feet, eyes, breathing, hips, etc.). You can repeat the above exercise using the visual and auditory representational systems. That is, find a pattern or quality in the images or words associated with the resource state. Then, begin to transfer that quality to other images and words. For instance, if there is a certain quality of color associated with the resource state, you can "color your world" by mapping it across to many other memories and images. If there is a certain quality of voice, begin to speak about different topics, transferring that quality of voice into whatever words you are saying.
References Grolliers Multi Media Encyclopedia, 1993. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Pragmagraphics Pragmagraphics is an area of NLP established by Todd Epstein and Richard Bandler in 1980, and developed further by Epstein with Robert Dilts over the following decade. Pragmagraphics provided both the theoretical and practical basis for much of NLP’s submodality technology. The term, coined by Epstein, comes from a combination of the words “pragmatic” and “holographic,” and suggests an integration of the two disciplines. Pragmatics is an area of linguistics that involves the study of how context and other nonlinguistic factors (such as the personal history and beliefs of the speaker and listener) affect the interpretation of spoken expressions. It involves the examination of the system of influences which determine how we make sense of or give meaning to words or linguistic expressions, which are beyond the expressions themselves. For example, to understand the meaning of the statement, “Father was not drunk tonight,” one must factor in assumptions about the history of speaker and his or her father, the context in which the speaker made the statement, the person to whom the statement was made, the degree of understanding the speaker has about the possible impact of such a statement, and so on. Holography is a method for recording and then reproducing a complete image of a three-dimensional object. In a hologram, the whole picture is contained in every part of the image. Holography involves the recording of an entire picture by recording the relationships between the interference patterns of light reflected from the object, and shined directly onto the film. As a phenomenon, the hologram has become a metaphor for the notion that, in many systems, all of the information relevant to that system is distributed through every part of the system, in some form. As an integration of the principles of these two fields, Pragmagraphics strives to explore the qualities of, and relationships between, the experiences and information that is being represented in a person’s inner map of the world. It has to do with the practical aspects of how we create and derive meaning from our experiences. Its purpose is to (a) identify key characteristics relating to the experiential substance of a particular image, set of words or feeling state, (b) explore how experiences are represented, sorted and punctuated, and (c) examine the resulting influence that these factors have on a person’s emotional and behavioral responses and reactions. In many respects, pragmagraphics can be considered the attempt to describe the structure of
meaning. To illustrate, Epstein might draw the figure “Æ” on the board and ask people, “What is that?” 99% will immediately say, “It’s a triangle, that’s what that is.” But Epstein would then point out that it is not really “a triangle.” It is an intersection of three lines at three given angles—which we call “a triangle.” The question that pragmagraphics asks is, “What needs to be there to call it a triangle?” What would need to be shifted or added in order for us to call it an “arrow head,” a “roof top,” or a “pyramid.” Similar questions could be asked in relation to the process of learning. “What needs to be there to call some mental activity ‘spelling’, for instance, versus ‘remembering a sequence of shapes’?” What are the underlying processes and capabilities upon which spelling is based? Notice that this is very different than asking, “What are the behaviors that would indicate to us that a child was spelling a word correctly?” To be able to ask and answer such questions, Epstein advocated entering a state of “not knowing,” in which all previous mental maps and assumptions are put aside with reference to one’s ongoing experience. To explain this state, Epstein invented the character “Nerk-Nerk.” Nerk-Nerk is the name of a fictitious space alien who has the exact same nervous system and physical characteristics of human beings, but none of the perceptual, linguistic or cultural assumptions. Nerk-Nerk has studied and is familiar with all forms of human language, but is incapable of making the deletions, generalizations and distortions that most human beings do habitually while communicating verbally with one another. Nerk-Nerk is only able to understand and respond to fully specified sensory based descriptions and instructions. Thus, when a person enters a “Nerk-Nerk” state, he or she attempts to drop and challenge pre-existing assumptions, and get a fresh and unbiased view of a particular situation or experience. Another use of Nerk-Nerk involves acting “as if” one is describing or explaining something to Nerk-Nerk in such a way that he would be able understand it. Such an exercise forces one to be more precise and sensorially grounded. Similar to the notion of “Meta Program” patterns, Pragmagraphics arose as a result of the attempt to understand ways in which people kept “coherency” in their mental programming (like the ‘reference beam’ in an optical hologram). It is about, what Epstein would call, the “goo” which holds everything together in our map of the world. Like Meta Program patterns, Pragmagraphics came from the attempt to better understand the functioning of cognitive strategies. In particular, they developed as a way to explain how individuals with the same cognitive structure to their strategies could sometimes end up with widely divergent results. For instance, two people might
have a motivation strategy with the structure: Vi->Ki (deriving feelings from internal imagery as a way to stimulate themselves into action). One person, however, might report, “When I can picture what I want to achieve very clearly, I really start to feel excited about doing what I need to do to get there.” The other person, on the other hand, might say, “I need to get a general image of the direction I’m heading. If I picture what I want to achieve too clearly, I begin to feel afraid that I will be disappointed.” Pragmagraphics seeks to explore and explain what is at the root of such different outcomes to two processes that have a similar structure. Epstein postulated that these differences had to do with patterns related to the qualities by which the representations (the pictures and the feelings in the example above) were linked together. Drawing from the analogy of holography, Bandler and Epstein hypothesized that a particular submodality feature (the “clarity” of the internal image, for instance) could function like the “reference beam” used to make a hologram. Altering this submodality, like adjusting the angle or wavelength of the reference beam, would change the resulting “interference pattern,” bringing out different dimensions and facets of the experiences with which it was linked, perhaps shifting it to something else altogether at times. This idea lead Epstein, Bandler and Dilts to begin to explore in detail the relationship between two consecutive representations or steps in a cognitive strategy. If an image and a feeling were joined together, and the image was made brighter, for instance, what happened to the feeling? What happened if the image was made dimmer, given more color, made larger or smaller, etc.? Epstein developed a notational system to describe some of the basic interrelationships between representational qualities. Rather than the linear, horizontal arrows, typically used in NLP strategy notation to indicate the sequencing of representations, Pragmagraphics uses vertical arrows to indicate the quality of influence one representation had on another. If an increase in the clarity or detail of a picture created a corresponding increase the intensity of the feeling of excitement or motivation, for example, it would be notated Vi (clarity)^^ Ki(intensity), indicating a parallel relationship between the two submodalities. If, on the other hand, an increase in the clarity of a picture created a corresponding decrease the intensity of the feeling of motivation, it would be notated Vi(clarity) ^v Ki(intensity), indicating an inverse relationship between the two representational qualities. It was these types of explorations that eventually lead to the development of the Swish Pattern, the Threshold Pattern, Submodality Chaining, and the other applications of Submodalities in NLP.
Another area of exploration in Pragmagraphics was the examination of the representational structure of what are called “minimal pairs” – experiences that are similar in many respects, yet are considered opposites. e.g., “anxiety” and “excitement,” “anger” and “determination,” “appreciation” and “flattery” etc. The question to be explored was, “What is the difference that makes the difference?” What has to be there in order for us to call a particular feeling “excitement?” The feelings of “anxiety” and “excitement,” for instance, share many kinesthetic features. They are both often experienced in the ‘midline’ areas of the chest and stomach, for example. What quality or qualities would have to be changed or altered in order for us to call a feeling “anxiety” instead of excitement? One such pairing explored in depth by Pragmagraphics was in the area of Meta Model patterns known as ‘modal operators’. Modal operators include words like: “should” “have to,” “can,” “must,” “impossible,” “want to,” “ought to,” etc. Pragmagraphics would ask the question, “What needs to be there in order for us to feel that we ‘have to’ do something versus that we ‘want to’ do it? In other words, what is the difference between “desire” (wanting something, but still having the choice) and “compulsion” (having to do something, and having no choice about it). What needs to be there in order for us to call something “choice” or “compulsion?” And, “How can we use this information in order to help transform compulsion into choice?”
The Pragmagraphic Swish Design Patter The Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern is an example of the application of Pragmagraphic principles to the design of a Swish Pattern for shifting a compulsive behavior to a state of creativity and choice. The Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern was created by Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein in 1986 as part of their work in addressing issues relating to addictions and compulsions. The basic premise of this process is that it is much more difficult to attempt to change or stop a compulsive act when it has already reached the threshold of intensity that a person feels that he or she “has to” do it – i.e., the “point of no return.” Trying to change the compulsive response at that point leads to struggle and frustration. Consider the following scale.
Scale of Intensity
Scale of Intensity for a Compulsive Response
This scale suggests that we can rate a compulsive response with respect to its degree of intensity – in which 0 represents “no desire” to engage in the compulsive act and 10 represents a point at which there is no longer any choice, and the person “has to” do the behavior. It is much easier to redirect the behavior when the response is only at the level of 1, 2 or 3 than when it is at 9 or 10. The challenge for most people, however, is that they only become aware of the compulsive response after it has already reached an intensity level of 7 or 8. Thus they have no possibility to make any intervention at an earlier point, and always end up struggling. One objective of the Pragmagraphic Swish Design process is to help people bring into consciousness, and distinguish between, more of these gradations in the level of intensity of the compulsive response. One interesting question from the Pragmagraphics perspective is, “If we call this response a ‘compulsion’ when it is at the level of 9 or 10, what do we call it when it is at 7 or 6, or 3 or 2?” Do we still call it a “compulsion” or do we have different names for it? At the level of 5, for instance, we might call the response a “desire” or a “wish” rather than a “compulsion.” Perhaps at the level of 2 or 3, we would call it “emptiness” or “confusion.” By being able to bring the entire scale of the response into conscious awareness, we are suddenly provided with much more possibility to take action earlier, when it is more simple and easy to shift our behavior somewhere more ecological and appropriate. A next question would be “What is the easiest to change or redirect the response?” Most people try to simply negate or squelch their compulsive feelings or responses. The fundamental NLP approach to change, however, is pacing and leading, and typically involves dealing with the structure of a response rather than its content. The steps leading to a compulsion, for instance, could be considered a type of ‘chain’. And, as the old adage points out, “the chain is no stronger than its weakest link.” The purpose of the Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern is to weaken the link leading to the compulsive response, and strengthen the link in the chain that leads to the state of creativity and choice. This is done by identifying and shifting the Submodality qualities that create these links. The typical “Swish” format involves de-intensifying one set of submodality qualities while simultaneously increasing another set, stimulating different pathways of neurology and resulting in a shift in the direction of the internal response.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical
journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Steps of the Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern From Meta Position, physically lay out locations for (K1) "Have To," (K2) "Want To," (K3) "?," and (K4) "Creativity or Choice," as shown in the following diagram.
Pragmagraphic Swish Design'
Layout for the Steps of the Pragmagraphic Swish Design Pattern 1. Stand in the "Have To" location and identify a compulsive behavior and the specific feeling associated with doing it (K1) – i.e., what feeling do you experience when you "HAVE TO" do the compulsive behavior? 2. Take a step backward to the "Want To" location and identify the response that comes just BEFORE K1 and the specific feeling (K2) associated with it – i.e., what response makes you "WANT TO" engage in the compulsive behavior? 3. Take another step backward to the "?" location and identify the response that comes just BEFORE K2 and the specific feeling associated with it (K3) -– i. e., what response triggers the feeling of wanting to engage in the compulsive behavior? NOTE: This response will often be initially outside of the conscious awareness and may not ever have been consciously associated with the compulsive behavior before. 4. Elicit the visual and auditory submodalities of K3 and determine which
submodalities are critical in increasing the intensity of the feeling in such a way that it begins to lead you into "Wanting To" engage in the compulsive behavior (K2). Which submodalities decrease the "?" feeling of K3 so that you do not feel like you "Want to" do the compulsive behavior. Also determine which submodalities have no impact on the degree or quality of the K3 feeling. 5. Step into the final location and identify a state of choice and creativity and the specific feelings (K4) that accompany choice and creativity. a. Elicit the visual and auditory submodalities that accompany K4 and determine which submodalities are critical in increasing/decreasing the intensity of K4. Also determine which submodalities have no impact on the degree or quality of the feeling. b. Find which critical submodality is SHARED by both K3 and K4. (eg. brightness) 6. Step back into the "?" location. Start with the critical submodality for K3 in the most intensified state (eg. bright and close) and the critical submodality for K4 in the least intensified state (eg. dim and distant). Notice the degree to which you are "pulled" into the "Want to" location (K2). Slowly intensify the critical submodality for K4 as you simultaneously de-intensify the critical submodality for K3 (eg. have K4 get closer and brighter and K3 get dimmer and more distant) until their positions are completely switched. As you do this, slowly step from the "?" location into the location for choice and creativity (K4). 7. Step away from the K4 location and repeat step 6 at least five times as fast as possible. 8. Test by stepping back into the "?" location and noticing which direction you naturally feel like moving, toward K2 or K4? What happens when you try to go back to the compulsive feeling and behavior.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have Suggestions or Comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected].
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
NLP, Aging and Longevity Living a long and vital life is a goal that most of us share. How precisely it can be achieved, however, has remained a largely unsolved puzzle. What is the key to longevity? How is it possible to maintain a youthful outlook and energy level as we advance in years? Just what are the 'secrets' of those exceptional elderly people who have mastered the challenges of life?
Studies on Longevity One expression of the general interest in the subject of longevity is the large amount of statistical data that has been gathered about individuals and communities who reach unusually advanced ages. This information can be roughly divided into two categories: 1) data about communities that, as a group, reach an exceptionally high average age, and 2) data about individuals who reach unusually high ages compared to their peers in the same community. An example of research in the first category (healthy communities) is the study of inhabitants of areas like the Hunza-region in Pakistan and Abkhasia in Russia. An example of the second type of research (healthy individuals) would be the study by George Gallup (1966) which investigated the habits and lifestyle of 402 Americans with an average age of 99 years. The primary method for conducting statistical research on longevity involves contrasting long living individuals or communities with shorter living ones. As a result of this contrast statistically significant differences are determined. All relationships discovered in this way are correlational in nature. For instance: statistical research shows that moderate drinking correlates with high age, it doesn't prove that it actually causes high age. There is always the possibility of a third factor causing both moderate drinking and high age. Statistical research might establish a correlation between eating ice cream and death by drowning; the third factor in this case being hot weather. Secondly, this type of research concerns itself with averages. And as the saying goes: "You can easily drown in most rivers with an average depth of three feet." The correlations that have been found this way, involve hereditary factors, behavioral
and nutritional factors, personality factors and social factors. They can be summarized as follows: Long living communities and individuals (on the average): 1. Have parents and close relatives who also reach high ages and have a low incidence of coronary and hereditary diseases. 2. Drink moderately (1 or 2 drinks a day) and don't smoke. 3. Eat low fat, low sugar, low calorie diets and are not overweight. 4. Exercise regularly but not excessively. 5. Are flexible, relaxed, determined, cheerful, optimistic and intelligent (above average IQ). 6. Avoid high risk situations. 7. Have lasting relationships (friends and spouse). 8. Have sex at least 1 or 2 times per week. 9. Experience a moderate or slow change rate in their lives. Even though statistical data doesn't prove any causal relationships, it provides a fairly clear ideal (and composite) picture of the lifestyle and personality of the active, healthy 90-year old. He or she is a happy, flexible person with a moderate, balanced lifestyle and harmonious social relationships. The next question then becomes: "How does one become such a person?" Since most people in our society already know that the described lifestyle is healthy, we know that a simple instruction like "Live happily and moderately" is not enough. We want to find the psychological processes which organize most of the statistically significant factors into a consistent life pattern that can be maintained in a relaxed and almost automatic fashion. We know roughly what a vital old person does, now we need to know how he does it. Most of this information, however, is on the level of behavioral, environmental and general personality factors. Two crucial elements have been missing: 1. an in depth analysis of the specific psychological processes involved, and 2. a way to consolidate all of this data into an integrated system of life-patterns that can be easily attained by the average person. In order to implement such a system, we need to explore the overall psychological factors required to organize and support the behavioral and environmental patterns. Cognitive strategies, beliefs, identity and 'spiritual' issues influence our will to live, our ability to cope with stress created by life-transitions and our ability to establish consistently healthy life-patterns. The importance of these deeper levels of organization is becoming more and more acknowledged by the medical profession. Dr. Peter Van Der Schaar, for instance, director of the International Biomedical Center in the Netherlands (a leading cardio-vascular surgeon for over 25 years and an
orthomolecular specialist studying the biochemical aspects of life extension), proposes that all surgical and chemical knowledge is basically powerless to extend life, unless the patient is able to establish healthy overall life patterns.
Psychological Influences on Health and Aging In addition to environmental and behavioral factors, psychological factors have also been shown to influence the health of aging people. Rodin (1986) cites a relationship between health and a sense of control in elderly people. Her studies showed that there were detrimental effects on the health of older people when their control of their activities was restricted; in contrast, interventions that enhanced options for control by nursing home patients promoted health. Rodin also reported a relationship between physical health, sense of control and 'symptom labeling' in people of all ages. That is, a person's sense of control effected the way he or she experienced and labeled bodily sensations as symptoms relevant to health or illness and vice versa. In other words, people who have less of a sense of control are more apt to label a physical sensation as a 'symptom' of illness. Likewise the label given a particular physical sensation will effect the degree of control a person feels about it. Certainly, in recent years, the body of data connecting health and attitude has grown significantly. There are numerous indications that the attitude of an elderly person towards life may influence their health in many ways. NLP has much to add to this exploration. With the tools and processes provided by Neuro-Linguistic Programming, we can begin to build a pragmatic model of the psychological elements necessary for living a long and vital life. NLP has been applied already to the study of the how mental strategies and belief systems influence illness (Dilts; 1980, 1983, 1990). Strategy and belief techniques were developed to help people deal with illness more effectively, but these techniques have naturally been remedial in nature. The extension of life involves more than avoiding and overcoming illness - it requires strategies and beliefs that allow us to achieve positive overall life patterns and attitudes.
Modeling Longevity NLP was originally developed through the modeling of the shared cognitive, linguistic and behavioral patterns of exceptional therapists such as Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton Erickson. The same modeling principles may be used to find the patterns of exceptional elderly people who have successfully mastered the aging process.
In May 1988 Robert Dilts and Jaap Hollander conducted an NLP modeling project to identify the strategies and beliefs of four vital and active elderly Dutch people. The project was conducted in a 2 1/2 day workshop-format, organized by the Institute for Eclectic Psychology (IEP) of Nijmegen in The Netherlands. The workshop involved 35 advanced NLP practitioners who participated in the modeling design and assisted in the observation phase. The program started with an evening session during which specific modeling questions were generated and selected. Questions centered around issues such as life transitions, time lines and time perception, relationships to significant others, personal beliefs and values, strategies for coping with stress, illness and death, and attitudes about aging. The following is the list of questions that were asked during the interviews. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. u. v.
Do you consider yourself to be an exceptional person? How do you know that you are vital? Where do you get your energy? What do you consider to be the most important transitions in your life? Which transitions were the most difficult? How did you cope with them? How do you cope with stress and problems in general? What has changed the most about you in your life? What has stayed the same? Have you left any parts of yourself or your life behind? Would you change anything about your life? How do you see your future? How do you relate to your past? Which do you believe is most important in order to live a long and vital life: Mind, Body, or Environment? Which has had the most important role in your life: Vision, Language or Feelings? In order to live a long and vital life which is of more importance: the specific things that you do to keep physically healthy or your general approach to life? What gives you your sense of self or identity? Do you feel that you have a mission or purpose in life? How were you influenced by your relationship with: Your parents? Your children? Your mate? Did you have other role models besides your parents? Who influenced you the most? Who are you the most grateful to? How have you dealt with the death of significant others? Are they still present in your life? How do you think about death in general? How do you deal with illness? What is the difference between age and youth? What is your attitude about the relationship between work and play? What are the most important values to have in life? What are your views on spiritual issues such as God and the afterlife, etc.?
w. x. y. z.
What is the role of emotions in your life? Is humor important for long life? What is your favorite joke? What question do you think is most important for us to answer in our own lives?
Conclusions of the Study The most basic rules for effective and successful behavior according to NeuroLinguistic Programming are: 1. ave a fixed future goal. 2. Have the sensory evidence necessary to accurately determine your progress toward the goal. 3. Have a variable set of means to get to your goal and the behavioral flexibility to implement these choices. Each of the models in the NLP study demonstrated a stubborn determination to achieve their own goals in life and the flexibility to 'roll with the punches' in order to get to those goals. Further, each goal had a concrete expression - whether it was in bicycle racing, writing books, church activities, or fashion and nature. The models violated some of the statistical data from previous studies. For example, instead of long relationships, each had lost at least one spouse and some at an early age. They had all gone through some fairly difficult and traumatic changes such as the war, etc. Rather than the types of environment or events that surrounded our models, it was their approach to these experiences that seemed to be the 'difference that makes the difference'. This conclusion is supported by mounting medical evidence on the interplay between mind and body. The results of the interviews may be summarized as follows. Patterns For Life Extension 1. Physiology ❍ Be symmetrical in gestures and movements. ❍ Keep moving mentally and physically. ❍ Sing. 2. Cognitive Strategies ❍ Look at the positive side of things. ❍ Be able to reframe seemingly negative situations. ❍ Have a sense of humor.
❍ ❍ ❍
Learn from multiple role models. Incorporate lost loved ones. Integrate earlier developmental stages.
3. Meta-program Patterns ❍ Move toward future positives. ❍ Have a strong internal frame of reference. ❍ Match what helps and mismatch what doesn't. 4. Beliefs & Values ❍ Relationships are very important. ❍ I'm useful to others. ❍ Health and vitality are normal. ❍ Old age is a benefit. ❍ You have to work for it, and its worth working for. 5. Identity ❍ Have a stable identity. ❍ Have an identity that is congruent with personal, family and cultural history. 6. Spiritual ❍ Have an ongoing relationship with the spiritual. It is interesting to note that these results appear to match with the advice of another, more well known, vital elderly person. In an interview in USA Today on his 90th birthday, Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking (which has sold 15 million copies in 40 languages since 1952), gave the following tips for success, health and happiness: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Believe in yourself and ride your self confidence. Keep your mind active and you will increase energy. Think positive thoughts. Don't be afraid to try something new. Always strive for the top. Don't dwell on age or sickness. Have faith in God. Love people and try to help others.
Peale, who still travels and lectures regularly, stands as a good model for the potential effects of his own advice. The common approach to life shared by the four models in the NLP study (and echoed by others such as Norman Vincent Peale) can be summarized by the
following six steps: Six Steps to a Long and Vital Life: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Look at the bright side and have a good sense of humor. Keep moving but never leave a part of yourself behind. Stick to who you are and what you want. Value relationships and learn from different people. Move towards a positive future. Sing.
The essence to the models' message about how to live a long and vital life seems to be "Concentrate more on putting more life in your years than years on your life," and longevity will come as a natural result.
Practices That Promote Longevity A key concern of NLP, of course, is how to put such information into practical applications once it has been gathered. According to NLP we must answer the question, "How do we install the beliefs and strategies of these vital elderly models into other people?" Actually, numerous methods already exist for enhancing developing positive belief systems and attitudes. The repetition of positive verbal affirmations and the use of hypnotic suggestion have been used for years to install positive beliefs. In fact, one study showed that elderly nursing home residents who simply received positive hypnotic suggestions for health and long life, lived an average of six years longer than residents at the same institution who received no suggestions! Visualization techniques also exist and have been shown to produce a significant impact on health - even in cases of severe illness such as cancer. Physical stress reduction and relaxations techniques are also available. Our modeling results indicate that there would be positive results in the area of life extension from learning to be more in touch with one's feelings and physiology. Many of these methods, however, often tend to lack the level of technology necessary to build the specific skills and strategies required to actually carry through with the results of such verbal suggestions or visualizations. They are often more likely to be successful in helping to direct and organize individuals who already have coping strategies available to them. Neuro-Linguistic Programming provides many such specific skills and techniques for
developing new strategies and beliefs that involve all of the senses. NLP techniques such as Reframing, the New Behavior Generator, Well-Formedness Conditions for outcomes and Future Pacing provide specific tools to learn many of the important processes described by the models in our study. Advanced NLP skills such as Reimprinting, the Swish Pattern and Integration of Conflicting Beliefs can help people to overcome barriers to these beliefs and strategies should they need it. All of these step-by-step procedures are accessible through the books (Dilts, 1990) and seminars on NLP that are available worldwide, and are beyond the scope of this article. As a result of the research described above, Dilts designed a specific technique/ exercise (see Pattern of the Month) to help directly install both the beliefs and strategies of the vital elderly models. This process may be used to help develop positive beliefs and resources for almost any kind of issue.
References Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. I; Dilts, Robert, et al; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1980. Applications of NLP; Dilts, Robert; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1983. Changing Belief Systems with NLP, Dilts, Robert; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1990. Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being, Dilts, Robert, et al; Metamorphous Press, Portland, OR, 1990. Aging and Health: Effects of the Sense of Control; Rodin, Judith; Science Vol. 233, September 19, 1986, pp.1271-1276. Coping, Stress, Stressors and Health Consequences; Vogel, Wolfgang; Neuropsychobiology 13: 1985, pp. 129-135. Learned Histamine Release; Russell, M., Dark, K. et al; Science Vol. 225, August 17, 1984, pp. 733-734. Psychoneuroimmunology, Ader, R. and Cohen, N.,Academic Press, New York, NY, 1981. Pavlovian Conditioning of Rat Mucosal Mast Cell to Secrete Rat Mast Cell Protease II; MacQueen, G. et al; Science Vol. 243, January 6, 1989, pp. 83-85. NLP and Life Extension: Modeling Longevity, Dilts, R. & Hollander, J., Dynamic Learning Publications, Ben Lomond, CA, 1992. Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Time Line Longevity Procedure 1. Create a Physical Life-Line Imagine a line, extending from left to right, on the ground in front of you This line represents your past, present and future. Creating a physical life-line will allow you to have a concrete reference for the events in your life. As you will find out, it will allow you to put your whole body into the process as well as words and images. a. Establish a 'meta position' off of the time line. When you are to the side of your time-line, looking at it from left to right, you are in 'meta position'. From this position you are a disassociated observer of the events of your life. You should be able to view the events of your life without reliving them or experiencing the emotions associated with them. 2. Go to a Positive Future Step onto your time line into the place that marks the 'present'. You should be facing your future, extending indefinitely into the distance in front of you, with your past trailing off behind you. Assuming a relaxed and resourceful physical posture, walk slowly into your future. You may create as distant a future as you would like. The exact amount of time in years is not important. What is important is that you are able to actually experience yourself in your future in your desired state, feeling vibrant, healthy and vital. Make sure that your future satisfies the following conditions: a. You are going towards something positive. "Think about what you will be feeling and experiencing in terms of your health (as opposed to what you will be avoiding)." b. You feel in control of your own health; that it is normal and you deserve it. It is a part of who you are. c. You can experience it with all of your senses. "What, specifically, do you see, hear and feel as you manifest this future you?" d. You are still of value to others and can use your age as a benefit. e. You are in touch with, congruent with, guided and protected by something bigger than you. f. Your actual physical posture and movements are balanced and symmetrical as you stand in your future.
3. Treasure Hunt. Turn around and face your past. Focusing on the feelings of vitality and health that you are experiencing as you stand in your future, begin to slowly walk along your time line into the past. Find the 'treasures' in your past - i.e., any positive experiences that support the capabilities or beliefs needed to accomplish your desired life goals. Also identify any significant others that have helped you develop those beliefs and capabilities, have supported you or have served as a positive model for you. Stop at each place on your time-line where you discover one of these treasures and fully relive the experience, feeling it and enjoying it. It is not necessary that you be conscious of exactly what happened in a particular event or even when exactly it was. Allow the feeling of health and vitality from your future to guide you to the experiences that are most supportive and appropriate.
"Treasures" are Past Experiences that support the Future Goal 4. Uncovering 'Buried Treasure' You may stumble upon negative memories or experiences that do not seem to support the future goal. If you want you may simply step over or around those experiences. Often times, however, these experiences hold 'buried treasures'. That is, that they were an important learning experience and, if framed appropriately, can become a positive experience as opposed to a negative one. To do this: a. Step off of your time-line to meta-position so that you are no longer associated into any of the negative aspects of the experience and can look at it from the outside. b. As you look back at that event think about what resource you would have needed to make it different. What belief, knowledge or capability would have made it become a more positive experience. Try some of
the the following strategies to help you: i. Compare the negative experiences to something worse that could have happened. As you look back at the negative experience, think of something worse that could have happened but didn't. It may make you thankful that what did occur was only as bad as it was. ■ Find positive meanings to negative events. An event that is negative on one level may mean something positive within the framework another level. The fact that you experienced a problem on one level may mean that you had solved one on another level. The fact that you perceived something you did as negative may mean that you did not compromise your standards even for yourself. ii. Find causal links from the negative events to positive events. Search for how these negative experiences actually caused positive events to happen at later times. Perhaps some of the most positive things in your life would never have happened without these seemingly negative events. Sometimes the chain of events can be quite long or involved. Try starting with positive events in your life and trace them back to how they were caused either directly or indirectly be the negative events. ■ Keep the different logical levels in mind. Something that was negative on a behavioral level may have caused positive growth on an identity or spiritual level, etc. For example, a negative physical event may make you a stronger person. iii. Find positive intentions behind the negative events. Even if a particular event is negative the intentions behind the seemingly negative behaviors or situations that caused them may be very positive. For example, the positive intention behind getting ill may be to stop a dangerous life pattern or get needed attention. (Again, positive intentions will probably be on a different level than the actual event itself.) iv. Find the humor in the seemingly negative events. Humor allows to view events from a different perspective. Its healing properties have been well documented. George Bernard Shaw said, "Life does not cease to be funny when people die anymore than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." Once you have made all of these reframes on each of the negative events, associate back into the events on your time line and relive the experiences again within the framework of your
new insights. c. Find a place in your life when you were able to be most in touch with the resource that you would have needed in the negative experience. d. Identify the spot on your time-line that the resource experience is located and associate into it fully. e. Fully experience and feel what that resource is like. Imagine that this resource is a kind of light? Visualize what color of light it would be. What kind of brightness and movement would it have? f. Standing at this resource location, imagine you are shining that light across time to the location of the negative experience. Keep shining the light into the negative experience until it has changed, or your perception of it has changed. Often you will discover that the seemingly negative experience will become a kind of 'buried treasure' rather than something painful. 5. Collecting your Treasures into Your 'Treasure Chest' When you have finally reached the earliest supportive memory, turn back around and once again face your future. Slowly walk into the future, again reliving all of the supportive and resourceful events of your life. This time, however, instead of leaving them where they occurred on your time-line, collect together all of those positive, supporting experiences, memories and significant others and take them with you into your future. So that you feel that all those times and all of those people are with you right now. (As before, you may simply step over or around any negative or nonsupportive experiences.) As you are walking, listen inside you for a song that represents or encapsulates the sense of resourcefulness, support, health and wholeness that you feel. Let that song fill your mind and your heart as you walk toward your future. 6. Build a 'Health Hologram' When you once again arrive at the future goal location you should have brought all of those positive and supportive memories to that location. Fully experience all of these resources and the goal together so they form a single self-reinforcing experience and you feel that your future is fully connected to all of the important people and resources of your past - that all of the events of your life lead congruently and directly to this vital healthy future.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have Suggestions or Comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Transderivational Morphology Transderivational morphology is an NLP term which refers to the way in which the form or structure of a particular word directs our pathways of mental association; and thus influences the meaning and impact which that word has on us. Morphology is an area of linguistics that has to do with patterns and structures within particular words. (This is in contrast to syntax, which defines the patterns and relationships that take place between words.) For example, the difference between the words "happy," "happily," "unhappy," "happiest," "happiness," and "unhappiness," is their morphology, or structure. They are all derived from the same root word, but given different twists through the various affixes (prefixes and suffixes) which have been added to the base word. In linguistics, morphological derivation is defined as "the process by which a new word is built from a base, usually through the addition of an affix." Derivation creates a new word by changing the category and/or the meaning of the base word to which it applies. The derivational affix "er," for instance, combines with a verb "X" to create a noun with the meaning "one who does X." The verbs "drive," "jump," "teach," "heal," "help," etc., can all be transformed into nouns by adding the suffix "er" -- i.e., driver, jumper, teacher, healer, helper. From an NLP perspective, the addition of the "er" suffix also begins to shift the word from being primarily focused at the behavior and capability level to the identity level. Some suffixes create adjectives. Adding the suffix "ive" to certain words, for instance, creates and adjective meaning "performs or tends toward an indicated action" -- "responsive," "abusive," "active," "reclusive," etc. Adding prefixes can also create new words. Combining the prefix "re" with a verb, for instance will make a new verb (instead of changing it to a noun), meaning "to X again" -- e.g., "redrive," "reteach," "reheal," etc. Attaching the prefix "un" to a word X creates a new word meaning "not X" ("unhealthy," "unfriendly," "unresponsive," etc.). Thus, prefixes and suffixes can be added to practically any existing words in order to create new words. It is interesting to note, for instance, that the suffix "ize" (which is of Greek origin) was intentionally introduced into English by Thomas Nashe (1567-
1601) in order to "remedy the surplus of monosyllabic words." Almost any noun or adjective can be made into a verb by adding "ize" (e.g., "hospitalize," "familiarize," "finalize," "prioritize"); meaning "cause to be or conform to or resemble." Many technical terms are coined this way (e.g., "oxidize") as well as verbs of ethnic derivation ("Americanize") and verbs derived from proper names ("mesmerize"). Trans-derivational morphology was initially suggested by Richard Bandler in the early 1980's as an extension of the Meta Model (during a similar period as many of the early developments with submodalities). Transderivational morphology implies the examination of the movement of a root word across several derivations. Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein worked with Bandler on the notion, and created several procedures for exploring and applying it. In NLP, a transderivational search (Bandler and Grinder, 1976) is essentially the process of searching back through one's stored memories and mental representations to find the personal reference experiences from which a current understanding or mental map has been derived. In its existing NLP applications, 'transderivational morphology' primarily focuses on the psychological (or "neurolinguistic") effects that various prefixes and suffixes have on the way we understand and are influenced by particular words. The philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson aptly referred to words as a "fossil poems"; implying that the history and "poetry" of a word is encoded in its structure. As author Julian Jaynes so poignantly pointed out: Because in our brief lives we catch so little of the vastness of history, we tend too much to think of language as being solid as a dictionary, with a granite-like permanence, rather than as the rampant sea of metaphor which it is. (The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, 1976). Similar to the skeletons of animals, from which biological fossils are formed, a word's morphology carries a certain amount of information about the word's history, and often tells a story. Etymology is the name given to the study of the history of a linguistic form (such as a word or phrase). Exploring the etymology of a word involves tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, and its transmission from one language to another. This is often done by analyzing the word or phrase into its component parts, identifying related words, or word components ("morphemes") in other languages, or by tracing it and its components to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language. As an example, the English term "addiction" is used to describe dependency on a
particular drug or other substance. The term originally comes from the Latin word addictio which was "a formal award or assignment of a person or thing to another"; such as an award made by a magistrate or a debtor to his creditor. The Latin word comes from the combination of the prefix ad (meaning "to" or "toward") and the word dictus, meaning "say" or "speak" Thus, the term literally means "to say" or make a declaration. The implication of this is that the "addict" was verbally given over to another without his or her consent or choice. In fact, addiction is considered to be the opposite of freedom or choice. Thus, the history of the development of a word is frequently embedded in its structure. Prefixes and suffixes, for instance, carry information about whether the root of the word is Greek, Latin, German, etc. Prefixes such as syn, trans, and com, for example, are Latin; as are the suffixes able, ive, al, and ation. Prefixes such as meta, neo and exo are Greek; and so are the suffixes ology, ist, ism, and ia. The suffix "ing," however, is of Norse origin; and "ful" and "ness" are Old English. Greek suffixes typically go with words that have Greek roots; such as: phobia (phobos = fear), paranoia (nous = mind), mania (menos = spirit), pneumonia (pneuma = air). Latin suffixes accompany base words that are Latin: infection (inficere = "to stain" or "to taint"; facere = "to do or make"), inflammation (flamme = "flame"), addiction (dictus = "to say or speak"). There are words, however, in which the suffixes shift. The word "organizationally," for instance, comes from "organ" + "ize" + "ation" + "al" + "ly". "Organ" and "ize" are Greek; but "ation" and "al" are Latin. The suffix "ly" is actually Old English. Organ is an ancient Greek word meaning "tool," and "ize" is a Greek suffix meaning "to resemble." Thus, when something is "organized" it is "like a tool." The suffixes "ation" and "al" however, are Latin. Interestingly, the terms "organization" and "organizational" didn't come into use (according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) until the 15th Century, when Latin was the dominant language. The word "organizationally" was not used until 1881, when the English language was becoming more dominant. It is also significant that the various word endings change the category to which the word belongs. Organ is a noun, organize is a verb, organization is a noun, organizational is an adjective, organizationally is an adverb.
Different Suffixes Can Change the Deeper Structure Category to which a Word Belongs From the "neurolinguistic" perspective, the syntactic category into which a word falls also changes the path of mental association that we use to make sense of it. Neurologically, the coherent patterns of thought and and association that we use to understand our world and organize our behavior derive from "convergence zones" within the nervous system. These convergence zones mobilize and bring together clusters of activity from other parts of the system. The establishment of such points of convergence is considered a critical element in the processes of learning and communication. Language appears to be a very highly developed way of forming convergence zones for clusters of other cognitive activity. Recent neurological studies indicate that a word serves as a point of convergence or confluence for other neural circuits. (These types of convergence zones are known as "attractors" in the language of selforganization theory.) The meaning and significance of a word to a particular individual is a function of the amount of neurology it mobilizes. The verbal labeling of an experience allows it to be associated and connected to other neural circuits. It influences the process of "transderivational search" that we use to give meaning to the word. Nouns, for example, will trigger different forms of transderivational search than verbs. We are likely to associate to completely different personal reference experiences with the word "organ," for instance, than we would with "organize." The word "organ" might trigger a mental image of a part of the body (such as the lungs, liver, kidney, or heart), or of a musical instrument. We would probably make no such associations with the word "organize." Instead, one might visualize a mental movie of tidying one's desk or planning a social activity. Thus, the addition of a single suffix can completely redirect our whole path of association. According to the notion of transderivational search, the slight shifts in surface structure lead to large changes in the deep structures from which the meaning of the
word is derived.
Shifts in Linguistic Surface Structures Lead to Different Paths of Association at the Level of Deep Structure. Like many of the linguistic patterns defined by NLP, the concept of transderivational morphology comes from exploring the intuitions of native speakers. We have many unconscious intuitions about suffixes and prefixes as native speakers of our language. Native speakers of English, for example, will recognize "peaceful," "happiness" and "contentment" as well-formed words referring to a related group of positive emotional states. Part of the construction of the words includes well-known suffixes in English: "ful," "ness" and "ment." If the suffixes are switched around, however, the words will sound strange. "Peaceness," "happiment" and "contentful" seem like they could or should have meaning, but they are unusual. Try playing around with words like Communist, Capitalist, Freudian, Christian, programmer, and practitioner. Switch around the endings and notice how it affects you: e.g., Communian, Capitaler, Freudist, Christer, programmist, and practitian. From an NLP perspective, various affixes (prefixes and suffixes) could be considered to operate as types of 'verbal submodalities'. In fact, shifts in affixes are often highly correlated with shifts in the submodalities of the non-verbal portion of the inner representations associated with the word. For example, adding "ing" to a word, often results in the addition of the submodality of movement to whatever inner representation a person has for that word. Take words like "hand," "sled," "flower," "bite," or "sleep," for instance. Our initial representation of the experiential 'deep structure' to which these words refer is most likely an image or sense of some static object or event. Adding "ing" to produce "handing," "sledding," "flowering," "biting" or "sleeping," typically immediately brings in or increases a sense of movement with respect to the inner representation.
Try this out with some other words; such as "rock" --> "rocking"; "smile" --> "smiling"; "e-mail" --> "e-mailing"; etc. Notice how adding the suffix alters your internal representations. It is also interesting to do this exercise with respect to words that we do not typically associate with the ending "ing." Think of some words like "phobia," "cancer," "victim," "problem," etc. Add the suffix "ing" and notice how your perception of the experiences or phenomena to which these words refer changes (i.e., "phobing," "cancering," "victiming," "probleming"). It is probably different than the way you normally think about it. It may even prompt you to smile or laugh, because it seems incongruous or unusual. One of the main applications of 'transderivational morphology', in fact, is to shift our internal response to key words that constrain or limit us, by playing with the structure or morphology of the word. In the following exercise, for instance, words associated with problem states are "defused" by substituting alternative prefixes and suffixes.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
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The NLP Pattern of the Month: Exercise: Exploring the Impact of Transderivational Morphology 1. Find a negative identity level statement that has a lot of negative "charge," using the following prompts as a guide: I am _________________. (angry, tired, confused, frustrated, etc.) I am a _________________. (victim, failure, asthmatic, etc.) I am not ___________________. (successful, happy, content, etc.) I have a lot of ___________________. (pain, discomfort, problems, resistance, blocks, etc.) I have no __________________. (vision, creativity, motivation, etc.) 2. Identify the key words and begin to play with their "morphology" by shifting or adding prefixes and suffixes. It is especially provocative to try out affixes that do not normally go with the root word. Take a word like "victim," for example. This root word could be altered in the following ways. victim victist victism victing victful
previctim exvictim unvictim covictim devictim
victimism victiment victimia victimily victimer
Some possible prefixes and suffixes are listed below: Suffixes
Prefixes
3. Notice the shifts that the different affixes make on your experience. You can use the following worksheet to explore and record the impact of the various word structures. Submodality Characteristics include distinctions such as: Movement Color Focus Perspective Distance Location Size Adding the prefix "un" to fail in order to make "unfail," for instance, may reverse the direction of a particular mental movie. Adding the suffixes "ment" or "ia" to create "failment" and "failia" may shift the image of the reference experience to one that is more disassociated, or shift the feeling response that you have to the word to a different location in your body. Physiological Cues involve changes in breathing, body symmetry, eye position, posture, etc., that accompany your reaction to the word. You may have a different eye position while considering the term "prefailure" than "refailure" or "metafailure." Meta Program Patterns relate to distinctions such as: Chunk Size: larger - smaller Time Orientation: past - present - future Point of Reference: self (internal) - other (external) - context (neutral) Attitude: toward - away Altering the word "fail" to "cofail," for example, may shift the point of reference from 'self' to 'other' or 'context'. Creating the words "transfailation" and "defailize" may change the 'chunk size' with which one is considering the experience to be either larger or smaller. Logical Level changes involve the shift in the focus of the reference experience to different 'levels' of experience; i.e., environment, behavior, capabilities, beliefs and values, or identity. A person may originally experience the meaning of "failure" at the level of belief or identity, for instance. Altering the word to "failable" or "failizing" may move the focus of the experience to the level of capability. Usually, there will combinations of patterns. Shifting the term "failure" to "failist," or "failite" may focus the experience at the identity level but simultaneously make it more disassociated.
Transderivational Morphology Worksheet
References Contemporary Linguistics; O'Grady, W., Dobrovolsky, M., and Aronoff, M., 1989. Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have Suggestions or Comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Article of the Month by Robert Dilts.
Anchoring In NLP, "anchoring" refers to the process of associating an internal response with some external or internal trigger so that the response may be quickly, and sometimes covertly, reaccessed. Anchoring is a process that on the surface is similar to the "conditioning" technique used by Pavlov to create a link between the hearing of a bell and salivation in dogs. By associating the sound of a bell with the act of giving food to his dogs, Pavlov found he could eventually just ring the bell and the dogs would start salivating, even though no food was given. In the behaviorist's stimulus-response conditioning formula, however, the stimulus is always an environmental cue and the response is always a specific behavioral action. The association is considered reflexive and not a matter of choice. In NLP this type of associative conditioning has been expanded to include links between other aspects of experience than purely environment cues and behavioral responses. A remembered picture may become an anchor for a particular internal feeling, for instance. A touch on the leg may become an anchor for a visual fantasy or even a belief. A voice tone may become an anchor for a state of excitement or confidence. A person may consciously choose to establish and retrigger these associations for himself. Rather than being a mindless knee-jerk reflex, an anchor becomes a tool for self empowerment. Anchoring can be a very useful tool for helping to establish and reactivate the mental processes associated with creativity, learning, concentration and other important resources. It is significant that the metaphor of an "anchor" is used in NLP terminology. The anchor of a ship or boat is attached by the members of the ships crew to some stable point in order to hold the ship in a certain area and keep it from floating away. The implication of this is that the cue which serves as a psychological "anchor" is not so much a mechanical stimulus which "causes" a response as it is a reference point that helps to stabilize a particular state. To extend the analogy fully, a ship could be considered the focus our consciousness on the ocean of experience. Anchors serve as reference points which help us to find a particular location on this experiential sea and to hold our attention there and keep it from drifting. The process of establishing an anchor basically involves associating two experiences together in time. In behavioral conditioning models, associations become more
strongly established through repetition. Repetition may also be used to strengthen anchors as well. For example, you could ask someone to vividly re-experience a time she was very creative and pat her shoulder while she is thinking of the experience. If you repeat this once or twice the pat on shoulder will begin to become linked to the creative state. Eventually a pat on the shoulder will automatically remind the person of the creative state.
'Anchoring' and Learning A good way to begin to understand the uses of anchoring is to consider how they can be applied in the context of teaching and learning. The process of anchoring, for instance, is an effective means to solidify and transfer learning experiences. In its simplest form, 'anchoring' involves establishing an association between an external cue or stimulus and an internal experience or state, as in the example of Pavlov ringing the bell for his dogs. A lot of learning relates to conditioning, and conditioning relates to the kind of stimuli that become attached to reactions. An anchor is a stimulus that becomes associated with a learning experience. If you can anchor something in a classroom environment, you can then bring the anchor to the work environment as, minimally, an associative reminder of what was learned. As an example of this, they did a research study with students in classrooms. They had students learn some kind of task in a certain classroom. Then they split the class in half and put one of the groups in a different room. Then they tested them. The ones who were in the same room where they had learned the material did better on the exams than the students who had been moved to a different room. Presumably this was because there were environmental cues that were associated with the material they had been learning. We have probably all been in the situation of experiencing something that we wanted to remember, but when we go into a new environment where all the stimuli are so different, it's easier to forget. By developing the ability to use certain kinds of anchors, teachers and learners can facilitate the generalization of learning. There will certainly be a greater possibility that learning will be transferred if one can also transfer certain stimuli. There's another aspect to anchoring related to the fact Pavlov's dog had to be in a certain state for the bell to mean anything. The dogs had to be hungry; then Pavlov could anchor the stimulus to the response. Similarly, there is an issue related to what state learners are in, in order to effectively establish an anchor. For instance, a transparency is a map, but it's also a stimulus. That is, it gives information, but it can also be a trigger for a reference experience. An effective teacher needs to know when to send a message or not to send a message. If people have a sudden insight - an
"Aha!" - and you turn on a transparency, it is going to be received in a different way and associated in a different way than if people are struggling with a concept. Timing can be very important. It is important for a teacher to time the presentation of material in relation to the state of his or her learners. If the teacher has a cognitive package to present, such as a key word or a visual map, he or she must wait for the moment that the 'iron gets hot'. When the teacher senses that there's a kind of a readiness, or a surge, or an openness in the group, at that moment he or she would introduce the concepts or show the key words. Because the point of anchoring is that a teacher is not just giving information, he or she is also providing stimuli that gets connected to the reference experiences of the learners. This is why stimuli that are symbolic are often more effective anchors. The kinds of questions that a teacher needs to answer are, "When do I introduce this idea?" and "How strongly do I want people to experience it, or respond to it?" For example, if the teacher is facilitating a discussion, an issue might arise that is deeply related to beliefs and values that is strongly felt, especially by some people. In that moment, if the presenter puts information out, it becomes connected with that degree of interest or involvement. The point is that anchoring is not simply a mechanical matter of presenting cognitive maps and giving examples. There's also the issue of the state of commitment or interest of the learners, as well. Sometimes a teacher will want to let a discussion go on, not just because people are making logical connections, but because the energy level of the group is intensifying, and you want to capture that moment. In other times, if the state of the group is low, the teacher might not want to anchor that state to certain topics or reference experiences. People may use anchors to reaccess resourceful states in themselves as well as in others. It is possible for a teachers, for instance, to use a self-anchor to get into the state he or she desires to be in as a leader of a group. A self-anchor could be an internal image of something that, when thought about, automatically brings on that state. Somebody one is close to, for instance. One could also make a self anchor through an example. Talking about one's children, or some experience that has a lot of very deep associations. In summary, anchors employ the process of association to: ● ● ●
focus awareness reaccess cognitive knowledge and internal states connect experiences together in order to: ❍ enrich meaning ❍ consolidate knowledge
●
transfer learnings and experiences to other contexts
Cues that are anchors can help to transfer learnings to other contexts. The 'cue' used as an anchor may be either verbal, non-verbal or symbolic (a person may even become an anchor). Common objects and cues from a person's home or working environment may make effective anchors. Some common types of cues used to create anchors include:
Establishing an Anchor One of the skills of effective teaching or learning is being able to 'imprint' something by catching those moments when information will be associated with positive or powerful internal states. Pavlov found there were two ways of creating associations. One was through repetition, the continual association between a stimulus and a response. The other had to do with connecting an intense internal state to a particular stimulus. People, for example, people remember the details of highly emotional experiences with no repetition at all. The association is made immediately. These are two important aspects related to establishing an anchor. One is the continued reinforcement of the anchor. Pavlov found that if he started ringing the bell and not giving the food, eventually the response to the bell would diminish and fail. For an anchor to last for a long time, it has to be in some way reinforced. This is an important issue with respect to continued self-learning. The other aspect has to do with the richness and intensity of the experience one is attempting to anchor. As an example, let's say a couple is preparing for childbirth. The husband is usually in the role of the coach to the expectant mother. One of the challenges of being a coach during birth is that the experience is so intense that it's hard to transfer everything you know because the real situation is so different than the one in which you practice. You practice breathing and the various other techniques at home in a comfortable state, but when the reality happens its a completely different situation that makes it difficult to remember all the techniques that you have practiced. One helpful strategy is to make an anchor. When the expectant mother is in the state that she wants to be able to maintain throughout the birth process, she can make an internal anchor, such as a symbol. She could be asked, "What would symbolize this state?" Let's say she imagines a nautilus shell - a snail shell that has a big opening on the bottom. The couple could then actually buy one of these shells. Then during all their practice sessions, the expectant mother could focus her eyes on the shell. The shell may then be brought into the hospital during the actual child birth process, and
be an ongoing trigger to help generalize the desired state to the actual birthing process. As another example, let's say a team leader is trying to get a group into a positive state for brainstorming, and has done a very nice job of creating a motivated state. The question is, how can the leader anchor that state so that he or she can get back that same degree of motivation more quickly in the future? One way is through particular behaviors, such as a special eye contact, or facial expressions, that could be used again later to trigger that state. Another way is to use something external as a means to draw the focus of the group - like pointing to a flip chart or referring to a transparency.
Anchoring-Elaboration Cycle An anchor is often best established by first associating the cue with the experience, then going through a cycle in which the experience is continually elaborated and the anchor repeated. The 'elaboration - anchoring' cycle is a useful way to reinforce learnings and associations. After the initial association is made, the communicator or teacher will want to 'elaborate' the number of connections by stimulating and anchoring associations such as, "How does this apply to your work?" "How does this relate to your family?" "How does this relate to a friend, or an ongoing situation?" This is not simply a repetitive reinforcement, it's an enrichment and an elaboration of the space of experience which one is trying to anchor to something. The more that can be elaborated or elicited with respect to a particular concept or reference experience, the stronger that anchor will tend to be. For example, music often affects people because of what was happening their when they first heard a particular song. Something important or something significant in their life was going on and the song happened to be on the radio. This is the essence of 'nostalgia'. One can anchor by returning to specific examples, stories, or jokes. Think about being with a group of friends. When you repeat a story about some experience, you recreate the same feeling that you had when you were together before. The word "anchoring" is itself an anchor. During this discussion, for example, we have been connecting a number of different reference experiences to the term 'anchor'. 'Anchoring' is the term we keep coming back to elaborating the richness of its meaning.
Natural Anchors
Natural anchors relate to the fact that not all stimuli are equally effective as anchors. We form associations with respect to some cues more readily than others. Clearly, the ability to make associations with respect to environmental cues in order to choose appropriate responses is vital to the survival of all higher animals. As a result, various species of animals develop more sensitivity to certain types of stimuli than others. Rats, for instance, who are given two water dishes containing safe or tainted drinking water, learn very quickly to distinguish the safe from the tainted water if the tainted water is a different color than the safe water. It takes them much longer to learn to distinguish the two if they are simply put in two containers of different shapes. Color is a more "natural" associative anchor for rats than shape. Similarly, Pavlov found that his dogs could be conditioned to salivate much more quickly and eaily with sound as a stimulus than if visual cues, such as colors and shapes, were used as a conditioning stimuli. Natural anchors are probably related to basic neurological capabilities. Words, for instance, are able to form powerful anchors for humans, but not for other species. Other mammals (provided they can hear) respond to tone of voice more than the specific words being used. This is presumeably because they lack the neural apparatus to be able to recognize verbal distinctions to the same degree of detail that humans do. Even in humans, some sense organs and parts of the body have more discriminative capacity than others. A person's forearm, for example, has less tactile nerve endings than the palm of the hand. Thus, a person is able to make finer discriminations with the fingers and hands than with his or her arms. The awareness of "natural anchors" is important in selecting types of stimuli to be used for anchoring. Different types of media can be used to help make certain types of associations more easily. With people, individuals may have certain natural tendencies toward certain types of anchors because of their natural or learned representational abilities. A visually oriented person will be more sensitive to visual cues; kinesthetically oriented people may make associations more easily with tactile cues; individuals who are auditorally oriented will be reponsive to subtle sounds, and so on. Smells often form powerful anchors for people. This is partially because the sense of smell is wired directly to the association areas of the brain.
Covert Anchors Sometimes the most powerful anchors for people are those in which the stimulus is outside of awareness. These are called "covert" anchors. The power of covert anchors comes from the fact that they bypass conscious filtering and interference. This can be useful if a person (or group) is struggling to make a change because his or her conscious mind keeps getting in the way. It also makes covert anchors a powerful form of influence.
Covert anchors are often established with respect to stimuli that are from an individual's least conscious representational system. A highly visual person, for instance, may be unaware of subtle shifts in tone of voice. Voice, then, may become a rich source of unconscious cues for that person.
Anchors as Meta Messages Anchoring is often considered to be a purely mechanical process, but it is important to keep in mind that we are not merely robots. A touch on the shoulder or arm my certainly be a stimulus from which to form and anchor, but it can be interpreted at the same time as a "meta message" about context and relationship. Many cues are not simply triggers for responses but are symbolic messages as well. Placing one's on the upper center of another persons's chest (over the heart) is a stimulus, and is also a very symbolic gesture. These types of symbolic and relational messages can be either a help or hinderence to anchoring, depending on whether or not they are aligned with they type of response one is attempting to anchor. As a rule of thumb, for example, if you are using kinesthetic anchors, it is better to establish anchors for negative states toward the periphery of the body (i.e., knees, forearms, or locational anchors). Anchors for positive states can take on more intensity if they are established on areas of the body closer to a person's center or core.
Well-Formedness Conditions for Anchoring The "Well-Formedness Conditions" for anchoring summarize the key elements necessary for establishing an effective anchor. They essentially relate to important characteristics of both the stimulus and response one is attempting to pair up, to the relationship between stimulus and response, and to the context surrounding the stimulus and response. 1. Intensity and "Purity" of the Response Intensity has to do with how fully a particular state or response has been accessed. Even from Aristotle's time it was observed that the more vivid and intense a particular response was, the more easily it was remembered, and the more quickly it became associated with other stimuli. It was easier for Pavlov to "condition" hungry dogs to salivate, for example, than satiated dogs. If a person has accessed only a small
amount of the state or experience you are anchoring, then the anchor can only be associated with that particular amount. Incidentally, "intensity" does not simply have to do with a person's degree of emotional arousal. A person may be in a very strong disassociated state, in which he or she feels no emotional reaction at all. "Purity" of response has to do with whether or not the response or experience you are attempting to anchor has been "contaminated" by other irrelevant or conflicting thoughts, feelings or reactions. It is possible that a person may very intensely experience the state to be anchored, but also mix it with other states and experiences. Another way to state this condition is that you will get back exactly what you anchor. As they say in the parlance of computer programming, "Garbage in, garbage out." If reaching out to anchor someone with a touch makes him or her suspicious, then that suspicion becomes part of the state that is anchored. If you ask a person to think of something positive, but that person is recalling a disassociated memory of the event, and judging whether or not he or she has chosen the right event, then you will be anchoring disassociation and judgment. 2. Uniqueness of the Stimulus used as the "Anchor" The condition of "uniqueness of stimulus" relates to the fact that we are always making associations between cues in the world around us and our internal states and reactions. Some stimuli are so common that they make ineffective anchors, largely because they have already been associated with so many other contexts and responses. Shaking hands or touching a person's shoulder are much less unique stimuli than a touch on the middle digit of the little finger. Unique stimuli mae better and longer lasting anchors. It is important to note that "uniqueness" is not the same as "intensity". A more intense stimulus is not necessarily a more effective anchor. A more intense stimulus may be unique, but very subtle, even unconscious stimuli (such as the subtle smells and sensations that trigger allergic reactions), may be unique and thus very strong anchors. 3. Timing of the Pairing of Stimulus and Response The relationship in time between stimulus and response is one of the key conditions of effective association. According to the basic 'laws' of association, when two experiences occur close enough together a sufficient number of times, the two experiences become associated
with one another. Studies involving classical conditioning have shown that this association proceeds only forward in time; that is, the stimulus (the bell) must precede the response (salivating when eating food). There also seems to be an optimal interval at which various types of associations are most easily made. For quick reflexes such as an eyeblink, this interval is about one-half second; longer or shorter intervals are less effective. For slower reactions such as salivation the interval is longer, perhaps two seconds or so. In learning verbal associations timing is much less critical than in classical conditioning. Verbal pairs are learned with almost equal ease whether presented simultaneously or separated by several seconds. In NLP, the optimal anchoring period is determined in relationship to the peak of the intensity of the response or state one is anchoring. It is generally taught that the stimulus should be initiated when the response to be anchored had reached about two-thirds of its peak. If possible, the anchoring stimulus should be held until just after the state has stabilized or begins or diminish. In this way, the association is created between the stimulus and the crest of the response. To do this, the response must be "calibrated," so that the behavioral charactersitics of the response are known before the anchoring is attempted.
Anchoring Stimulus
It is Best to Provide the Anchoring Stimulus Just Before the Intensity of the Response Reaches Its Peak 4. Context Surrounding the Anchoring Experience Context is an important influence on anchoring that is often ignored. The context or environement surrounding an interaction contains many cues which may effect the anchoring process. Even though they are not
the primary focus of attention, environmental cues can become anchors. In what is called "context association," the general environment may begin to elicit a response that is being conditioned to a specific stimulus. (Context association is the basis for "locational anchors.") It is interesting to note, in this regard, that Pavlov first accidently discovered the notion of conditioned reflexes as a result of contextual conditioning. For his research on digestion, Pavlov needed to collect saliva from his laboratory animals. He stimulated saliva flow by placing meat powder in the dog's mouth; soon he noticed the dog would begin salivating at the sight of the experimenter, in the expectation of receiving meat powder. In some cases, contextual stimuli may combine with the primary anchoring stimulus, making the environment part of the overall anchoring experience. Because of this, many anchors are "context dependent." That is, they work more effectively in the context in which they were initially established. The influence of context relates to the process of 'Learning II'. In addition to being part of the anchoring stimulus, context shapes perceptual filters and attention. Anchoring is a classical 'Learning I' process, but humans and animals are not robots. Whether or not a context is interpreted as being "safe," "important," "unfaimiliar," "a learning context," "a place to explore," etc. will determine which type of stimuli people pay attention to, and how readily and easily certain types of anchors will be established. From this perspective it is important that the rapport between the individuals involved in the anchoring process and the environment be condusive to the type of anchors one intends to establish.
Also see the NLP Pattern of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth. You also may want to visit the Anchor Point Page. Anchor Point is the practical journal of NLP.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page.
If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The NLP Pattern of the Month: Exercise: Anchoring a "Resource" State The following exercise applies the process of anchoring, and the "well-formedness" conditions for establishing and anchor, to the creation of "resource anchor." It is best practiced in a location where you can be focused and undisturbed. Step 1. Choose a resourceful state you would like to experience more often (e.g., selfconfidence). Identify a specific time in which you fully that experienced that state. Step 2. Relive the experience, associating yourself fully in your own point of view. See through your own eyes, hear through your own ears, and feel the sensations in your body. Take an inventory of the cognitive and behavioral patterns, both obvious and subtle, associated with the resource experience and your internal state: a. Listen to any sounds or words associated with the resource experience. b. Look through your mind's eye at scenes and details of objects and events which make up that resourceful experience. c. Get in touch with the sensations, both emotional and tactile, associated with feeling resourceful. Notice your body posture, breathing, etc. d. Recall any smells or tastes related to the resource experience. When you have finished your inventory, stop thinking of the experience and shake off the state. Step 3. Select a unique self anchor. Identify some part of your upper body that is easy for you to touch, but which is not usually touched during daily interactions. For example, the palms of your hands, your shoulders, and even your cheeks are often touched by yourself or others in the natural course of daily interaction. Therefore, they do not usually make a unique enough trigger for an effective and lasting anchor. On the other hand, your ear lobe, the knuckle of your ring finger, or the skin in between your forefinger and middle finger can provide areas of unique stimuli that will not be "contaminated" by more random contact. Step 4. Begin to reaccess the resource experience. As you feel that the state is about to reach its maximum intensity, touch or squeeze the part of your body that you have chosen as your anchor. Adjust the pressure of your touch or tightness of your squeeze to match the degree of intensity of your feeling of the resource state.
After you have done this for a few seconds, stop thinking of the experience and shake off the state. Step 5. Repeat 'Step 4' several times, each time enhancing your experience of the resource state by amplifying any submodalities (color, movement, brightness, etc.) associated with the state, and including all representational modalities (sight, sound, feeling, movement, smell and taste). Step 6. Test your anchor by clearing your mind and simply touching or squeezing your self anchor location. The associated experience of your resource state should arise spontaneously without any conscious effort. Continue to repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have easy access to your resource state. Step 7. Identify some of the situations in which you would like to have more of your state. Imagine being each situation touch your self anchor in order to create and automatic association. As you do this exercise, pay attention to the cues and distinctions that allow you to access and discriminate between the representational systems you are accessing and the state you are creating. You may also wish to establish anchors for yourself in this way for other states or experiences such as relaxation, creativity, motivation, etc. In a way, the pattern of this process is that embodied by all biofeedback: A certain state picked and identified. As the individual accesses that state he is given feedback for it by way of a particular stimulus_the tightness of the grip in this case (Ke ); it is done through tones (Ae ), or by intensity or color of light or the position of an arm on a dial (Ve ) in other biofeedback processes. After a while the feedback stimulus and the target state become associated (the stimulus becomes an anchor for the state) so that the mere presentation of the feedback stimulus anchors and contributes to to the development of the target state. You may want to experiment with internal anchors as well. For instance, if you wish to be able to access a state of relaxation easily you can begin by imaging a color vividly in your mind's eye. Begin to allow your body to relax as much as possible, lowering your breathing and relaxing any tense muscles. As you reach the state you desire, watch the color change to a color that most exemplifies that state for you (from orange to blue for example). You may also wish to allow the color to change configuration (watch it drip down into your stomach as it changes color). Keep practicing until you are able to access the state of relaxation by simply imagining the color. Then, when you notice you are tense or anxious, and you wish to have a choice about the condition, all you need to do is simply close your eyes momentarily, take a deep breath and imagine the color, and it will access the desired state.
Many forms of meditation involve auditory anchors like mantras and chanting to access downtime states or relaxation. The words or sounds are repeated as the individual enters the state. Later, repeating the sounds will readily anchor up the designated state.
Extinguishing an Anchor A common question that people have is, "How long does an anchor last?" The answer to that question relates to how many of the "well-formedness conditions" for anchoring it meets. An anchor made of an intense response, a unique stimulus, a welltimed association and which has been appropriately contextualized can last a very long time. According to Pavlov, some of the conditioned reflexes of his dogs were only extinguished with the death of the animal. This holds true with negative anchors (such as phobias) as well as positive anchors, however. Sometimes it is useful to have a way of changing or "extinguishing" an anchor. NLP provides a number of ways to have more choices about automatic anchors. If you ever want to reprogram or "get rid of" any anchors you have established for yourself, for instance, all you need to do is "collapse" the anchor with some other anchor or experience. For example, you could squeeze your wrist at the same time you fire off some other anchor or when you are experiencing some other state. Remember, though, that when you fire off the anchor you wish to reprogram it will influence your ongoing experience, so that when you are reprogramming yourself be sure to pick anchors, states and/or experiences that are of equal intensity and strength to the one you are changing. If you wish to strengthen an anchor be sure you pick a stimulus that you can keep fairly autonomous and that won't be accidentally fired off and integrated with others. The NLP techniques of VK Disassociation, Chaining and Change Personal History provide other ways of "extinguishing" or transforming problematic anchors.
Also see the Article of the Month or the Archives if you are interested in checking out NLP in more depth.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or
comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Robert B. Dilts
Mr. Dilts has been a developer, author, trainer and consultant in the field of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP)—a model of human behavior, learning and communication— since its creation in 1975 by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. A long time student and colleague of both Grinder and Bandler, Mr. Dilts also studied personally with Milton H. Erickson, M.D., and Gregory Bateson. In addition to spearheading the applications of NLP to education, creativity, health, and leadership, his personal contributions to the field of NLP include much of the seminal work on the NLP techniques of Strategies and Belief Systems, and the development of what has become known as ‘Systemic NLP’. Some of his techniques and models include: Reimprinting, Integration of Conflicting Beliefs, Sleight of Mouth Patterns, The Spelling Strategy, The Allergy Technique, Neuro-Logical Levels, The Belief Change Cycle, Generative NLP Patterns, the Unified Field Theory for NLP and many others.
He is the principle author of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. I (with John Grinder, Richard Bandler and Judith DeLozier, 1980), which serves as the standard reference text for the field, and has authored numerous other books on NLP. Changing Belief Systems with NLP (1990) and Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well Being (with Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, 1990) describe his work in changing limiting beliefs and creating functional belief systems. Tools for Dreamers (with Todd Epstein and Robert W. Dilts, 1991) and Skills for the Future (with Gino Bonissone, 1993), explore the applications of NLP to manage and enhance creativity. Effective Presentation Skills (1994) covers the key skills necessary for successful public speaking. Strategies of Genius Vols. I–III (1994-1995), apply the tools of NLP to model the thinking processes of important historical figures; including Aristotle, Sherlock Holmes, Disney, Mozart, Einstein, Freud, Leonardo and Nikola Tesla. Dynamic Learning (with Todd Epstein, 1995), explores the development of effective strategies for learning and teaching. Visionary Leadership Skills (1996), studies tools and skills necessary for "creating a world to which people want to belong." Tools of the Spirit (with Robert McDonald, 1997), explores how NLP principles and processes may be used to encourage and enhance spiritual growth and
development. Modeling with NLP (1998) covers the tools and skills for modeling the behavior of exceptional people, illustrating the application of NLP modeling procedures to the study of effective leadership ability. Sleight of Mouth (1999) describes the set of verbal reframing patterns he developed to conversationaly influence beliefs. The Encyclopedia of Systemic Neuro-Linguistic Programming and NLP New Coding (with Judith DeLozier, 2000), provides a comprehensive overview of the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, including its wide range of applications, techniques and influences. Alpha Leadership: Tools for Business Leaders Who Want More From Life (with Ann Deering and Julian Russell, 2002) describes a new model of leadership that captures and shares the latest know-how on the practice of effective leadership, offering approaches to reduce stress and to promote satisfaction. Dilts' most recent work From Coach to Awakener (2003) provides a road map and set of toolboxes for coaches to help clients to goals on a number of different levels of learning and change.
Recognized internationally as one of the foremost developers, trainers and practitioners of NLP, Mr. Dilts has done consulting and training throughout the world to a wide variety of professional groups and organizations. Past sponsors and clients include Apple Computer, World Bank, Hewlett Packard, Ernst & Young, Telecom Italia, Lucasfilms Ltd., Alitalia, The American Society for Training and Development, The University of Miami School of Medicine, and all of the major NLP institutes. He has lectured extensively on NLP, making presentations and keynote addresses for The European Forum for Quality Management, The World Health Organization, Harvard University, The California Association of Special Education Teachers and The National Tumor Institute of Italy.
Dilts was head of an extensive study of leadership skills, organizational values and creativity for Fiat, spanning more that a dozen years. He is currently an associate professor at ISVOR Fiat, the corporate university for the Fiat Group and has been extensively involved in the development of the new Fiat Leadership Model. He is also chief scientist for a US based joint venture with ISVOR Fiat, ISVOR DILTS Leadership Systems. The mission ISVOR DILTS is to deliver a wide range of innovative leadership development programs to large corporations on a global scale. These programs leverage leading edge e-learning solutions and other new technologies to serve corporate clients around the world. Dilts also headed a project with the State Railway of Italy involving organizational learning and communication skills for trainers, instructors and presenters. He has developed a certification program for NLP and systemic thinking skills for the
management development group of IBM Europe, and supervised the design of Tools for Living, the behavior management portion of the program used by Weight Watcher’s International.
In 1982 Mr. Dilts co-founded the Dynamic Learning Center with the late Todd Epstein. In 1991 he and Epstein established NLP University which provides a full range of basic and advanced NLP training. He and Epstein were also the founders of Dynamic Learning Publications and The Academy of Behavioral Technology.
Dilts is also a co-founder (with Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith) of the Institute for Advanced Studies of Health (IASH). IASH is a non-profit organization, established in 1994, which supports research and networking relating to the application of Systemic NLP methods to the area of health. As part of this mission, IASH provides administration for The NLP World Health Community and Health Certification Training. IASH maintains an international directory of certified NLP Health Practitioners.
In 1981 Mr. Dilts established Behavioral Engineering, a computer software company using NLP concepts to create interactive computer products for education, training and personal development. He is the author of over two dozen computer programs including Spelling Strategy and Math Strategy, Typing Strategy and Mind Master - a unique computer interface utilizing the electrical activity of the skin to allow the computer to respond to a person's thought patterns. The Mind Master was featured in two television documentaries on computer aid to the handicapped and an interactive theater production at Expo 86.
Mr. Dilts is also the co-inventor of a unique biofeedback device known as the NeuroLink, which simultaneously monitors and records activity in heart rate, body temperature and the electrical activity on the left and right sides of the body. Dilts' State Enhancement Coach software combines these key measurements of nervous system activity with artificial intelligence and NLP methods and principles to help people achieve optimal states of health, learning and personal performance. The NeuroLink is the core technology for the Mind Drive products marketed by The Other 90%.
Other organizations founded or co-founded by Dilts include the Global NLP Training and Consulting Community (GTC) and Dilts Strategy Group (DSG). The vision of the Global NLP Training and Consulting Community is that of a worldwide network of competent trainers, consultants, developers and sponsors who share the mission of bringing the presuppositions and practices of NLP to social systems, organizations, groups and individuals. The members of this community recognize that effective training, consulting, coaching, developing and organizing require leadership – the skill to bring vision into action and support learning and change.
The mission of the Dilts Strategy Group is to bring together proven business criteria with strategic knowledge to help companies grow and succeed. With the dawn of the Internet revolution and the continuing globalization of business, such proven strategies have become essential in order for organizations to survive and succeed in making the transition to the new business paradigm.
From 1979-1981 Mr. Dilts was Vice President and Director of Research for NOT Ltd. Division of Training and Research in NLP where he helped design the curriculum and testing procedures for the first NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner certification programs with Leslie Cameron-Bandler-Lebeau, David Gordon and Maribeth Meyers-Anderson.
Mr. Dilts has a degree in Behavioral Technology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He received the President's Undergraduate Fellowship in 1977 for research correlating eye movement and brain function conducted at the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco.
The following is a list of the works of Robert Dilts in print:
BOOKS 1. From Coach to Awakener; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 2003. 2. Alpha Leadership: Tools for Leaders Who Want More From Life, coauthored with Anne Deering and Julian Russell, John Wiley & Sons, London,
3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
14. 15. 16.
17. 18.
England, 2002. Encyclopedia of Systemic Neuro-Linguistic Programming and NLP New Coding, co-authored with Judith DeLozier, NLP University Press, Santa Cruz, CA, 2000. Sleight of Mouth: The Magic of Conversational Belief Change; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1999. Modeling with NLP; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1998. Tools of the Spirit, co-authored with Robert McDonald, Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1997. Visionary Leadership Skills: Creating a World to Which People Want to Belong; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1996. Dynamic Learning; co-authored with Todd Epstein, Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1995. Strategies of Genius Volumes I, II & III; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1994-1995. Effective Presentation Skills; Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1994. Skills for the Future: Managing Creativity and Innovation (with Gino Bonissone); Meta Publications, Capitola, CA, 1993. Cognitive Patterns of Jesus of Nazareth: Tools of the Spirit; Dynamic Learning Publications, Ben Lomond, CA., 1992 Tools For Dreamers: Strategies of Creativity and the Structure of Innovation, co-authored with Todd Epstein and Robert W. Dilts, Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca., 1991. Beliefs: Pathways to Health & Well-Being, co-authored with Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, Metamorphous Press, Portland, OR, 1990. Changing Belief Systems with NLP, Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca.,1990. Applications of Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A practical guide to communication, learning and change, Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca., 1983. Roots of Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A reference guide to the technology of NLP , Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca., 1983. Neuro-Linguistic Programming: The Study of the Structure of Subjective Experience, Volume I ; co-authored with John Grinder, Richard Bandler, & Judith DeLozier, Meta Publications, Capitola, Ca., 1980.
ARTICLES 19. Leadership Cults and Cultures (co-authored with Anne Deering and Julian Russell); Leader to Leader, Number 28, Spring 2003, New York, NY. 20. NLP and Distance Learning (co-authored with Judith DeLozier); Anchor Point, February, 2003, Salt Lake City, UT. 21. Ethics and Leadership, Isvor Training and Education Review, Volume IV, Number 7, December, 2001, Turin, Italy.
22. Resolving Grief with NLP, The Health Attractor Journal, August 2001, Salt Lake City, UT. 23. Shared Values of the NLP Community, Anchor Point, January, 2001, Salt Lake City, UT. 24. Research and NLP, The Health Attractor Journal, September 1999, Salt Lake City, UT. 25. Transderivational Morphology, Anchor Point, July 1999, Salt Lake City, UT. 26. The Evolution of Perceptual Positions; co-authored with Judith DeLozier, Anchor Point, September 1998, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 27. NLP and Intellectual Property; Anchor Point, December 1997, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 28. Time Lines; Anchor Point, October 1997, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 29. The Process of Reimprinting; Anchor Point, July & August 1997, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 30. Map and Territory (co-authored with Judith DeLozier); Anchor Point, May & June 1997, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 31. Darwin's Thinking Path; Anchor Point, November 1996, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, UT. 32. Thought Viruses, Mental Maps and Health; Anchor Point, March-April 1996, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, Utah. 33. Modeling the Wisdom of Jesus; Anchor Point, February 1996, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, Utah. 34. Bringing Light Into The Darkness: The Principle of Positive Intention; Anchor Point, December 1995, Anchor Point Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah. 35. Dynamic Assessment; Anchor Point, October 1995, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, Utah. 36. NLP, Self-Organization and Strategies of Change Management; Anchor Point, July 1995, Anchor Point Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah. 37. NLP and Self-Organization Theory; Anchor Point, June 1995, Anchor Point Assoc., Salt Lake City, Utah. 38. Applications of NLP in Health: Overview of the Seven C's Model; Anchor Point, August 1992, Anchor Point Associates, Salt Lake City, Utah 39. Moshe Feldenkrais: NLP of the Body, 1990, Dynamic Learning Publications, Ben Lomond, Ca. 40. NLP & Life Extension: Modeling Longevity, co-authored with Jaap Hollander, 1990, Dynamic Learning Publications, Ben Lomond, Ca. 41. NLP in Training Groups, co-authored with Todd Epstein, 1989, Dynamic Learning Publications, Ben Lomond, Ca. 42. Neuro-Linguistic Programming in Family Therapy; co-authored with J.D. Green, in Family Counseling and Therapy ; Horne & Olsen editors, 1982, Peacock Publishers, Inc., Itasca, Ill.
43. Let NLP Work for You, Real Estate Today , February, 1982, Volume 15, November 2. 44. Neuro-Linguistic Programming in Organizational Development, 1979, Organizational Development Network Conference Presentation Papers, New York, New York. 45. Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A New Psychotherapy, 1978, Realities Conference Presentation Papers, San Francisco, CA.
FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS 46. Developing World-Class Leadership in a Changing Global Economy, coauthored with John Dilts (expected Fall 2002). 47. Sleight of Mouth: Volume II — The Language of Leadership and Social Change, (expected Spring, 2003). 48. Creating New Pathways to Health and Well-Being, co-authored with Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith, (expected Spring, 2003). 49. The Handbook of NLP New Coding; co-authored with Judith DeLozier, (expected Summer, 2003). 50. Strategies of Genius Volume IV; Bateson, Erickson, Feldenkrais (expected Winter, 2003). 51. Healing Patterns of Jesus of Nazareth (expected Fall, 2003). 52. Strategies of Genius Volume V; Women Geniuses (expected Spring 2004). 53. Systemic NLP: A Unified Field Theory (expected Fall, 2004). 54. Addictions, Compulsions and Identity, co-Authored with Todd Epstein (expected Fall, 2005).
Comments or Suggestions Again, thanks for visiting the Anchor Point Web site. I hope to hear from you again soon. For information on Robert Dilts' products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts, Santa Cruz, CA.
What is NLP? NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: neurology, language and programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interface and communicate with other people and our programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. NeuroLinguistic Programming describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay effects our body and behavior (programming). NLP is a pragmatic school of thought - an 'epistemology' - that addresses the many levels involved in being human. NLP is a multi-dimensional process that involves the development of behavioral competence and flexibility, but also involves strategic thinking and an understanding of the mental and cognitive processes behind behavior. NLP provides tools and skills for the development of states of individual excellence, but it also establishes a system of empowering beliefs and presuppositions about what human beings are, what communication is and what the process of change is all about. At another level, NLP is about self-discovery, exploring identity and mission. It also provides a framework for understanding and relating to the 'spiritual' part of human experience that reaches beyond us as individuals to our family, community and global systems. NLP is not only about competence and excellence, it is about wisdom and vision. In essence, all of NLP is founded on two fundamental presuppositions: 1. The Map is Not the Territory. As human beings, we can never know reality. We can only know our perceptions of reality. We experience and respond to the world around us primarily through our sensory representational systems. It is our 'neurolinguistic' maps of reality that determine how we behave and that give those behaviors meaning, not reality itself. It is generally not reality that limits us or empowers us, but rather our map of reality. 2. Life and 'Mind' are Systemic Processes. The processes that take place within a human being and between human beings and their environment are systemic. Our bodies, our societies, and our universe form an ecology of complex systems and subsystems all of which interact with and mutually influence each other. It is not possible to completely isolate any part of the system from the rest of the system. Such systems are based on certain 'self-organizing' principles and naturally seek optimal states of balance or homeostasis. All of the models and techniques of NLP are based on the combination of these two
principles. In the belief system of NLP it is not possible for human beings to know objective reality. Wisdom, ethics and ecology do not derive from having the one 'right' or 'correct' map of the world, because human beings would not be capable of making one. Rather, the goal is to create the richest map possible that respects the systemic nature and ecology of ourselves and the world we live in. The people who are most effective are the ones who have a map of the world that allows them to perceive the greatest number of available choices and perspectives. NLP is a way of enriching the choices that you have and perceive as available in the world around you. Excellence comes from having many choices. Wisdom comes from having multiple perspectives. NLP was originated by John Grinder (whose background was in linguistics) and Richard Bandler (whose background was in mathematics and gestalt therapy) for the purpose of making explicit models of human excellence. Their first work The Structure of Magic Vol. I & II (1975, 1976) identified the verbal and behavioral patterns of therapists Fritz Perls (the creator of gestalt therapy) and Virginia Satir (internationally renowned family therapist). Their next work Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Vol. I & II (1975, 1976) examined the verbal and behavioral patterns of Milton Erickson, founder of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and one of the most widely acknowledged and clinically successful psychiatrists of our times. As a result of this earlier work, Grinder and Bandler formalized their modeling techniques and their own individual contributions under the name "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" to symbolize the relationship between the brain, language and the body. The basics of this model has been described in a series of books including Frogs Into Princes (Bandler & Grinder, 1979 ) , Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. I (Dilts, Grinder, Bandler, DeLozier, 1980), Reframing (Bandler & Grinder, 1982) and Using Your Brain (Bandler, 1985). Through the years, NLP has developed some very powerful tools and skills for communication and change in a wide range of professional areas including: counseling, psychotherapy, education, health, creativity, law, management, sales, leadership and parenting. For information on Robert Dilts' products and services, please see Robert's Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address: michaelp@bowsprit. com. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
What's New There are a number of important new items, updates and resources that I have recently put up on the web. 1. The Encyclopedia of Systemic NLP and NLP New Coding is finally available! Judy (DeLozier) and I have been working on it for well over four years. It is easily the most ambitious project I have ever been involved in. We have decided to make the NLP encyclopedia available 'on-line' FREE for limited use (25 pages every twenty-four hours). The on-line NLP Encyclopedia is a replica of the printed version, with over 1600 pages of NLP strategies, formats, background material, biographies and information that is essential for anyone who is practicing or interested in NLP. Feel free to put a link to the site from your own web page (if you have one). The online NLP Encyclopedia is intended to be a global resource to promote awareness and credibility for NLP worldwide. It is a great way to get people information and help answer their questions. The printed version of the NLP Encyclopedia, available for purchase through the web site, is a top quality two-volume book set that is an invaluable resource for any NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner or Trainer. In addition to covering relevant material from the 16 books I've written over the past 20 years, it contains more than 50% new material that has not appeared anywhere else before.
2. The NLP Millennium Project, held this past Summer (July 27-August 8, 2000) at UCSC in Santa Cruz, was both a very intense and very inspiring event. A summary of some of the key themes and activities is available at: http://www.nlpu.com/millen. htm. I would like to personally thank all of the people from around the world (more than 26 different countries) for joining together to help make it a success. One of the most important outputs of the event was the identification of Shared Values of the NLP Community). I believe that these values are of the highest importance for the future growth and credibility of NLP. I encourage you to look over these values and continue the conversation with your students, clients and peers. To find out more about what happened at the NLP Millennium Project, check out the
innovative multimedia Internet Participation Site. For a small one-time fee you can: • View streaming 5-10 minute RealVideo® clips summarizing the focus of each day. • Listen to an entire 1-2 hour presentation using RealAudio®. • View charts, diagrams, and other illustrations. • Gain experience by following along with exercises. • Read key information about each day's topic.
3. Dates for NLP University Summer sessions for 2001 are up at: http://www.nlpu. com. The first semester courses will take place from June 17 - July 7, 2001. Second semester classes will be held from July 14 - August 3, 2001. We are in discussions with Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith about the possibility of co-sponsoring an international 21-day residential Health Certification Training, in partnership with Anchor Point Institute and NLP California, at NLP University this Summer. Let us know if this is something that you think would be valuable (either for yourself or others). We will be holding our usual Practitioner, Master Practitioner, Modeling (with David Gordon), and Trainer and Consultancy certification programs. We are also considering holding a New Applications and Millennium Projects Continuum program, to follow-up with our NLP Millennium event. This program would most likely be held immediately following the Modeling program. Again, feel free to let us know if this is something that you would be interested in.
4. As some of you may know, my brother John and I founded Dilts Strategy Group last year, for the purpose of helping start-ups (and traditional companies) to learn and apply NLP in the form of what we call Success Factor Modeling™. Success Factor Modeling brings key NLP cognitive and behavioral skills together with effective business practices that John and I have modeled from successful Silicon Valley companies. We have combined John’s background working in venture capital investing in Silicon Valley start-ups with my work in behavioral modeling to create a powerful methodology for building success in companies entering the New Economy. One of these critical success factors is leadership (a topic that has been a passion of
mine for many years). There is a very interesting article on Leadership and the New Economy (which summarizes some of the key elements of the new leadership model I have been developing with Fiat for the past several years) on our site. In conjunction with the Fiat management school and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern Californian, Dilts Strategy Group is a member of the International Forum for Leadership Excellence. You might want to check out our new
[email protected]. We are also considering the possibility of doing a seminar on our Success Factor Modeling process and discoveries sometime in April in the Silicon Valley area. Let us know if you would like to be informed about the specifics of this event or other events such as this in the future.
5. John and I have also founded Dilts Capital Partners, L.L.C., and have established two venture capital funds to help promote companies with the vision and technologies necessary to change the world. Dilts Technology Fund, LP, is a $50 million private equity venture capital fund focused on investing in technology companies primarily in the areas of Internet applications, e-commerce, enterprise software and telecommunications. Dilts Strategic Fund, LP is a $2 million angel fund which will make strategic investments in very early stage technology companies which strategically support Dilts Technology Fund. If you want to view the fund documents in the protected area of the site, you can enter using the password "guest" for the time being.
6. John and I are also completing developments on the Global Angel Network. The Global Angels Network brings together the combination of factors necessary for startups to reach the critical mass necessary for success in the new economy. Its primary purpose is to assist in bringing together new venture start-ups with "angel" investors and other resource providers from around the world. Our web site, GlobalAngels. com, will be a virtual "venture catalyst" for companies entering the new economy. We are looking for people who would be interested in being coaches and consultants to entrepreneurs and start-up companies seeking to emulate Silicon Valley’s success. If you are interested in being part of the Global Angels Network, contact us at:
[email protected].
Shared Values of the NLP Community by Robert Dilts
Introduction According to Webster’s Dictionary, values are "principles, qualities or entities that are intrinsically valuable or desirable." Service, profits, results, health, quality, and safety are all examples of common values that may be held by a particular individual or group. Because they are associated with worth, meaning and desire, values are a primary source of motivation in people’s lives. Shared values are considered to be the foundation of ethics, community and culture. When people’s values are met or matched, they feel a sense of satisfaction, harmony, or rapport. When their values are not met or matched, people often feel dissatisfied, incongruent, or violated. In terms of the Neuro-Logical Levels model, values operate together with beliefs to create meaning and motivation in our lives. They relate to why we think what we think and do what we do. Values and beliefs support the identity and mission of an individual or organization, and provide the reinforcement (motivation and permission) that promotes or inhibits particular capabilities and behaviors. A particular identity or role, for instance, will be associated with several core values and beliefs. These, in turn, are supported by a range of skills and capabilities, which are required to manifest particular values and beliefs as actions in a particular environment or context.
Values Link Identity to Capabilities
In groups, organizations and social systems, values form a type of non-physical framework which surrounds all of the interactions of the people within the system. Values, and related beliefs, determine how events and communications are interpreted and given meaning. Thus, they are the key to motivation and culture. Shared values and beliefs are the "glue" which holds an effective organization, community or team together. Conflicts of values are the source of disharmony and dissension.
Identifying Common Values Within the Global NLP Community Many people think of the field of NLP as being simply a group of techniques and models–a kind of "toolbox" without a heart. The principles, tools and skills of NLP, however, presuppose certain values, which form the emotional basis for people’s commitment to the field. NLP practitioners, trainers and institute directors share key values that serve as the underlying impetus for their involvement in the NLP community and their passion for sharing the powerful benefits of NLP with others. One of the goals of the NLP Millennium Project, sponsored by NLP University in Santa Cruz, California, in the Summer of 2000 was to identify some of the core values that make us a global community. The identification of these values can help to solidify the bonds between people within the community (as well as attract others who also share those values to the field), and define ethical guidelines for the practice of NLP. The communication of these values to people within other professional groups and communities can help to strengthen the credibility of NLP and increase the appreciation for the intentions and motivations of NLP practitioners. The group participating in the NLP Millennium Project numbered over 110 people (mostly NLP trainers and founders of NLP institutes) from 26 different countries around the world (including Russia, Japan, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Hong Kong, and many others)–representing a diverse cross-section of our planet. Following a process I developed for helping large organizations establish common values, participants were asked to get into groups of four or five people and go through the following exercise: 1. Each group member is to share with the rest of the group some of his or her own personal core values; in particular those relating to his or
her "mission" or "calling" with respect to NLP. In other words, answer the questions: "Why am I personally involved in NLP?" "Why is NLP important?" "What is NLP’s contribution to the world?" 2. Make a list of the group members’ key values and criteria and look for any similarities and commonalities. 3. Identify the deeper core value, on a higher level, presupposed by the individual values expressed by the group members. Try to find one or two single words or phrases that reflect and encompass all of the core values expressed by the group in some way. Each group then made a presentation about its core value statement to the rest of the Millennium Project participants. These value statements were collected into a single list which was distributed to all participants. Participants were asked to select 7±2 of the values from the list (no less than 5, no more than 9) and rank them according to their importance (1 being the highest). Participants were also asked to write down one or two ‘behavioral indicators’ next to each value statement that they selected, to help define it more specifically.
The Twelve Core Values of the Global NLP Community The top twelve values (and accompanying behavioral indicators) are listed below according to the hierarchy of importance given by the participants as a whole. This was determined by summing up the ratings given each value by the individuals who took part in the survey. 1. Usefulness: To be pragmatic and goal oriented. To seek to make a difference. To focus on practical applications. To use all available resources to reach a goal. To think and act with the end in mind. To meet needs in a goal-oriented and testable way. To chunk down into practical and testable steps. 2. Integrity: To "walk our talk." To have congruence in language and action. To have alignment between our beliefs and values and our behavior. To act from our core values. To integrate all aspects of who we are. To be aware of our internal processes and beliefs and behave in ways that are congruent with them. To be truthful about our actions. 3. Respect: To acknowledge personal boundaries. To honor the
potential within another person. To listen and give space to other’s needs and expectations. To give all persons equal space and time. To ask for permission. To maintain an unconditional positive regard for others. To honor the unique contributions of each person. 4. Ecology: To always work within the other person’s well-formed outcome. To respond to our own congruency signals. To be systemically oriented. To consider the consequences of our actions. To respect positive intention. To reach for balanced outcomes. To seek to maintain a healthy balance among all systems. To consider our impact upon the larger system. 5. Creativity: To be free builders of our own lives. To develop wellformed mistakes. To be open to possibilities. To not accept the given as given. To find new questions. To make new models. To find new ways to reach a goal. To encourage others to express and share their inner dreams. To constantly challenge the way we do things and to innovate new possibilities. 6. (Universal) Love: To take second position with others (put ourselves in their shoes). To connect through deep second positioning to the energy source within others. To feel and show compassion to others. To accept others for who they are. To offer a space where something can change. To value ourselves, and to value others as we do ourselves. To "see" and acknowledge the best in others. To choose to invest in the well-being of others. 7. Freedom: To have choice. To add more choices. To be able to choose. To allow others to make choices for themselves. To state our thoughts and feelings without fear of retribution. To honor people’s right to their own development. 8. Diversity: To be unafraid of difference. To welcome the challenge of difference. To see the value in all maps of the world. To recognize and honor and value the differences in others. To accept different styles. To include different perspectives. To respect different cultures. 9. Elegance: To seek the shortest and simplest path to an outcome. To seek beauty and simplicity. To act with grace. To select the path and the tools that allow us to accomplish the most with the least effort. 10. Professionalism: To work with competence, creativity and joy. To
observe precisely. To set high standards. To know our limits. To model excellence. To be congruent, clear and skilled at all times in any context in which we are representatives of NLP as a field. To know what we are doing, and to do what we know. To be able to demonstrate all NLP skills. To keep learning. 11. Flexibility: To have more possibilities in behavior. To have more instruments for work. To be able to let go of our last discovery. To have a range of ways to reach a goal. To be open to change and additions from external influences. To adapt to different people and situations. To be able to adjust and adapt ourselves to unexpected situations. To utilize and react properly to the feedback that we get. 12. Creating Artful Community: To foster bonding and friendship for future projects together. To have concern for the "we." To act in service to others. To value the different gifts each person brings. To create affiliation and association which incorporate the wide variety of aspects of human expression. To connect with people as equals.
Some other notable values included: Curiosity/Adventuring: Delighting in "not-knowing" and staying there long enough to make higher level discoveries. Fun/Humor: Not taking seriously what is deeply serious. To enjoy one another and what we are doing. Authenticity: To be ourselves. To share our own internal experience honestly with others. It should be remembered that these are not ethical injunctions or rigid "modal operators" (i.e., "shoulds" and "musts"). Rather they are guiding principles which we aspire to put into practice more consistently in our personal and professional interactions.
A Culture of Leadership–Creating a World to Which People Want to Belong In reflecting on this group of values, it is evident that some of them relate to oneself.
Other values relate to how one interacts with others. Some relate to goals or the achievement of goals. Still others relate to the larger system in which one is acting. Usefulness, freedom and elegance, for example, seem to primarily relate to choosing and achieving goals. Integrity, creativity and flexibility, on the other hand, are primarily related to the way one conducts oneself while attempting to achieve goals. Respect, love and community are clearly associated with one’s relations with others. Ecology, diversity and professionalism seem to be more connected to one’s interactions with respect to the larger system within which one is interacting.
Areas of Values of the NLP Community
It is fascinating to note that the four elements around which NLP community values so elegantly cluster are the primary elements of effective leadership. In its broadest sense, leadership can be defined as the ability to involve others in the process of accomplishing a goal within some larger system or environment. That is, a leader expresses himself or herself (by being both a stimulus and an example) to influence
individuals and groups towards achieving some outcome in the context of a particular system or context. The highest expression of this is known as "visionary leadership." Visionary leadership involves working with others (most often peers) to "create a world to which people want to belong." One implication of the Millennium Project values study is that people attracted to NLP, and the values it represents, are naturally inclined toward leadership. As I mentioned earlier, shared values are the foundation of ethics, community and culture. The culture of NLP–as expressed by the values and skills it promotes–is thus ultimately a culture of leadership. This is something that should be communicated not only to those learning to be practitioners of NLP; it should also be recognized and appreciated by the trainers and institutes that make up the NLP community at large. It is something to be shared, and something to be proud of. Again, it is important to mention that the purpose of the Millennium Project values study was not to attempt to say that the twelve values that emerged are the values of the entire NLP community. The purpose was for representative members of the community to reflect on their core values and establish the beginning of a conversation about values. One goal of this conversation is to better understand the purpose and influence of values in the NLP community. We hope that many NLP trainers, practitioners, developers and institute directors will recognize and resonate with the values we have uncovered. We also hope that these values will help to serve as guiding principles for our work with others and our interactions with one another in the future. I for one am proud and pleased to count myself as a member of a community that has these values, and I am committed to bringing them more into action in my life and work. I hope you are too.
INTERVIEW ON THE GTC WITH ROBERT DILTS - Aug. 30 1997 by Greta Mildenberg, Roger Vaisey, and Maren Franz. Q. What is your vision for the newly formed Global Trainers and Consultants Network? (GTC) ROBERT. The vision for GTC is to have a global network of people who are trainers but also including consultants and sponsors. I think a lot of the emphasis in NLP has been on trainers and that has been great but has lead to some of the problems in NLP where people go out and train, but you can't train without sponsors, and without material that has been developed. Its a little like music. You can have musical performers, yet if there are no composers and organizations that promote or sponsor, it doesn't get out there. Some of these areas have been the blind spots or weak links in the dissemination of NLP. So the idea of the Global Training and Consultancy Community is that beyond the Master Practitioner level, it's not OK to just do more and more NLP practitioner programs, and to get into competition with people who used to be your friends. My belief and my experience is that there is so much more for NLP to do than it has done and if we can have a network and community of people who can share that, then the opportunities to bring NLP to the world and to expand the applications of it can increase exponentially. So one of the visions for it is, that there is an expediential expansion of the ways that NLP is taught, used and applied in the world. Q. Would you say something on how you see NLP expanding more in the world. ROBERT. One of the things we do in the Advanced Training is to have people not only work on presentation skills of what we already know about NLP, but that they also work on developing their own applications. There is a little bit of history to that that comes from Todd Epstein and I. In 1982 there was a lot of fallout when Bandler and Grinder were splitting up and people were already at that time beginning to bicker over Practitioner Training. So we set up the Dynamic Learning Center as a way of applying other applications of NLP, in learning, in business and in all kinds of areas. So what I envision is people starting with 1 to 3 day programs or consulting applications that explore or manifest a particular application of NLP that could range from team building to leadership development at a number of different levels, to areas of healing, and spiritual healing.
I mean there are just so many different possibilities. I could go on for ever about how many things could be done and have just not been done so far in NLP. If we think that phobias and allergies are the epitome of what can be done with NLP then that is pretty short sighted. There is the whole area of transcultural abilities and skills -of creativity and innovation that is so important not only for people in companies but also for individuals. So to me as I see it, there are applications that are as diverse, as the different people that are attracted to NLP. I was just even thinking about this as I was looking at the people in our Practitioner group at NLP University. The difference in age, country and background of a pretty small group of people in a way was quite remarkable, yet what was obvious was that they shared something together. There was a 20 year old musician from New York, a 60 year old Japanese business man and they are sharing the same kinds of language, the same kind of frames, the same kinds of tools and I really think that these are same of the things that NLP can bring to the world. So what the idea of the GTC is to create an opportunity for that. and in terms of the background of the GTC it is that to a certain degree we are attempting to model the Health Community Training. The idea of the GTC is that there would be a post Master training, an investment that people put in, to really go deeply into work with health and healing-that we should have a directory a newsletter, a not for profit organization and to do this in all sorts of different places all over the world. And what happens is that although people are very geographically spread out, they all share a similar mission, a similar vocabulary, a similar set of tools and that allows us on the one hand to be able to make referrals to people who call in, because I know I get requests all the time that my schedule is too saturated to be able to fulfill whether it before someone who needs health work, or for some kind of training or for some kind of consulting with a company, so that's part if it. There is another part that is a little bit difficult to describe in words because its more of a sense that there is a solidity that comes when you, for example, when we had these health certification trainings that finished in Denmark, Germany, Brazil and the US, there was a feeling that there was a "We" around the world that was much more than just here are some Brazilian people that have just finished some new certification program. It's rather "Now we are part of something and that something has substance." And that for me is what the GTC is all about. There are same other goals for the GTC. I think that a lot of the existing NLP applications and models are very American in their approach and I have the opportunity to travel around the world and see what people do, in different parts
of the world with NLP and how what unique things are coming out of Germany or Brazil. I would like the opportunity for these things to be able to be spread rapidly - a kind of NLP internet. But one of the things that bothers me about the internet is the chatter, meaning the superficial is as much present as the meaningful, the sustenance. So part of the idea of the GTC is to build this NLP network starting on a foundation of people who have had a real commitment to NLP and we have just finished, as you well know, our first group, and the people who were in that group are people who have been in NLP for literally years. Maybe there are a few people who started and progressed very rapidly. I think the thing for me that was very profound about many of the people is that they have made 5 or 6 or even 10 year commitments and that is very important for me. Its about building the community on a foundation of people around those who have all shared, not only the tools if NLP etc, but also a really strong commitment and that for me is where you get the quality control. One of the things that all people who are trainers or have any professional interest in NLP in the world, clamor for is something like quality control, credibility, integrity. But the kind of things people have done to accomplish that are sort of policing organizations or arbitrary standards and as I think in true NLP fashion the best way to do that is through role models- is to have an opportunity and to have a place, a network that is built and designed and co-created by people who share that commitment. And that's what I dream and feel that we have the opportunity to do with the GTC. To wrap up at least the first answer, another part of that vision is that we will have not only the people but also the instruments to keep them together and events and structures that give people an opportunity to contribute into this global network so that somebody in Singapore for example can create a vision program and get out to someone in Brazil or Germany or Scandinavia or all over the US. So that it doesn't just come from one source. My strong belief and again my experience, having been around NLP as long as I have, is that there is a creativity that comes from that, that you will see innovations and developments in NLP the likes of which have not been seem before because there will be that kind of cross fertilization. But in a strong way it won't be chaotic and just dispersed and diffused. It will be for people who care about it, who have the ability to assess the depth of something. That's why a lot of the training we have been doing that goes into that, has been focused on assessment and how do you really know that something works. How can you tell that somebody has done something with a particular thing?
Q. What benefits will there be for trainers in the directory, and what benefits will there be for organizations that use trainers in the directory? ROBERT. Well certainly for trainers in the directory firstly, the most important benefit is that they will be listed and grouped together with people who have the highest level of training reputation and quality in the field. So it's a kind of "Who's Who " of NLP. So there is a credibility of reputation that will come from being in the directory. Also the kind of things we are asking of people to be in the directory is going to relate to what kind of specialities they have so that there is not just this homogeneous NLP trainer, or mythical NLP Trainer , but people who have particular areas, who are doing projects, who also have a history of working. They will get known to other people in the field. I don't know how many times for example it happens to me that I am in let's say Berlin or Paris and somebody goes "Oh you know we are doing, my company is doing" - they get a hit of NLP, and they get enthusiastic and excited, and they say " Do you know someone who is doing this? " and I go "Yeah well yes I'm sure there's somebody around here, ummmm who is it- Where do they live ? What was their last address? There's this perfect person, but what is there professional name," and so on and so on. So that having that directory will start to crate the possibility of the right person being linked to the right opportunity at the right moment. Its like a resource guide. Also, the directory will not only be an paper but also on disc and on the internet. So the other thing is that in a few months it will be on the internet in a way that people can access it from any part ton the world. And that is another benefit. All the things we have been doing in this past year we have not just thought of in in terms of a booklet, but something on the internet and it will be updated regularly. And we are looking for ways that people will be able to update their own addresses. You would have your own password. I don't know how that would work as yet. The other benefit too is for people just knowing that they are part of a community. We have finished this first training with about 40 people. There is one in the UK of about 60 people. There is going to be one finishing in Berlin of between 60 or 70 people. So in a very short order, say 6 months there will be 150 people. And that's enough to make a community, that's all over the world, spread from Asia to South Africa. People that are coming to these different programs of course there will be fairly large concentration in Europe and the US. But that just serves to build the community. And one of the things we know and this is important, because it is one of the things we stress in the advanced trainings and are part of the requirement of getting into the community, is that these are people that are committed to
networking, to working together, to doing interesting projects and for creating things. So its not just " Oh, I will have to look who my competitors are" but to really use one and other as resources and there are people who are committed to doing that and there are people in this GTC that are doing big projects, that are already looking for different kinds of other people to help them. And I think it will open the doorway for a new way of people working together in the NLP field. We need a place for there to be a community and it used to be and still is for people to attend seminars. There was a while when there was some conferences, but I think conferences and some of the associations that did those conferences have changed or transformed and conferences sort of came and went as an opportunity So we are really looking for something whose purpose is to create community, and not just where the accidental by-product is to create community. So I think that is another benefit for being on the directory. Now the benefits for the organisations or companies who use this are that again they will be able to target people who have the background, expertise, interest or mission in areas and skills, so it's not just flipping a coin and saying, "Oh this person has a certificate, maybe they'll do." - a sort of hit and miss strategy. But the idea of having a directory is that its going to give a lot of information about the person and again the best analogy is how the Health Directory has worked. We have a picture, a mission statement, the background, the degree, languages you know, all that people have, all the relevant information that you need and there have been times for instance- I can remember a couple of months ago somebody - this is the analogy to the health directory - somebody called from Porto Alegre which is in Brazil. They had just found that a close relative or somebody had cancer and they wanted to know who could help. What we could then do was to open this directory pick out a few pages of people who seemed to fit the profile, faxed them - of course on the GTC we will have it on e-mail and internet - faxed them these pages and they could make a decision right away. They were able to get help that could really make a difference in a timely way to this person who needed help. That's the kind of vision of it. Its timely, its targeted and its with people who can be guaranteed to have a degree of skill and commitment. That's the idea; not just that somebody has a little certificate on the wall. Its has a picture. You can see them , it tells you something about their mission, their history, something about their specialities. the kinds of things we want to put in the directory are the sorts of things we need to know in order to refer somebody into a job that we couldn't do whether its a training job or consulting job. Q: These sort of jobs get more as people understand the benefits.
ROBERT. Yes and I think there is the issue of fighting over a particular slice of the pie, or making a bigger pie and certainly the goal and vision of GTC is to create a bigger pie. One of my analogies is the US stock market where it just keeps getting bigger and you jeep getting a bigger pie because you've got a synergy-you are actually creating something more than it used to be . Its not like you are over using a limited resource. You are actually creating more resources rather than taking advantage of or using up a resource. And so ecology is one of the really important values of this. Q- What steps does someone who wants to become a GTC trainer have to take? ROBERT. The first steps are to complete their basic NLP training and hopefully, by the way , as people who are members of the GTC members and know that they have that quality. At this point as there are a lot of good trainers who are not in the GTC or who don't have that opportunity, I wouldn't want to say that people should limit themselves to that. But part of one of the benefits of it is that people can get a referral. I would say that people should complete their basic training and then there is the GTC base courses. One in the UK, one in Berlin and one here at NLPU, and I'm sure there will be more in the future. Part of the idea of setting these up is like a setting up the health community training. We have them in a enough places. People who are committed can go there. So there's NLP University 400A and B course's and thats part of getting into the GTC. Now there will be other courses that will provide possibilities and we will be establishing these and announcing these and I know we will be doing 400Aand B next summer in 98. And then again I'm hoping there will be places around the world which will make more opportunities. Q- I would like to ask two questions not necessarily related to GTC. One is that you are known as being at the cutting edge of NLP. What is on that cutting edge right now? ROBERT. Well I think there are some things that are obvious and somethings that are less known. One thing that is on the cutting edge of NLP is the book that just came out called Tools of the Spirit, and I think that the integration of NLP and Spirituality is certainly at the cutting edge of NLP and a necessary growth of NLP. For too many years it was absolutely dumbfounding to me that for so many years people would say the NLP didn't have anything to do with spirituality and yet the title of NLP Vol.1 is "The study of the structure of
subjective experience," saying-" well if spiritual is a subjective experience how could it not b part of NLP." Secondly for anybody who has a commitment with any sense of vision or mission. they have something spiritual that goes to that level of depth. Everybody that I know and admire in NLP and again whether they call that spiritual or not, that is an element that attracts me to those people. Q- I don't know Robert if you know that in 1988 Ragini Micheals came to Poona to see Osho and he got to know NLP. He said that he wanted his people trained in this. He clearly saw about the understanding of subjective reality that it is not body and no mind, it's one. ROBERT. Yes. Its kind of a funny thing because it seems as if it should be the most ancient thing and in a way it was the starting point of NLP. But its taken this long to become the leading edge of it again. I think that is how it is. Also other explanations of the so called higher logical levels, Identity; I mean a lot of NLP techniques are what we would call changes in behavior, changes in abilities and as we move on to get into deeper levels of change, more pervasive, more long lasting and ecological levels of change, there have to be changes at the level of identity and spirit. Some other things that are at the leading edge of NLP are some of the things that we started this year - the leadership conference which to me has a very close interrelationship with GTC, you know the idea of getting NLP trainers and leaders together and looking into the future and building a vision that we follow together, in the spirit of cooperation, in the spirit of community and of mutual development. To me that is a leading edge that is so leading edge that I can't yet see where it is going. But again it is a funny thing to say that the leading edge of NLP is at the area of cooperation and working together rather than individualistic power and personal mastery which is all part on NLP. But I think the leading edge is to create a "we-space". Sometimes I like to say that when I look at the development of NLP, sometimes what I see is 2 renegades modelling 3 loners - 2 outlaws modelling 3 loners: Erickson worked by himself in his mysterious way and even Perls who talked a lot about community pretty much was a loner when it came to his work. And even Virginia Satir who did family therapy - her mission was as an individual helping families. So I think its just coming around now that we are getting a sense of a modelling community, bringing community cooperation, rather than the myth of the single individual genius who goes out there and blazes the trail. And again I think some of that comes from the American pioneer archetype. I think that NLP is bigger than that archetype. It's bigger than a whole lot of archetypes. Some of the other things that I am personally doing if I am
representative of leading edges - some if it has to do with stretching out into places where NLP hasn't been before, like really on the edge of spirituality of what I see is really exciting is happening among the trainers here - it's not just spiritual but so many different dimensions -chakras, Zen, these other things all beginning to come together. So how shall I put it - it's like a new unity - they are all held in a complementary way because that to me is the essence. I got into NLP because it offered the promise of really being able to experience fully the richness of being a human being in all areas and in all levels. That's what I want. Not about doing the right thing in one way and setting standards and excluding all these other things, otherwise I wouldn't be interested in NLP. I was only interested in NLP because I didn't want to have to choose one thing over another and excluding everything. It was a way to be able to accept everything, experience everything but within a framework . Not in a chaotic schizophrenic piecemeal way - but in a way that could truly hold all of this richness. That's what characterized so many of the people who were here in this first group to go through GTC. That's one of the things that we all share:- a great richness of background, experience, interests, and an openness to receive another model. And I think that along these lines, the other part of the leading edge of NLP has to do with its history. As far as you reach into the future you have to reach into the past - and NLP came from modelling and its going to modelling. NLP started from modelling and that will always be its leading edge. What is new? Modelling is ultimately what NLP is about. What is great is that as more and more people become interested in applications of NLP they also become interested in modelling. And I think that again modelling is a gateway to the future. Its like to me a true NLP person, they see someone doing something better than they do so instead of being jealous trying to screw that person get rid of them, fighting them - they model them. They go: “Great. I can do that too. Then I grow - then that person sees me doing something then - Hey, I am going to model what you do”. Its kind of like that sense of growing together. I see that of all the people I've worked with, like Judy, like Todd, Robert McDonald all of the people, we grow by modelling things in each other and you know I'm not the same person by any stretch of the imagination that I was 10 years ago. That's because we are the leading edge - we keep pushing our own edge and when, as people grow, the field cannot help but grow. And I think that that is also what is exciting about GTC. So modelling is one and I think interest in modelling is another - I foresee in the very near future there probably will be a whole group of books on modelling which I think is finally time that happened. Also - as you know I and Judy are hoping to finish the encyclopedia of systemic
NLP. NLP is in a way too big of a field for any two people to be able to encompass but our dream there , is that by starting together, together creating something, it is an encyclopedia that is a container for the great richness of NLP, past, present and future. This will stimulate other people who will say, "Well this is not in there, that is not in there", and then it becomes like GTC, you collect enough things together in one place, weave it together strongly enough and then people can easily start adding bits. This encyclopedia of NLP is epic. Judy and I look at it and we are awestruck. Its awesome. And this is just what our little perspective has put together. I foresee the day when our encyclopedia is on the internet. It grows and grows and as NLP grows, this encyclopedia will also grow with all the cross links being updated. Someone is interested in addictions, so they look it up on the internet and they find this encyclopedia and as they begin to explore addictions and NLP, there is suddenly a reference here to cybernetics and then there is one over there for 12 steps which leads to spirituality, which leads to - and then suddenly someone is on a journey. One of the most interesting things Judy and I have found is that just putting together the encyclopedia, we have these journeys. We start an entry and that leads to to think of something else and something else and it really does show me that there are worlds within worlds. So its not just creating a world and I think that is the problem with the statement " Creating a world that everyone wants to belong." Everyone is always looking at the problem presupposition in that statement. I think that the only issue is creating worlds within worlds. Q. One last thing. There seems to be a conflicting thing going on in the world, as far as I see it. On the one hand there is the ever increasing globalization of businesses, bigger businesses world wide. And on the other hand nations tend to be breaking down into smaller units. Scotland, Palestine, the former Yugoslavia, and so on. So there is a double thing going on here. How can NLP address this? ROBERT.- A spot on observation. And what I think is responsible for the dual development is that it relates to the leading edge of NLP question. What is on the leading edge of human consciousness, human development, is how to create a global identity yet maintaining integrity in ones own identity. The dangers of having this big global identity is that you have a homogeny. There is no diversity, no richness, no color, no difference - everybody is the same - eg Microsoft, Mcdonald's, back to 1984, the horrific vision:- everything is just a shade of gray. At the same time the positive sense is of unity. And we even address this in
Tools of the Spirit because a lot of peoples experience of spirit is unity, but if there is unity where is individuality, where is uniqueness, where is the joy of meeting someone who is different than you and going “Oh Wow - that's fascinating, that's fantastic”. And that in fact, to a certain degree, the view of spirituality as simply unity is for many people, death. You die and everything is phewww. So life comes from distinction, from difference. That's where you get integity. How do I have my personal integrity as an individual being, if I am just absorbed into this mass of grey. I think that part of it is being able to sort out well, certain logical levels. First become clear ,what is identity and how to have self-referenced identity? I think that the big danger and the reason we have wars and genocide is that people have an externally referenced identity. " Well we are not them." And yet paradoxically the worst thing to happen is to get rid of that which you hate. By that I mean, I can remember those Americans how were anti-communist. What happens when there is no more communism worth speaking about any more. You are nobody now. If someone were to come up to you and say, “I'm an anticommunist”, its laughable. There's nobody to be anti any more. It's bizarre to have that sort of an external reference. I think that what NLP has a chance to offer is to be able to sort out these levels of spirit from identity and from beliefs. Most of the world is at the level of not being able to sort out identity from spirit. One of the things NLP has to offer is obviously all of the presuppositions of NLP. I think my view of heaven would be a planet like ours, living from the presuppositions of NLP. The map is not the territory - people have positive intentions - Everybody has all the capabilities they need. All of those things and having all of the tools to be able to express them , to be able to solve problems in their own ways. I was talking to Richard Bandler a few months ago where he was saying, "You know it's funny that years ago NLP used to vi with Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, etc, and now nobody wants these particularly. I mean people are clamouring and fighting still over NLP, and NLP trainings, but not over Gestalt etc." It's like what the world needs in certain ways is what NLP has because NLP has the ability to grow. It's the one thing that saves NLP very much. It isn't a thing. What it is now- I mean what Gestalt was 25 years ago is very similar to what it is now. NLP is totally and remarkably different. And what it will be like 20 years from now, I can only dream about.
Developing World-Class Leaders in a Changing Global Economy with Robert Dilts
A Changing World The past several years have brought about a revolution in the world of business and the way in which organizations, old and new, must operate. Accelerating changes in technology and the explosion in the use of the Internet have led to the establishment of a “new economy,” characterized by e-commerce, virtual teams and a global marketplace. New technologies are continually “pushing the envelope,” creating both opportunities and challenges for new ventures and forcing traditional companies to adapt. Recent economic fluctuations have created additional challenges for businesses attempting to cope with change, requiring them to accomplish more with fewer resources. Such rapid technical and economic changes have placed an increased demand on individuals and companies to respond quickly and innovatively in order to keep up with new developments, manage resources more efficiently and stay ahead of competition. In order to survive and succeed in the rapidly changing global economy, companies need to refine and reengineer their leadership abilities, elevating them to a world class level. An Innovative Solution The purpose of this program is to present a solution derived from leadership practices of successful multi-national companies and synthesize them with new patterns and developments from leading-edge Silicon Valley ventures. Drawing from a combination of a) interviews with top managers within both large traditional organizations and Silicon Valley start-ups, b) fundamental organizational values, and c) current research on leadership, the program will present a model that integrates time-tested skills and principles of leadership from well-established companies with the latest innovations and developments modeled from progressive leaders in the new economy. World-Class Leadership World-class organizations form around a compelling vision and common values that are shared by all of the members of the organization. In the new business climate of globally focused world-class companies, leaders are not “bosses” or “commanders”; rather, leaders are people who have a compelling vision and are able to attract others to that vision. In other words, they are able to “create a world to which people want to belong.” This type of leadership demands special skills and know-how in order to
effectively and successfully bring visions into action. Rather than being “power” driven, world-class leadership is a result of the ability to express a vision, influence others to achieve results, encourage team cooperation, and be an example. World-class leadership involves the effective integration of professional knowledge, behavioral skills and personal qualities that are aligned with and directed toward the achievement of organizational outcomes. This program examines some of the essential skills and tools which can help to create world-class leadership within an organization including: • The four fundamental goals of world-class companies • The key actions and qualities of world-class leaders • Communicating vision and understanding the motivation of others • Assessing the leadership ability of yourself and your company • Meta Leadership—Leading and growing other leaders • Leadership development paths within an organizational environment • Modeling successful behaviors and processes • Learning leadership by leading change
BELIEFS SYSTEMS, HEALTH AND LONGEVITY with Robert Dilts Do you believe you have control over your own HEALTH? To what degree? Have you ever considered why some people recover quicker that other people, even with the same degree of illness? What are the special abilities of people who have come back from serious illness to lead a normal healthy life? What are the qualities and skills of people who are rarely sick? What are the 'secrets' of those exceptional elderly people who have mastered the challenges of life? Living a long and vital life is a goal that most of us share. And while Modern medical science has provided much insight into the physical mechanisms of illness, physical factors are only a part of the total health process. Throughout the history of medical research psychological factors, such as those underlying the placebo effect, have been shown to be as powerful as many drugs in helping cure and control disease. Many major health problems such as ulcers, heart disease and even cancer have been linked to the effects of psychological stress. Most health professionals agree that a "positive attitude" in many cases is a major contributing factor in the successful recovery of a patient. Furthermore, when you look beyond curing illness to extending life and health, psychological processes play an increasingly important role. Our beliefs are a very powerful force in shaping our behavior. Our belief systems influence our will to live, our ability to cope with stress created by life-transitions and our ability to establish consistently healthy life-patterns. All of us have beliefs that serve as resources as well as beliefs that limit us. Using the latest discoveries in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the exciting new field of Psychoneuroimmunology to build a healthy belief system and changing negative beliefs into beliefs that support health and longevity is the main focus of this program. NLP principles and techniques are not symptom specific. Their function is to help people explore the various communications of their symptoms and thus support mentally, behaviorally and emotionally whatever other treatments they are getting - to add choices. The basic goal of NLP in health is to create and support a positive attitude and belief system towards whatever health issues one is dealing with by bringing the mind in harmony with the body (as opposed to trying to impose the mind over the body). Course topics will include:
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Achieving and maintaining positive attitudes by building beliefs that support good health. Refining and updating old belief systems and transforming limiting beliefs. Resolving internal conflicts that lead to stress and health related behavior problems. Develop the most effective types of cognitive strategies for influencing physical health.
Mr. Dilts has been an author, developer and consultant in the field of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) - a model of human behavior, learning and communication - since its creation in 1975 by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. A long time student and colleague of both Grinder and Bandler, Mr. Dilts also studied personally with Milton H. Erickson, M.D., and Gregory Bateson . In addition to spearheading the applications of NLP to education, creativity, health, and leadership, his personal contributions to the field of NLP include much of the seminal work on the NLP techniques of Strategies and Belief Systems and the development of what has become known as ‘Systemic NLP’. Some of his techniques and models include: Reimprinting, Integration of Conflicting Beliefs, Sleight of Mouth Patterns, NeuroLogical Levels and the Unified Field Theory for NLP. He is the principle author of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. I, which serves as the standard reference text for the field, and has authored numerous other books, articles and monographs on NLP. His books, Changing Belief Systems with NLP and Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well Being describe the basic principles and techniques involved in his work on changing limiting beliefs and creating functional belief systems. Since 1982 Mr. Dilts has been Director of Training and Research for the Dynamic Learning Center which he co-founded with Todd Epstein. The Dynamic Learning Center provides consultation, seminars and training materials in the educational and advanced applications of NLP One of Mr. Dilts’ most recent development is the NeuroLink - a multi-channel biofeedback device which simultaneously monitors and records activity in heart rate, body temperature and the brain hemispheres via patterns of electrical activity on the left and right sides of the body. The NeuroLink unit is a sophisticated tool for picking up changes in a person's internal state. It works by measuring a number of important physiological responses associated with the autonomic nervous system - the body’s inner regulatory system. Mr. Dilts’ State Enhancement Coach software combines these key measurements of nervous system activity with artificial intelligence and NLP methods and principles to help people achieve optimal states of health, learning and personal performance.
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page.
This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1997 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Dealing with Double Binds A “double bind” is a special type of conflict which creates a “no-win” situation; i.e., a situation in which one is “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” According to anthropologist Gregory Bateson, who originally defined the notion of the double bind, such conflicts are at the root of both creativity and psychosis. The difference is whether or not one is able to identify and transcend the bind in an appropriate way. Double binds often have quality of circularity, making them into a type of “Catch22,” and leading to a sense of confusion and helplessness. A classic example would be that of the Salem witch trials, in which one of the tests to see if a person was a witch was to bind the person and cast her into the water. If the person floated and survived, then she was determined to be a witch, and was put to death. If the person sank and drowned, she was exonerated with respect to being a witch, but was, of course, also dead. Thus, the essential structure of a double bind is: If you do not do A, you will not (survive, be safe, have fun, etc.). But if you do do A, you will not (survive, be safe, have fun, etc.). The most emotionally intense double binds occur in the context of significant interpersonal relationships. They often involve what appears to be a power struggle in which one person is trying to “make the other person wrong.” Such a struggle can also occur between the inner “parts” of a person. These types of insolvable struggles are often at the root of both mental and physical illness. They can also arise during a person’s attempts to heal, and thwart progress towards wellness. Yet, even though double binds can appear formidable, it is possible to get out of them, given the appropriate skills and conditions. Getting relief from a double bind situation essentially comes from recognizing and addressing the “conditions” which are required to produce the double bind. In his book Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Gregory Bateson defines the essential ‘ingredients’ for a double bind. This presentation will cover ways to identify double binds, and the underlying conditions which create them, and some of the ways in which double binds can be resolved or transcended.
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Crisis Transition and Transformation Change and transition are facts of life. They are simultaneously the source and the outcome of all interactions within a living system. In fact, it has been argued that, in a dynamic system, “the only constant is change.” Change is at the basis of both growth and destruction. Thus, change can be either a resource or a problem depending upon the impact is has on the rest of the system. Too little change can lead to stagnation and rigidity. Too much change can create chaos and disorder. Effective adaptation and evolution are a result of balancing change and stability. There are various levels of change within a system. For human beings, change can happen at the level of their environment, behavior, thoughts (mental skills and capabilities), beliefs, values, and identity. Each level of change involves different dynamics and has a different impact on the person and his or her life situations. Stability in one part, or at one level, of a system often requires or creates change in another part, or at another level, in the system. (As Aristotle pointed out, “That which creates change or movement, is that which does not change.”) One principle for effectively managing change is that, in general, change on one level most ecologically takes place in the context of stability on a higher level. Thus, when something is changing or unstable on one level, it is helpful to establish stability at the next highest level of structure. When a person is in a changing environment, for example, it can be helpful to establish stability through behavioral routines and habits. Behavioral changes, however, are best managed through establishing consistent mental strategies and plans. Developing new mental skills or capabilities, on the other hand, is best supported by having stable beliefs and values. But if a person is in a situation in which he or she is changing beliefs or needing to shift or re-prioritize his or her values, it will make it easier if that person has a stable sense of identity. So that even if the person does not know what to believe anymore, the person still knows who he or she is. Similarly, if a person’s identity is changing or unstable, it would be important for that person to find a point of stability in terms of his or her position within the larger system of which he or she is a part. The ability to effectively manage change and “flow through transitions” involves the development of both inner stability and flexibility at all of these different levels. This program presents strategies and skills which can be used for managing life change and transitions of all types. Participants will have the chance to develop the inner resources and wisdom in order to change and take charge of the things they can, and accept the things they cannot control.
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Leadership Development and Systemic NLP Creating a World to Which People Want to Belong
One of the most important set of skills required in a changing world are the skills of leadership. In the emerging view of leadership, leaders are not ‘bosses’ or ‘commanders’; rather leaders are people who are committed to “creating a world to which people want to belong.” This commitment demands a special set of models and abilities in order to effectively and ecologically manifest the visions which guide those committed to change. Rather than ‘power’, true leadership is a result of influence, congruence and integrity. It involves managing relationships and interacting and communicating within an organization, network or social system to move towards one’s highest aspirations. From this perspective, leadership can be defined as the capability to: “express a vision, influence others to achieve results, encourage team cooperation, and be an example.” Defined in this way, leadership ability provides added value to any fundamental management ability. In other words, strengthening leadership ability can help any individual to improve his or her capacity to achieve results and reach personal or organizational outcomes. The behavioral science of NLP is uniquely suited to contribute to the development of leadership ability. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) contains a set of principles and distinctions which are uniquely suited to analyze and identify crucial patterns of values, behavior and interrelationships so that they may be put into pragmatic and testable implementations. With the tools of NLP, it is possible to define and explore some specific models, principles and skills that will allow mangers to be more successful leaders; i.e., the “how to’s” of effective leadership. One of the strengths of NLP is in the area of skill development and the creation of tools and techniques which support specific outcomes and abilities. Training programs involving NLP have been implemented in many major corporations and organizations throughout the world including Fiat, IBM, Hewlett Packard, American Express, The US Army, The State Railway of Italy, Apple Computer, Xerox, Merrill Lynch, Mercedes Benz, BMW, and many others. NLP methods and distinctions, for instance, have been applied to modeling leadership skills at Fiat, in the late 1980’s. The results of this research is the basis for the books Visionary Leadership Skills (Dilts, 1996) and Modeling With NLP (Dilts, 1998). From the NLP perspective, successful leadership ability requires a variety of skills which address the overall ‘problem space’ of leadership—i.e., the ability to involve others toward reaching goals within a system. This set of skills includes: self skills, relational skills and systemic thinking skills. Self skills have to do with how the leader deploys himself or herself in a particular situation. Self skills allow the leader to choose or engineer the most appropriate state,
attitude, criteria, strategy, etc. with which to enter a situation. In a way, self skills are the processes by which the leader leads himself. Relational skills have to do with the ability to understand, motivate and communicate with other people. They result in the ability to enter another person’s model of the world or perceptual space and get them to recognize problems and objectives, and understand the problem space within which they and the company are operating. Strategic thinking skills are necessary in order to define and achieve specific goals and objectives. Strategic thinking involves the ability to identify a relevant desired state, assess the starting state and then establish and navigate the appropriate path of transitions states required to reach the desired state. A key element of effective strategic thinking is determining which operators and operations will most efficiently and effectively influence and move the present state in the direction of the desired state. Systemic thinking skills are used by the leader to identify and comprehend the problem space in which the leader, his or her collaborators and the company is operating. Systemic thinking is at the root of effective problem solving and the ability to create functional teams. The ability to think systemically in a practical and concrete way is probably the most definitive sign of maturity in a leader. This program focuses on the skills necessary to manage groups and teams and to effectively solve systemic problems. Participants will learn important team building skills and develop their ability to understand and adapt to cultural differences in communication, thinking styles and values. Participants will also explore models for stimulating creativity and problem solving. The goals of the seminar are to promote pragmatic systemic thinking ability and to increase the flexibility and effectiveness of one’s leadership style.
How good leaders manage the economic downturn? A study by ISVOR Dilts
The economic downturn hit most businesses in 2001 with unseen brutality, with a peak after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Economists agree that growth should start again in the future, sustained by technology related productivity gains. This poses a huge challenge for company leaders. After the exuberant growth experienced in the years 1995 to 2000, they have had to make violent and drastic cuts. At the same time, they still have to motivate their people in a world where competencies are scarce. This study is one of a number of regular studies that ISVOR Dilts conducts to help the business community share best practices of leadership. The purpose of this study is to take a live measure of latest trends and ideas generated by leaders in these challenging times. An important feature of the research is its combined focus on business strategy and leadership practices. ISVOR Dilts has interviewed more than a dozen leaders from large companies (such as Hewlett Packard, Agilent, Alcatel, France Telecom, and others) about the following topics: • How the economic downturn has affected their company, • How they modified their business strategy , • How they adapted their leadership style and practice. The purpose of this workshop is present the learning gathered during the study, which has been synthesized to develop a leading-edge understanding of effective leadership practices.
Skills for Pioneers in the Human Adventure with Robert Dilts A major challenge facing our current generation is that the world has changed tremendously in the past century, and even faster in the past decade. Our technology, society, interpersonal relationships and environment have transformed dramatically. Since September 11 it has become obvious that our world has crossed a threshold into a completely new territory. Times of growth and transformation in our lives are usually accompanied by the need for "awakening." It is as if we become roused from a type of sleep–coming out of a self-imposed stupor–or have been blind and suddenly regained sight. Our mental maps of who we are and what is possible in the world become broader, and we perceive old limitations in a completely new way. In these experiences, we succeed in breaking through our old mind set and "get outside of the box."Awakening often leads to learning at the level of what Gregory Bateson called Learning IV–the creation of something "completely new." Such changes are bringing about fundamental alterations in our personal and collective consciousness and social patterning. Many of the deep metaphors and archetypes we live by and which guide our experiences (often at an unconscious level) are in a state of flux. The archetypes that no longer fit must be updated and adjusted; some falling away, others entering a state of transition, and still others arising for the first time. Our current generation is like a band of pioneers venturing in new territory where nobody has gone before to provide a map. New skills and resources are needed by those who must explore the unknown and face the unkowable. This seminar will explore skills and methods for supporting the pioneer’s journey into the new territory of today’s world, including: Self Awakening–Centering, aligning and connecting with the "source of your resources" Developing the abilites of: Confidence–Belief in our own inner resources in times of uncertainty Trust–Staying centered while venturing into the unknown
Faith–Accepting the unknowable Getting outside of the box–States of "not knowing," "uptime" and "active dreaming" Learning III and IV: Exploring identity and beyond Readiness to let go of the old world Flexible and mature survival strategies Weak signal detection In-course correction Frameworks and questions that awaken new possibilities Updating the archetypes and metaphors we live by
Transforming Beliefs with Robert Dilts There is an old story about a patient who was being treated by a psychiatrist. The patient wouldn't eat or take care of himself, claiming that he was a corpse. The psychiatrist spent many hours arguing with the patient trying to convince him he wasn't a corpse. Finally the psychiatrist asked the patient if corpses bled. The patient replied, “Of course corpses don't bleed, all of their body functions have stopped.” The psychiatrist then convinced the patient to try an experiment. The psychiatrist would carefully prick the patient with a pin and they would see if he started to bleed. The patient agreed. After all, he was a corpse. The psychiatrist gently pricked the patient's skin with a needle and, sure enough, he began to bleed. With a look of shock and amazement the patient gasped, "I'll be darned...corpses DO bleed!" Our beliefs are a very powerful force in our behavior. It is common wisdom that if someone really believes he can do something he will do it, and if he believes something is impossible no amount of effort will convince him that it can be accomplished. What is unfortunate is that many sick people, such as those with cancer or heart disease, will often present their doctors and friends with the same belief mentioned in the story above. Beliefs like "It's too late now;" "There's nothing I can do anyway;" "I'm a victim...My number came up;" can often limit the full resources of the patient. Our beliefs about ourselves and what is possible in the world around us greatly impact our day-to-day effectiveness. All of us have beliefs that serve as resources as well as beliefs that limit us. The power of beliefs was demonstrated in an enlightening study in which a group of children who were tested to have average intelligence was divided at random into two equal groups. One of the groups was assigned to a teacher who was told that the children were "gifted." The other group was given to a teacher who was told that the children were "slow learners." A year later the two groups were retested for intelligence. Not surprisingly, the majority of the group that was arbitrarily identified as "gifted" scored higher than they had previously, while the majority of the group that was labeled "slow" scored lower! The teacher's beliefs about the students effected their ability to learn. In another study, 100 cancer "survivors" (patients who had reversed their symptoms for over 10 years) were interviewed about what they had done to achieve success. The interviews showed that no one treatment method stood out as being more effective than any other. Some had taken the standard medical treatment of chemotherapy and/or radiation, some had used a nutritional approach,
others had followed a spiritual path, while others concentrated on a psychological approach and some did nothing at all. The only thing that was characteristic of the entire group was that they all believed that the approach they took would work. Certainly, these examples seem to demonstrate that our beliefs can shape, effect or even determine our degree of intelligence, health, relationships, creativity, even our degree of happiness and personal success. Yet, if indeed our beliefs are so powerful a force in our lives, how do we get control of them so they don't control us? Many of our beliefs were installed in us as children by parents, teachers, social upbringing and the media before we were aware of their impact or able to have a choice about them. Is it possible to restructure, unlearn or change old beliefs that may be limiting us and imprint new ones that can expand our potential beyond what we currently imagine? If so, how do we do it? Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) provides perhaps the most powerful and exciting model of the mind and set of behavioral tools in existence. Through the processes of NLP, beliefs and belief strategies may be explicitly mapped and directed. The three most common areas of limiting beliefs center around issues of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness. These three areas of belief can exert a great deal of influence with respect to a person’s mental and physical health. Hopelessness occurs when someone does not believe a particular desired goal is even possible. It is characterized by a sense that, “No matter what I do it won't make a difference. What I want is not possible to get. It's out of my control. I'm a victim.” Helplessness occurs when, even though he or she believes that the outcome exists and is possible to achieve, a person does not believe that he or she is capable of attaining it. It produces a sense that, “It's possible for others to achieve this goal but not for me. I'm not good enough or capable enough to accomplish it.” Worthlessness occurs when, even though a person may believe that the desired goal is possible and that he or she even has the capability to accomplish it, that individual believes that he or she doesn't deserve to get what he/she wants. It is often characterized by a sense that, “I am a fake. I don't belong. I don't deserve to be happy or healthy. There is something basically and fundamentally wrong with me as a person and I deserve the pain and suffering that I am experiencing.” NLP offers specific techniques to elegantly and effectively help people to shift these types of limiting beliefs to beliefs involving hope for the future, a sense of capability and responsibility, and a sense of self-worth and belonging.
This seminar will explore the structure and dynamics of our belief systems as well as how to identify and change our beliefs and facilitate change in those around us. Some topics to be covered include: ● ● ● ● ●
Belief Assessment - Evaluating Belief Systems Time Lines - Getting to the Roots of Our Beliefs The Belief Change Cycle - Working with the Natural Cycle of Belief Change Colliding and Colluding Beliefs - Dealing with Conflicting Belief Systems Sleight of Mouth - The Language of Belief Change
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 2000 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Alpha Leadership in Action with Robert Dilts, Julian Russet and Anne Deering
Alpha Leadership is a new model of leadership whose purpose is to capture and share the latest and most up-to-date knowledge about the practice of effective leadership. The Alpha Leadership model defines a set of principles, tools and skills modeled from observing and coaching world-class leaders from around the world. The Alpha Leadership model addresses three key areas of leadership: Anticipate, Align and Act. Anticipating has to do with the leader’s ability to be aware of the larger system in which he or she and the team or organization are acting. Aligning has to do with the way a leader engages and interacts with others—achieving congruence in his or her own values and desires, and the values and desires of others in order to act effectively in pursuit of business goals and outcomes. Acting relates to establishing what is important to achieve the business goals, and making the commitment to persist in areas that make a difference through clarity and constancy of purpose. Each of these key aspects of leadership is supported by three core skills necessary to bring them into action. Anticipate • Detecting Weak Signals: Similar to the sonar system of a bat, leaders and organizations need to be able to sense and interpret subtle cues, in order to become aware of trends and patterns in the larger system, even before they happen. • Mental Agility: Having the flexibility (or “requisite variety”) to respond appropriately to these signals. • Freeing Up Resources: Creating organizations fluid enough to respond quickly to new circumstances. Align • Leading Through Embodiment: Developing personal power through congruence and personal alignment, and being aware of one’s impact on others. • Task Through Relationship: Establishing cooperation and rapport and encouraging self-organization through meta leadership. • Creating Cultures that Can Act: Establishing the conditions in which others can win.
Act • The 80/20 Rule: Being efficient, and finding the key leverage points for effective action— “knowing where to tap.” • Ready, Fire, Aim: Being proactive and at the same time sensitive to feedback in order to make “in-course” corrections. • Dogged Pursuit: Focusing and stretching business goals, being clear about how the business creates value, and having a strong sense of connection between one’s personal mission and business role. The Alpha Leadership model supplies tools for managers, consultants and coaches to develop more effective leadership ability in themselves and others. While the focus of Alpha Leadership is necessarily on business, the principles, skills and tools can be applied in other contexts in which we want to improve our performance or results. This workshop will provide: • An understanding of the Alpha Leadership model • A conversation with other innovative business leaders about the application of Alpha Leadership principles to their own organization • A self-diagnosis of key areas for their own development and the identification of some practical next steps • Feedback from the authors on one’s own leadership development plan • An understanding of the implications of leadership for one’s own organization • An exploration of some innovative dimensions of Alpha Leadership, and an actual increase in one’s ability to anticipate the future
NLP GTC Engineered Materials Certification and Authorization The GTC Engineered Materials Certification and Authorization course offers a unique opportunity for individuals who have reached an advanced level in NLP to expand their repertoires and interactively hone their skills. This course is presented this year to support new NLP Trainers and Consultants and new NLP Training Institutes. Recent graduates of NLPU have inspired this us to present this class now. We also welcome our colleagues who are curious to know what Robert considers: Important NLP Business Consulting Tools and Most Important Practitioner Skills. Robert’s teaching materials are valuable instruments for anyone whose profession requires them to be current with the best NLP teaching tools available. This program and it’s accompanying authorization of teaching tools enables NLP Trainers aligned with Robert and his standards and formats for excellence. You will benefit by a closer association and affiliation with the Dilts/NLPU approach to NLP. The course consists of intensive supervision and assessment with specific engineered training materials from a particular application area partially selected by the individual participant during the course. Engineered training materials’ include learning tools and teaching tools related to a particular application area. Engineered materials may include 1) specific cognitive packages—such as background descriptions, charts, forms, PowerPoint slides, transparencies for overhead projectors or other support material; or 2) processes and instruments related to specific learning activities and tasks such as exercises, questionnaires, scenarios, role plays or simulations. As members of the course, participants will have the opportunity to: • Refine and internalize abilities to work with specific applications and related materials • Gain insight into the logic and structure behind NLP exercises and formats. • Interactively practice and master advanced NLP presentation skills. • Interact with other advanced NLP people to get targeted feedback in a way that is not possible in other contexts. • Receive supervision and assessment for presenting NLP techniques and formats from their original developers. Participants may choose to be supervised and assessed on a limited number of engineered materials from one of the two pathways: 1) Business Consulting Tools, or, 2) Fundamental Practitioner Skills. The Practitioner Skills Pathway will also include an interactive Practitioner level multimedia CD rom featuring Robert and Judith DeLozier. Individuals who successfully pass assessment will receive authorization to use the
selected engineered materials in specified contexts. Authorization will relate to specific engineered material designed by Robert Dilts, Judith DeLozier and Todd Epstein and published by Dynamic Learning Publications and NLP University Press. The authorization is in the form of an agreement specifying the particular materials, type of use and the specific contexts in which the engineered material may be used, as well as an understanding that the standard copyright procedures must be utilized and honored for each use. * Dates: July 14–23, 2002 * Registration: July 14 ~ Oakes Learning Center 12-2pm ~ UCSC- West Entrance ~ Oakes College, Oakes Learning Center. * July 14 ~ General Assembly 2pm- 5pm. Oakes Learning Center. * Daily class times: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm beginning July 15. * Last day: July 23 ~ Program ends 3pm. Check-out of apartments by 12 noon. * Residential package, including tuition, private accommodations and meals: $3,880. Tuition alone: $3,000. * Enrollment Form and Deposit due May 10: $2,000. Balance, $1,880 due June 10. * Please call for discounts for multiple people from one Institute. After May 10th, contact NLPU to see if class is open.
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Visionary Leadership Skills: Creating a World to Which People Want to Belong with Robert Dilts At some point in our lives we have probably all felt the desire to "change the world" or to "make the world a better place." This desire usually stems from a "vision" that our lives or our world could be enriched or improved in some way. Such visions of the future often provide guidance and direction for our lives and our work, furnishing the motivation and impetus for change on many levels. This seminar examines some of the essential skills and tools that are required to bring about change and "create a world to which people want to belong" - the skills and tools of "visionary leadership". These skills relate to forming and clarifying one's own dreams and ideas, sharing those ideas with others, transforming those dreams into actions, and engaging the help of others to bring dreams and ideas into reality. Many of the skills presented in this course have been modeled from and were inspired by effective leaders and managers from around the world. These skills include communicating, interacting and managing relationships within an organization, network or social system in order to move towards one's highest aspirations. Some of the topics covered include: ●
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Releasing natural leadership abilities through the identification of your vision and mission Developing and maintaining states of personal excellence Forming effective plans Recognizing and addressing different thinking styles Understanding and managing beliefs and belief systems Enhancing personal effectiveness in communicating and in managing others Exploring and enriching personal leadership styles Giving useful feedback
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page.
This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Addictions, Compulsions and Identity With Robert Dilts
According to author John Bradshaw (On: the Family) an addiction is “a pathological relationship to any mood-altering experience that has life damaging consequences.” Addictions often involve or lead to a paradoxical situation in which a person does or takes something which that person believes he or she needs in order to survive, but the person ends up doing it to such an extent that it threatens his or her survival. [It is as if, “Too much of a good thing is not enough.”] People can form addictions to a variety of different behaviors and substances. Common addictions include alcohol, drugs, work, sex, cigarettes and food. Addictions and compulsions are often related to perceptions and beliefs related to identity and survival. Addictions, for instance, are frequently associated with “dependence” and “codependence.” Dependence is a function of the belief that you need something or someone for your survival and/or sense of identity, and that there are no other alternatives. Co-dependence involves a relationship based on the presupposition that both parties need the other for survival and/or sense of identity, and that there are no other alternatives. Addictions especially have been associated with the process of “enmeshment.” Enmeshment results from confusing some person, action or object as being an integral part of your identity or survival. Explores the relationship between compulsive behaviors and identity and provides strategies and techniques for transforming compulsions into choice. NLP has been applied with success to the treatment of addictions and compulsions. Addictions and compulsions are often related to unresolved past issues and current internal conflicts, usually at the level of identity. Treatment, from a systemic NLP perspective, involves clarifying issues at the identity level and finding ways to build in other choices to satisfy the positive intention driving the addictive or compulsive behavior. This seminar will explore a basic intervention path for treating an addictions and compulsions including: • Distinguishing between behavior and identity, and exploring the ‘positive intentions’ and ‘secondary gains’ behind the addictive or compulsive behavior. • Dealing with relevant family system issues, such as codependence and enmeshment. • Identifying and resolving issues from personal history related to the establishment of the addictive or compulsive behaviors. • Strengthening the motivation to change. • Developing skills to deal with emotional responses which lead to the addictive or
compulsive behavior in new, more effective and ecological ways. • Establishing positive alternative behaviors to those related to the addiction or compulsion. • Aligning and integrating any conflicting internal ‘parts’ involved with the addictive or compulsive behavior. • Identifying and reanchoring both environmental and internal triggers for addictive or compulsive behaviors.
NLP and Coaching Coaching is the process of helping another person to perform at the peak of his or her abilities. It involves drawing out another person’s strengths, helping that person to overcome internal resistances and interferences, and facilitating him or her to function as a part of a team. Thus, effective coaching requires an emphasis on both task and relationship. The skills and tools of NLP are uniquely suited for promoting effective coaching. NLP’s focus on well-formed outcomes, its foundation in modeling exceptional performers, and its ability to produce step-by-step processes to promote excellence makes it one of the most important and powerful resources for committed coaches. Coaching can be contrasted with counseling and consulting. Coaching focuses on a business and sports training model, which promotes conscious awareness of resources and abilities. It emphasizes generative change, concentrating on strengthening identity and values, and bringing dreams and goals into reality. Coaching addresses the development of new strategies for thinking and acting as opposed to resolution of problems past conflicts. Problem solving, or remedial change, is more associated with counseling and therapy. In contrast with coaches and counselors who work on a more one-to-one basis with their clients, a ‘consultant’ tends to be in more of a ‘meta position’, intervening not only with the client but with the larger system in which the client is involved. Consulting addresses both problem solving and generative aspects of change. When supporting and working with others, some of the beliefs of the coach include: People have the capabilities that they need to perform effectively. These capabilities can be drawn out with the appropriate rewards and input. People will improve their performance naturally if given the appropriate encouragement and feedback. Everybody is the best in the world at something. With the appropriate encouragement and feedback from me, this person will become the best he or she can be. If people know better what they are already doing well, they can easily extend it. People grow and improve through stretching themselves and getting positive feedback for trying. The leadership style of the coach is that of contingent reward. Contingent reward is a fairly directive leadership style. It involves contracting an exchange of reward for effort. A good coach tells people what to do if they want to be rewarded. The coach assures people that they can get what they want in exchange for effort, and gives special commendations and promotions for good work. Coaches also provide specific, ongoing behavioral feedback for how to improve. In contrast with guides, coaches stimulate people to act on their own and help them to
draw upon their own resources. This program explores the skills necessary to be an effective coach at all levels. The seminar will provide specific skills which help and support a person to develop and excel in order to reach desired outcomes. Participants will learn skills and tools which support effective coaching, including: * Setting Well-Formed Goals and Outcomes * Modeling Effective Performance * Mapping Across Resources * Feedback and Stretching * Learning to Learn * Managing Relationships —Meta Mapping and the ‘Meta Mirror’ * Reframing Criticisms and Doubts
Coaching Sponsorship Coaching Change at deep levels of being and thinking, such as values and identity are promoted by "sponsorship". With respect to identity and values, "sponsorship" involves awakening and safeguarding potential within others. It involves the commitment to the promotion of something that is already within a person but isn't being manifested to its fullest capacity. The coach as sponsor provides a context, contacts and resources that promotes the individual's development and performance. Effective sponsoring can be one of a coaches most powerful skills. Stephen Gilligan (1997) has identified a number of principles and skills of positive or 'therapeutic sponsorship'. From Gilligan's perspective, a sponsor helps others not so much by doing anything in particular. Rather, sponsors transform others by first recognizing or seeing something latent in them, and then by being there for them as a kind of reference point. The effects of sponsorship can last many years. As an example, a coaching client identified a memory of being sponsored as one of his most powerful resources When he was three years old, his father was washing the car as he rode his little meal pedal bike around and around the car. As he rode his father watched, smiling and really seeing him. It was a non-verbal acknowledgement for him as a person. It gave him a sense of worth and was an ongoing reminder that he was approved of as a person. Later, even as an adult, when he launched a new project, this memory would flash through his mind and give him confidence. According to Gilligan, the outcomes of positive sponsorship are to "awaken awareness of self and of the world, and to introduce skills and traditions to develop 'self-in-world' and 'world-in-self'." Gilligan defines a number of specific skills associated with 'therapeutic sponsorship' these can be mapped across to the context of life coaching and executive coaching as well. Some of these skills include: Internal congruence Connecting with the other Curiosity and Receptivity Proper naming Identifying and challenging self-negating influences Effective sponsorship involves supplying other perspectives that allow people to see the positive side of their values and behavior. This involves helping the other person
recognize the needs, intention, consequences and assumptions related to a particular value. To do this a sponsor needs to stay creative and to periodically "stand in the shoes" of the other. In order to establish values and identity it is important to remember to, "Find a sponsor, and be a sponsor." Sponsorship cannot be imposed on people. People must seek and accept sponsorship to some degree. It is also possible to engage in one's own "self-sponsorship." This can be done by establishing personal and professional practices, making the commitment to allocate time to them, and then hold oneself accountable for putting them into action. Together with Gilligan, Robert Dilts has been exploring the development of a 'sponsorship toolbox', which can facilitate the development of effective sponsorship. Applying principles and methods of NLP, Dilts has explored how to apply the skills of sponsorship to coaching through techniques such as: * The Values Audit * Listening Partnerships * Reframing Self-Criticism * Generative Sponsorship and Group Sponsorship
Genius and the Generative Self With Robert Dilts and Stephen Giligan
In this workshop you will develop Genius Skills (e.g. technical brilliance, passionate work, achieving excellence, intentionality, emotional healing, integrity, sensual intelligence, self-regulation, love, core alignment) in yourself and others through a 'sponsorship toolbox'. Also see how this innovative new system can be applied to business, coaching, training, mentoring and therapy. Stephen Gilligan (PhD) and Robert Dilts were together at the beginning of NLP. They both went on to pursue excellence in their different disciplines: Robert in his development of NLP and its applications, especially in the area of business leadership and strategies of genius, and Stephen in Ericksonian Hypnosis and his own brand of psychotherapy. After twenty years apart, they have come together to develop this new system and present this unique seminar. They share a deep commitment to helping people grow at an identity level, and a fascination with creativity. Deep creativity that leads to new, unanticipated places, to something unprecedented. In other words, Genius - defined as 'the superior or divine nature which is present in everything'. It takes you past evolution, stepping beyond what already exists, on a quantum leap towards revolution. What participants will discover: "Sponsorship" is a notion that Stephen has brought out of his work in hypnosis, and been developed by Robert to apply in business leadership, coaching, teaching and therapy. Together Robert and Steve will share their "Sponsorship Toolbox" to help you explore the nature of genius and bring more of it in your work and life. The skills of Sponsorship and of Genius will help you to: * Handle diversity without polarising * Listen beyond what is said * Practically apply systemic thinking * Recognise and utilize metaphor * Integrate seeming opposites * Take risks * Reflect and Connect * Become part of the Future * Operate at multiple levels and align higher levels
To this rich seminar, Steve also brings his humour, wisdom and poetry, and Robert his grace and analytical elegance. Together they create an atmosphere of deep respect, wholeness and multidimensionality - truly magical. If you would like to bring into your own and others lives more skills that affirm life, and be able to better bridge the worlds between the analytical left brain and the deeper aesthetic right brain with new and surprising results, this seminar is for you.
The Bio of Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. Stephen Gilligan is one of the original group of students who studied with Bandler and Grinder at the foundation of NLP. A long time student of the legendary hypnotherapist, Milton H. Erickson, Gilligan is most well-known for his work in the area of hypnosis. He has been a leading teacher of Ericksonian hypnosis and psychotherapy over the past 20 years, and his book Therapeutic Trances: The Cooperation Principle in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, is considered one of the classics in the field. He also has published a number of other books and articles in the field of psychotherapy. A psychologist in private practice in Encinitas, CA, Gilligan is also a devoted student of martial arts, especially aikido.
Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. Gilligan has consistently emphasized and demonstrated the generative nature of mental process in each person's life. His most recent book, The Courage to Love: A Self-Relations Approach to Psychotherapy (Norton Professional Books, 1997), examines the relation of Erickson's legacy to aikido, Buddhism and nonviolence. It emphasizes love as a skill and a courage that may be cultivated and used to transform the many faces of violence and negative thinking that surround unhappiness and suffering.
Comments and Suggestions For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Alpha Leadership in Action with Robert Dilts, Julian Russell and Anne Deering
Alpha Leadership is a new model of leadership whose purpose is to capture and share the latest and most up-to-date knowledge about the practice of effective leadership. The Alpha Leadership model defines a set of principles, tools and skills modeled from observing and coaching world-class leaders from around the world. The Alpha Leadership model addresses three key areas of leadership: Anticipate, Align and Act. Anticipating has to do with the leader’s ability to be aware of the larger system in which he or she and the team or organization are acting. Aligning has to do with the way a leader engages and interacts with others—achieving congruence in his or her own values and desires, and the values and desires of others in order to act effectively in pursuit of business goals and outcomes. Acting relates to establishing what is important to achieve the business goals, and making the commitment to persist in areas that make a difference through clarity and constancy of purpose. Each of these key aspects of leadership is supported by three core skills necessary to bring them into action. Anticipate • Detecting Weak Signals: Similar to the sonar system of a bat, leaders and organizations need to be able to sense and interpret subtle cues, in order to become aware of trends and patterns in the larger system, even before they happen. • Mental Agility: Having the flexibility (or “requisite variety”) to respond appropriately to these signals. • Freeing Up Resources: Creating organizations fluid enough to respond quickly to new circumstances. Align • Leading Through Embodiment: Developing personal power through congruence and personal alignment, and being aware of one’s impact on others. • Task Through Relationship: Establishing cooperation and rapport and encouraging self-organization through meta leadership.
• Creating Cultures that Can Act: Establishing the conditions in which others can win. Act • The 80/20 Rule: Being efficient, and finding the key leverage points for effective action— “knowing where to tap.” • Ready, Fire, Aim: Being proactive and at the same time sensitive to feedback in order to make “in-course” corrections. • Dogged Pursuit: Focusing and stretching business goals, being clear about how the business creates value, and having a strong sense of connection between one’s personal mission and business role. The Alpha Leadership model supplies tools for managers, consultants and coaches to develop more effective leadership ability in themselves and others. While the focus of Alpha Leadership is necessarily on business, the principles, skills and tools can be applied in other contexts in which we want to improve our performance or results. This workshop will provide: • An understanding of the Alpha Leadership model • A conversation with other innovative business leaders about the application of Alpha Leadership principles to their own organization • A self-diagnosis of key areas for their own development and the identification of some practical next steps • Feedback from the authors on one’s own leadership development plan • An understanding of the implications of leadership for one’s own organization • An exploration of some innovative dimensions of Alpha Leadership, and an actual increase in one’s ability to anticipate the future
Servant Leadership: Leadership in Service with Robert Dilts One of the most important set of skills required in a changing world are the skills of leadership. In today’s evolving view of leadership, leaders are not ‘bosses’ or ‘commanders’; rather leaders are people who are committed to “creating a world to which people want to belong.” This commitment demands a special set of models and abilities in order to effectively and ecologically manifest the visions which guide those committed to change. Rather than ‘power’, true leadership is a result of influence, congruence and integrity. It involves managing relationships and interacting and communicating within a team, organization, network or social system to move towards a vision of a rewarding future. From this perspective, leadership can be defined as the capability to: “express a vision, influence others to achieve results, encourage team cooperation, and be an example.” In fact, it is interesting to note that “leading” and “leadership” come from the Old English word lithan, which literally means “to go.” According to MerriamWebster’s Dictionary, leadership means “to guide on a way, especially by going in advance.” It is significant that the root of the word leadership does not have to do with “power,” “command,” “dominance,” etc. It has to do with going somewhere together with others. It is not so much about “being number one” as it is about “leading the way” through one’s own actions. Thus, in its truest expression, leadership is fundamentally about “going first,” and influencing others as much by one’s actions as by one’s words. One of the most important new areas of development in leadership is that of servant leadership. Servant leaders are those whose job is to make other people’s jobs easier. Servant leadership involves creating the conditions under which others can win and evolve. The fundamental process of servant leadership is empowerment. Servant leadership is systemic, ecological, encompassing and in the service of others. It is based on respect for the system and long term vision. Its purpose is to foster respect, evolution, growth, global and social consciousness, ethics and social responsibility. The skills of servant leadership are essential for a wide range of professions, including: Consultants Therapists
Coaches Parents
Managers Teachers
This program will explore the principles and competences necessary for effective servant leadership. Some of the topics to be covered include: Empowering People • Recognizing individuality • Promoting the development of people’s potential • Promoting self-esteem • Developing autonomy • Stimulating people’s motivation for growth • Leading from behind Giving Support to Others • Mentors and Mentoring • Building a ‘Second Position’ Perspective • Sponsoring • Skills of Sponsorship • Awakening • Establishing a culture of leadership—Recognizing that “We are all leaders.”
From Coach to Awakener: The Skills of Sponsorship This program explores the skills necessary to promote growth and change in oneself and others at all levels including: Guiding and Caretaking Guiding and caretaking have to do with providing support with respect to the environment in which change takes place. Guiding is the process of directing another person along the path leading from some present state to a desired state. It presupposes one has been there before, and knows the best way to reach the desired state. Being a caretaker, or "custodian," involves providing a safe and supportive environment. It has to do with attending to the external context and making sure that what is needed is available, and that there are no unnecessary distractions or interferences from the outside.
Coaching Coaching is the process of helping another person to perform at the peak of his or her abilities. It involves drawing out another person¹s strengths, helping that person to overcome internal resistances and interferences, and facilitating him or her to function as a part of a team. An effective coach observes a person¹s behavior and gives him or her tips and guidance about how to improve in specific contexts and situations.
Teaching Teaching relates to helping a person develop cognitive skills and capabilities. Teaching focuses on the acquisition of general skills, rather than on performance in specific situations. A teacher helps a person to develop new strategies for thinking and acting. The emphasis of teaching is more on new learning than on refining one¹s performance.
Mentoring In Greek Mythology, Mentor was the wise and faithful counselor to the hero
Odysseus. Under the guise of Mentor, the goddess Athena became the guardian and teacher of Odysseus¹ son Telemachus, while Odysseus was away on his journeys. Thus, the notion of being a Œmentor¹ has come to mean the process of both (a) advising or counseling, and (b) serving as a guide or teacher. A mentor has overlaps with, but is distinct from, either a teacher or coach. A teacher instructs, and a coach provides specific behavioral feedback, in order to help a person learn or grow. Mentors, on the other hand, guide us to discover our own unconscious competences, and strengthen beliefs and values, often through their own example. Mentors are often individuals that have helped to shape or influence our lives in a positive way by ³resonating² with, releasing, or unveiling something deeply within us.
Sponsoring Sponsorship involves creating a context in which others can act, grow and excel. Unlike a teacher, coach or mentor, the skills and resources of the sponsor may be quite different from the person or group that is being sponsored. The sponsor is not necessarily a role model for the individual or group being sponsored. Rather the sponsor provides a context, contacts and resources that allow the group or individual being sponsored to focus on, develop and use their own abilities and skills. Sponsorship is about the development of identity and core values. ³Sponsorship² involves awakening and safeguarding potential within others. It involves the commitment to the promotion of something that is already within a person or group, but which is not being manifested to its fullest capacity.
Awakening Awakening goes beyond coaching, teaching, mentoring and sponsorship to include the level of vision, mission and spirit. An awakener supports another person by providing contexts and experiences which bring out the best of that person¹s understanding of love, self, and spirit. Like all of the other levels, the skills related to being an awakener must include but transcend all of the other levels. Thus, being an awakener requires the abilities a coach, teacher, mentor and sponsor, but has other dimensions. An awakener Œawakens¹ others through his or her own integrity and congruence. An awakener puts other people in touch with their own missions and visions by being in full contact with his or her own vision and mission. This seminar will provide skills which help and support a person to develop and grow at all of these levels. Participants will learn skills and tools which facilitate each level of support.
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Third Generation NLP for Leaders and Coaches with Robert Dilts
NLP is now in its third decade as a field of study and has evolved considerably since its beginnings in the mid 1970s. As a third generation of NLP developers, trainers and practitioners move into the world, it is also time to acknowledge a third generation of NLP. First generation NLP was the original model of NLP derived by Bandler and Grinder from their study of effective therapists. These early applications of NLP were all applied one-on-one, with the focus almost entirely on the individual. First generation NLP presupposed a therapeutic relationship in which the therapist knew what was best for his or her client. NLP was considered something which one “did to other people.” This led to some NLP applications as seeming to be manipulative when used in non-therapeutic contexts. Most of the first generation tools and techniques (such as the meta model, anchoring, eye accessing cues, predicates, 6-step reframing, etc.) were focused on problem solving at level of behavior and capabilities. Second generation NLP began to emerge in the mid to late 1980s. At this time, NLP was expanding to embrace other issues beyond the therapeutic context. While still focused on individuals, second generation NLP emphasized the relationship between oneself and others and widened to include such areas of application as negotiation, sales, education and health. The tools of NLP also expanded to include higher level issues, such as those related to beliefs, values and “meta programs.” Second generation NLP techniques integrated the use of new distinctions such as time lines, submodalities and perceptual positions into formats like reimprinting, conflict integration, the Disney strategy and the Swish Pattern. Third generation NLP has been developing since the 1990s. The applications of third generation NLP are generative, systemic and focused at even higher levels of learning, interaction and development—including those relating to identity, vision and mission. Third generation NLP emphasizes whole system change and can be applied to organizational and cultural development as well as to individuals and teams. The techniques of third generation NLP are “field based,” incorporating principles of selforganization, archetypes and what is known as “fourth position”—a whole system perspective. The tools of third generation NLP are founded upon alignment, a multi-level perspective and the skills of sponsorship. The assumption of third generation NLP is
that the wisdom needed for change is already in the system and can be discovered and released by creating the appropriate context. This program will focus on the applications of third generation NLP to coaching and leadership. Coaching and leadership both involve helping others to perform at the peak of their abilities. Good leaders and coaches are also skilled in team building and promoting a common culture and shared values amongst team members. This seminar will cover the knowledge, behavioral skills and personal qualities necessary for people to be effective coaches and leaders. Sponsoring Alignment for Change Creating a Win-Win Environment Applying “Triple Description” Working with Multiple Time Frames and “Shifting the Burden” Ethical Thinking Tools
Identity and Evolutionary Change with Robert Dilts One of the areas of change that has been least explored by NLP is that related to the level of identity. Change in identity transcends behaviors, capabilities and beliefs, and may be the deepest level of structure that we are able to influence through NLP tools. Identity is the underlying foundation of all other levels of change. Identity has to do with such questions as "Who am I?" "What are my limits?" "What is my purpose?" Clarifying the 'deep structure' of our identity allows us to express ourselves even more fully at the level of our behavioral 'surface structure'. It involves: ● ● ● ● ●
Finding and clarifying our life's direction Managing boundaries between 'self' and 'others' Becoming clear about beliefs that support our identity and those which limit us Expanding our sense of self Incorporating new dimensions of being
Working at the level of identity also opens up the possibility of "evolutionary" change. Most NLP techniques focus on "remedial" or corrective change (fixing something that is broken). A few techniques focus on "generative" change (taking something good and making more of it). Still fewer address "evolutionary" change (creating something completely new). To make an analogy, remedial change is like pulling weeds; generative change is like planting new seeds; evolutionary change is like altering the landscape upon which the weeds and the seeds are growing. This program will explore how NLP can promote the development and understanding of identity and facilitate evolutionary change. Some topics to be covered include: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Identity versus self concept The relationship of identity to role, personality and mission Developmental stages of identity The role of archetypes in forming identity Expressing identity through different senses Biological metaphors for identity and evolutionary change
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Identity and body image Identification and disidentification
Some of the benefits of the seminar include the ability to: ● ● ●
Promote deeper and more lasting change Be more of yourself more of the time Facilitate more far reaching and ecological outcomes
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Third Generation NLP for Leaders and Coaches with Robert Dilts
NLP is now in its third decade as a field of study and has evolved considerably since its beginnings in the mid 1970s. As a third generation of NLP developers, trainers and practitioners move into the world, it is also time to acknowledge a third generation of NLP. First generation NLP was the original model of NLP derived by Bandler and Grinder from their study of effective therapists. These early applications of NLP were all applied one-on-one, with the focus almost entirely on the individual. First generation NLP presupposed a therapeutic relationship in which the therapist knew what was best for his or her client. NLP was considered something which one “did to other people.” This led to some NLP applications as seeming to be manipulative when used in non-therapeutic contexts. Most of the first generation tools and techniques were focused on problem solving at level of behavior and capabilities. Second generation NLP began to emerge in the mid to late 1980s. At this time, NLP was expanding to embrace other issues beyond the therapeutic context. While still focused on individuals, second generation NLP emphasized the relationship between oneself and others and widened to include such areas of application as negotiation, sales, education and health. The tools of NLP also expanded to include higher level issues, such as those related to beliefs, values and “meta programs.” Second generation NLP techniques integrated the use of new distinctions such as time lines, submodalities and perceptual positions. Third generation NLP has been developing since the 1990s. The applications of third generation NLP are generative, systemic and focused at even higher levels of learning, interaction and development—including those relating to identity, vision and mission. Third generation NLP emphasizes whole system change and can be applied to organizational and cultural development as well as to individuals and teams. The techniques of third generation NLP are “field based,” incorporating principles of selforganization, archetypes and what is known as “fourth position”—a whole system perspective. The tools of third generation NLP are founded upon alignment, a multi-level perspective and the skills of sponsorship. The assumption of third generation NLP is that the wisdom needed for change is already in the system and can be discovered and released by creating the appropriate context.
This program will focus on the applications of third generation NLP to coaching and leadership. Coaching and leadership both involve helping others to perform at the peak of their abilities. Good leaders and coaches are also skilled in team building and promoting a common culture and shared values amongst team members. This seminar will cover the knowledge, behavioral skills and personal qualities necessary for people to be effective coaches and leaders. Topics will include: • Large “C” and Small “c” Coaching • Levels of Support for Learning and Change • Sponsorship, Non-Sponsorship and Negative Sponsorship • Skills of Sponsorship • Sponsoring Alignment for Change • The Hero’s Journey • Bateson’s Levels of Learning and Change • Practicing Learning IV
Leadership Culture in the Next Economy
In today’s turbulent world, the spotlight on individual leaders and their performance grows ever brighter. Those organizations that are sustaining their value – and the reputation of their leaders – in these challenging times have one thing in common: leaders who pay attention to what they will leave behind them after they are gone. They ask themselves what people will say of them; will the organization they led still be there to remember them; and if so, what position will they hold in the organization’s memory? The paradox at the heart of the idea of organizational leadership is that the leader must add value to the organization, but must not take it away when he or she leaves. An essential part of a leader’s job is to make him or herself dispensable through creating a culture of leadership, which extends throughout the organization. When an organization becomes incapable and falls apart after the leader departs, the subsequent ruin is, in a sense, a validation of that leader’s talent and evidence of the value added during his or her tenure. But it is also evidence of that leader’s failure to endow the organization with the qualities needed to transcend previous achievements, the failure to nurture the conditions under which leadership can flourish. Some leaders fail to create a culture of leadership, and instead foster a personal cult. A cult is a rudimentary, incomplete, inherently ephemeral phenomenon that fades away when the personality that creates it departs. In the cult of the leader, there is typically one powerful individual who makes the decisions and determines the direction the company will take. The result is that the organization’s actions and plans are controlled by a single charismatic figure. People’s plans and actions within the organization are primarily motivated by either their fear or love of the leader. (A dictatorship, for example, is generally a fear-based leadership cult.) In this type of situation, there is only room for a few people to be leaders, and the credit for success is confined to the leader or to a few key individuals at the top. There are no plans or ongoing efforts to develop future leaders. In fact, people who try to be proactive and enact leadership are likely to be suppressed and punished. As a result, people wait to act until they are given permission by the leader or someone close to the leader, and are expected to follow orders and directives without question. Cults tend to be characterized by a lot of rhetoric. Leaders don’t listen, and people are afraid to speak openly about what they think. In a leadership culture, on the other hand, everyone must develop and express key leadership actions and qualities to some degree. While there are still symbolic individuals who have key responsibilities, represent cultural values and provide an example of leadership, many others in the organization are also empowered to make decisions and encouraged to have their own visions in parallel with the larger vision driving the organization.
In a culture of leadership, the success of the organization is based on the combined energy and efforts of many people aligned toward a common vision. The organization’s actions and plans are determined by the desire and efforts of people at all levels of the organization, and the credit for success is spread to many contributors. Many people are encouraged to lead and express their ideas and visions. There is a genuine and sustained effort to train and develop future leaders. People at all levels are encouraged to be proactive and take leadership. Consequently, the organization will continue to run smoothly and effectively in the absence of the leader. A culture is much more durable and robust than a cult, because its survival and power do not depend on the presence and personality of a single individual. Because culture is shared, it can remain influential long after its creator has been forgotten. These reflections point to a critical question: who will be running your company ten years from now? And what are you doing now to make sure you retain and develop your best future leaders? What will your legacy be? This presentation will cover some of the key principles and methods that leaders can use to assess their own oreganizational cultures and build effective and sustainable leadership cultures that will lead their organizations to success in the next economy.
Success Factor Modeling
Success Factor Modeling™ was developed by Robert and John Dilts as a method to identify and transfer the critical success factors necessary to promote the growth and development of new ventures, traditional companies and entrepreneurs, and to help them be maximally prepared to create, recognize and take advantage of opportunities when they arise. With nearly thirty years of combined experience in advising both multi-national corporations and emerging growth technology companies, Robert and John applied their extensive expertise in defining the necessary strategies, and in providing substantive strategic advice for success in the increasingly competitive global marketplace. Success Factor Modeling™ brings together these combined skills and backgrounds to create a set of principles and distinctions which are uniquely suited to analyze and identify crucial patterns of business practices and behavioral skills used by successful individuals, teams and companies. The SFM™ process can be used to identify the critical success factors employed by successful companies, teams and individuals so that others may learn these strategies in order to facilitate the same level of success. With Success Factor Modeling™, it is possible to define specific models, tools and skills that will allow individuals, teams and companies to greatly increase their chances of success, and which stimulate and support innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. One of the strengths of the SFM™ process is its integration of effective business practices with important behavioral skills. Benoit Sarazin, former Marketing Manager for the Communications Solutions Services Division at Agilent Technologies, points out, “Many methodologies exist to help people with effective business practices. If you go to a library or bookstore, you can find all types of resources for making business plans, forming marketing strategies, protecting intellectual property, etc. But there are no methodologies for the behavioral skills. This is what makes Success Factor Modeling totally unique.” By examining successful projects and initiatives and observing the behavior of high performing individuals and teams, SFM™ helps individuals and organizations to quantify the factors that have created their company’s legacy of success and to identify the trends necessary to extend that legacy into the future. These factors can then be “baked into” people’s daily activities by identifying and extending what they are already doing that is successful.
The basic steps of the process SFM™ are: 1. Conducting a needs analysis to determine the specific issues, contexts and skills to be addressed. The first step involves identifying “success stories” to determine their desired state of success and selecting the individuals and teams and individuals to be modeled. 2. Setting up and carrying out modeling interviews and procedures in order to identify the capabilities or performance to be examined and gather the necessary information. 3. Determining relevant patterns in the behavior, strategies and beliefs of the individuals and teams who have been modeled, which sets the benchmark for successful leadership in the company’s future. 4. Organizing the patterns that have been discovered into a descriptive and prescriptive structure; i.e., a “model.” This involves constructing a customized model and defining the supporting skills and competencies. 5. Designing effective installation/intervention procedures and tools in order to transfer or apply the key elements of the model to others. This involves completing the instructional design and development of the assessment tools and competency development paths for different individuals and teams. Success Factor Modeling™ takes into account multiple levels of factors related to success, including environmental, behavioral, cognitive, values, beliefs, identity and spiritual. It is founded on observing and mapping the key mental and physical processes which underlie an exceptional performance of some type. The goal of the Success Factor Modeling™ method is to identify the essential elements of thought and action required by an individual or group to produce the desired response or outcome. It is the process of taking a complex performance or interaction and breaking it into small enough chunks so that it can be recapitulated in some way. The purpose of behavior modeling is to create a pragmatic map or “model” of that behavior which can be used to reproduce or simulate some aspect of that performance by anyone who is motivated to do so. Thus, it involves benchmarking behaviors and ideas, as well as business practices. The objective of the Success Factor Modeling™ process is not to end up with the one “right” or “true” description of a particular person’s or team’s performance, but rather to make an instrumental map that allows us to apply the factors that we have modeled in some useful way. In summary, SFM™ may be applied in order to:
• Identify key factors associated with successful performance. • Organize those factors into a comprehensive and comprehensible model. • Define specific tools and skills which transfer the key success factors encompassed by the model to others. • Support the implementation of critical success factors through a variety of development paths that serve to create a dynamic and sustainable leadership culture. Dilts Strategy Group and International Teaching Seminars are delighted to announce an unprecedented one-year training program on Success Factor Modeling, to be held in London from November 2003 to September 2004. This exclusive training is being offered for the first time anywhere in the world. The course is for success-minded individuals who have a deep commitment to personal and professional evolution and who want to learn to develop a strong entrepreneurial attitude, take charge of the factors of success in their own lives, and work in new and exciting ways collaboratively with other like-minded individuals. Full details can be found at: http://www.itsnlp.com/dilts
TOOLS OF THE SPIRIT with
Robert Dilts and Robert MacDonald "I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element; I want to know his thoughts; the rest are details." - Albert Einstein The term Spirit may be likened to what Einstein was referring to as "God's thoughts." In the words of Gregory Bateson, Spirit is "the pattern which connects" all things together as a kind of "larger Mind" of which we as individuals are a subsystem. Manifestations of this Spirit, in the form of wisdom, vision, mission and healing, are the results of acknowledging and bringing Spirit more into our lives and actions. Fruits of the Spirit -- such as love, compassion, joy and peace -- are the generative and transformative results of being more in harmony with 'God's thoughts'; i.e., the patterns of this 'larger Mind'. As human beings, the primary way we have of perceiving and embodying Spirit is through our nervous systems, our language and our mental maps or programs (our 'neuro-linguistic programs'). 'Tools' of the Spirit are aids which bring our individual minds and nervous systems more in harmony and alignment with the 'larger Mind' and 'larger nervous system' of which we are members. Traditional tools of the Spirit include such things as prayer, meditation, singing, dancing, parables, rituals, and blessings. NLP can be considered a kind of 'meta tool' - a tool that can create other tools of the Spirit. The vision to be explored in this seminar is that of using NLP to 'create a world to which people want to belong' via developing skills for living in a state of impeccability. Impeccability is a state of authenticity, humility and grace guided by the awareness of change, impermanence and death. NLP Tools -- such as sensory awareness, multiple perspectives, neuro-logical levels, metaphor, anchoring and time lines -- can be combined with the principle of 'positive intent' and the core presuppositions of NLP to create new and effective 'tools of the Spirit.' These tools can allow us to bring more of the manifestations and fruits of the
Spirit into our lives and to connect and participate more fully and ecologically with the larger Mind and systems of which we are a part. Join world renowned NLP Trainers Robert Dilts and Robert McDonald and be prepared for a profound journey into the mysteries of the Spirit. This seminar is a special 3-day voyage for those who wish to learn more about their relationship to something greater than themselves. Although no prior knowledge or training is required to attend this unique workshop, you will experience and learn leading edge NLP processes; not available anywhere else, including: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
The Sacred journey The Presence of Eternity Spiritual Healing Discovering The Shadow Releasing Enmeshment With The Shadow Archetypal Self-Parenting The Symbolic Rebirth Cycle Spiritual Renewal A Framework For Spirituality And much more
This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1996 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Bio of Robert McDonald. Robert McDonald is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker and consultant who values authenticity, humility and mercy. He has been a Professional lecturer on interpersonal communication and mental health skills for over 25 years.
His contributions to psychology, NLP, and Psychoteleology are intended to help resolve individual and group suffering through empowered compassion, which is the result of marrying the "Heart" (kindness) and the "Sword" (technology). In the field of psychology, Robert's brief therapy perspectives, models, methodologies and skills are summarized in his 15 day program for practicing therapists called Healing The Wounded Heart: NLP as Brief Therapy. He holds an M. S. in Counseling and Mental Health. As a contributor to NLP's body of knowledge, McDonald is a pioneer in the fields of psychotherapy, addictions, and co-dependence. He created The Releasing Emotional Enmeshment Process, the first NLP procedure to impact co-dependence and other addictions. It is featured in the Andreas' Heart of the Mind and in John Bradshaw's Homecoming. He also created a variety of NLP processes which increase selfesteem, transform limiting beliefs, clarify personal boundaries, integrate various archetypes, and resolve interpersonal conflicts. On the business front, he is a coauthor of NLP: The New Technology of Achievement and Success Mastery With NLP and Tools of the Spirit (with Robert Dilts).
Comments or Suggestions
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Advantages of Cultural Diversity with Robert Dilts
Today people face many cultural challenges. These challenges can be sources of conflict, misunderstanding or inefficiency, or they can be powerful sources of innovation and growth, depending on the attitudes and skills of the people involved in the interaction. To function harmoniously and perform effectively, it is necessary to acknowledge and integrate the various sub-cultures within a common cultural framework. This program is designed to present and develop some of the key trans-cultural skills necessary to work in intercultural teams and realize the advantages of cultural diversity. Trans-cultural skills have to do with the ability to understand and appreciate different cultures and cultural patterns (either social or organizational), and the capacity to interact effectively with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds. Objectives The objectives of the program are to provide distinctions, skills and tools for: 1. Enhancing the awareness of cultural diversity 2. Identifying key variables for managing diversity 3. Exploring synergy between cultural diversity and organizational effectiveness 4. Utilizing the skills needed for acquiring cultural information 5. Developing trans-cultural competence necessary to more effectively manage situations where differences are high and conflicts occasionally exist.
Healing Patterns of Jesus with Robert Dilts The words, ideas and actions of Jesus of Nazareth have been a major influence on Western civilization for almost two thousand years now. Through the ages, Jesus has been viewed as many different things by many different people: a teacher, a miracle worker, a charismatic healer, a magician, a political and religious leader, the son of God, a metaphor, etc. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has developed techniques and distinctions with which to identify and describe patterns of people's verbal and non-verbal behavior - that is, key aspects of what people say and what they do. The basic objectives of NLP are to model special or exceptional abilities and help make them transferable to others. The purpose of this kind of modeling is to put what has been observed and described into action in a way that is productive and enriching. The field of NLP was established as a result of modeling effective 'healers'. NLP began when Richard Bandler and John Grinder modeled patterns of language and behavior from the works of Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton H. Erickson, M.D. The first 'techniques' of NLP were derived from key verbal and non-verbal patterns Grinder and Bandler observed in the behavior of these exceptional therapists. Bandler and Grinder's first book was titled The Structure of Magic. The implication of this title was that what seemed magical and unexplainable often had a deeper structure that, when illuminated, could be understood, communicated and put into practice by people other than the few exceptional 'wizards' who had initially performed the 'magic'. NLP developer, trainer and author, Robert Dilts, has made a similar kind of modeling with respect to the records of Jesus' teachings and works of healing. His first study, Cognitive Patterns of Jesus of Nazareth, explored the structure of the cognitive strategies employed by Jesus in his various works and teachings and how we might apply Jesus' strategic thinking abilities to our own lives. A forthcoming work, Epistemology of Jesus of Nazareth, will explore the beliefs, values and assumptions that lie behind the words and works of Jesus as viewed from the perspective of NLP and systems theory. For the past several years Dilts has been examining the reports of Jesus' acts of healing through the filters of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, culminating in his seminars and video tapes on The Healing Patterns of Jesus. The purpose of this seminar is to present some patterns and techniques modeled from the various accounts of Jesus' works as healer, teacher and leader. The general goals
of this course are to: a. identify key patterns of language and behavior within Jesus' reported works of teaching and healing. b. identify ways to put those key patterns into practice in our own lives. c. present techniques based on modeling Jesus' patterns and principles that can improve our own health and the health and well-being of others.
For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Evolution of Consciousness with Robert Dilts and Stephen Gilligan
A major challenge facing our current generation is that the world has changed tremendously in the past century, and even faster in the past decade. Our technology, society, interpersonal relationships and environment have transformed dramatically. Since September 11, 2001 it has become obvious that our world has crossed a threshold into a completely new territory. Such changes are bringing about fundamental alterations in our personal and collective consciousness and social patterning. Many of the deep metaphors and archetypes we live by and which guide our experiences (often at an unconscious level) are in a state of flux. The archetypes that no longer fit must be updated and adjusted; some falling away, others entering a state of transition, and still others arising for the first time. Our current generation is like a band of pioneers venturing in new territory where nobody has gone before to provide a map. Times of growth and transformation in our lives are usually accompanied by the need for evolution and “awakening.” To achieve this evolution, our mental maps of who we are and what is possible in the world must become broader, and we must perceive old limitations in a completely new way. We need to break through our old mind set and “get outside of the box,” learning at the level of what anthropologist Gregory Bateson called Learning IV—evolutionary change and the creation of something “completely new.” This new consciousness must both “transcend and include” our previous knowledge and awareness. New skills and resources are needed by those who are willing to explore the unknown and face the unknowable. This seminar will combine Stephen Gilligan’s work in the area of self relations and the generative self and Robert Dilts’ developments in the area of third generation NLP in order to explore skills and methods for reflecting upon and participating in the evolution of consciousness; our and that of the larger system or “field” of which we are a part. Some of the topics will include: Self Awakening—Centering, aligning and connecting with the “source of your resources” Developing the abilities of: Confidence—Belief in our own inner resources in times of uncertainty Trust—Staying centered while venturing into the unknown Faith—Accepting the unknowable
Getting outside of the box—States of “not knowing,” “uptime” and “active dreaming” Learning III and IV: Exploring identity and beyond Readiness to let go of the old world Flexible and mature survival strategies Weak signal detection In-course correction Frameworks and questions that awaken new possibilities Updating the archetypes and metaphors we live by
The Skills of Sponsorship with Robert Dilts
Change at deep levels, such as values and identity, does not take place through normal methods of instruction, tutoring, mentoring or even coaching. Changes at the level of identity and values are promoted by ‘sponsorship’ and ‘practices’. An organization that “sponsors” a particular program or research project, “promotes” that program or project by providing needed resources. A group that “sponsors” a seminar or workshop provides the space and promotional effort necessary to create the context for the workshop leader to present his or her ideas and activities, and for others to receive the benefits of these ideas and activities. From this perspective, sponsorship involves creating a context in which others can act, grow and excel. Unlike a teacher, coach or mentor, the skills and resources of the sponsor may be quite different from the person or group that is being sponsored. The sponsor is not necessarily a role model for the individual or group being sponsored. Rather the sponsor provides a context, contacts and resources that allow the group or individual being sponsored to focus on, develop and use their own abilities and skills. With respect to identity and values, then, “sponsorship” involves awakening and safeguarding potential within others. It involves the commitment to the promotion of something that is already within a person or group, but which is not being manifested to its fullest capacity. Stephen Gilligan (1997) has identified a number of principles and skills of positive or ‘therapeutic sponsorship’. From Gilligan’s perspective, a sponsor helps others not so much by doing anything in particular. Rather, sponsors transform others by first recognizing or seeing something latent in them, and then by being there for them as a kind of reference point. According to Gilligan, the outcomes of positive sponsorship are to “awaken awareness of self and of the world, and to introduce skills and traditions to develop ‘self-in-world’ and ‘world-in-self’.” Gilligan defines a number of specific skills associated with ‘therapeutic sponsorship’. Some of these skills can be adapted to a more general application of sponsorship than therapy, including: Internal congruence Connecting with the other Curiosity and Receptivity Proper naming Identifying and challenging self-negating influences Effective sponsorship involves supplying other perspectives that allow people to see the positive side of their values and behavior. This involves helping the other person recognize the needs, intention, consequences and assumptions related to a particular
value. To do this a sponsor needs to stay creative and to periodically “stand in the shoes” of the other. In order to establish values and identity it is important to remember to, “Find a sponsor, and be a sponsor.” Sponsorship cannot be imposed on people. People must seek and accept sponsorship to some degree. It is also possible to engage in one’s own “self-sponsorship.” This can be done by establishing personal and professional practices, making the commitment to allocate time to them, and then hold oneself accountable for putting them into action. Together with Gilligan, Robert Dilts has been exploring the development of a ‘sponsorship toolbox’, which can facilitate the development of effective sponsorship. Applying principles and methods of NLP, Dilts has explored how to apply the skills of sponsorship to training, business coaching and mentoring, as well as therapy, through techniques such as: The Values Audit Listening Partnerships Reframing Self-Criticism Generative Sponsorship and Group Sponsorship This seminar will provide these skills, and others, which help and support a person to develop and grow through the various forms of sponsorship. Participants will learn skills and tools which facilitate themselves and others to grow and evolve at many different levels.
New Tools for a World in Transformation
A major challenge facing our current generation is that our world has changed tremendously in the past century, and even faster in the past decade. Our technology, society, interpersonal relationships and environment have transformed dramatically. The attempt to keep up with such changes triggers important questions relating to key issues such as: How to behave? How to think? What to take a stand for? What is non-negotiable? What to believe and how to decide what to believe? Where do we put our attention in order to get the best guidance? It has been wisely pointed out that, “If you are full of an answer, you have no space for questions.” Many of our old answers may not serve us any more, and we must let go of them in order create space for new answers. This can allow us to better become aware of opportunities and assess risks. In times of change, however, we can also become more susceptible to limiting beliefs and “thought viruses.” “Thought viruses” can “infect” our minds and belief systems just as a physical virus can infect our bodies or a computer virus can infect a computer system leading to confusion and malfunctions. We need ways to detect the assumptions and presuppositions in the messages we receive (similar to “virus scanning” software or a mental “firewall”). A key issue in order to effectively cope with change is how to find stability (and inner security) when everything is changing faster and faster (and sometimes falling apart). How, for instance, can we stay in contact with what stays untouched in us in the middle of an ever changing world? This workshop will provide tools for addressing these questions and finding the resources needed to effectively and ecologically manage times of change with confidence and wisdom. The program will cover tools for: Centering, awareness and letting go (with respect to past and present) Recognizing when you are not in awareness Getting back to awareness Breaking out of short term perception of time Releasing old fears Increasing self-acceptance
Detecting and filtering possible “thought viruses” Cleaning out our filters with respect to presuppositions Moving from regression to progression.
EEG AND REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEMS Robert Dilts, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 1977 (Published in Roots of NLP, Meta Publications, 1983) Abstract - The study, conducted at the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco, attempted to correlate eye movements to particular cognitive and neurophysiological processes. Dilts used electrodes to track both the eye movements and brain wave characteristics of 25 subjects who were asked questions related to using the various senses of sight, hearing and feeling for tasks involving both memory ("right brain" processing) and mental construction ("left brain" processing). Recordings of the subject's brain waves were taken as they answered the various questions. Data was gathered for the left and right hemispheres of both the occipital (visual) and central (kinesthetic) areas of the cortex. A computer analysis was done of the recorded EEG data to assess relevant brain wave changes in the subjects as they responded to the questions. Changes in amplitude for brainwave frequencies between .5 and 20 Hertz were computed and examined for significant shifts, primarily with respect to the alpha band (8-12 HZ). Interpretation of the data tended to confirm other tests (Kinsbourne, 1972; Kocel et al, 1972; and Galin & Ornstein, 1974) which showed that lateralization of eye movements accompanied changes in brain activity during different cognitive tasks. This pattern also seemed to hold for tasks requiring different senses. Dilts' recordings also suggested that an individual's most highly valued representational modality was reflected in his or her baseline brain wave pattern. Individuals who were primarily visually oriented showed low amplitude beta activity when their eyes were open and alpha spindles when their eyes were closed. Auditory individuals displayed high amplitude beta with intermittent alpha when their eyes were open or closed. Kinesthetically oriented individuals recorded high amplitude alpha waves whether their eyes were either opened or closed (if they were primarily oriented toward their inner feelings), or low amplitude beta with eyes opened or closed (if they were primarily tactile).
Primary Modality
Control Wave Description
Visceral
High amplitude alpha content when eyes are both open and closed.
Baseline EEG Activity for individual of primarily visceral cognitive strategies.
Visual
Low amplitude beta when eyes are open; spindles of alpha of intermediate amplitude when eyes are closed.
Baseline EEG Activity for individual of primarily visual cognitive strategies. Tactile
Low amplitude beta when eyes are open or closed.
Baseline EEG Activity for individual of primarily tactile cognitive strategies.
Auditory
Higher amplitude beta with intermittent alpha when eyes are open or closed.
Baseline EEG Activity for individual of primarily auditory cognitive strategies.
For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
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The Bio of John Grinder. John Grinder is a co-founder with Richard Bandler of the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Having graduated from the University of San Francisco (USF) with a degree in psychology in the early 1960's, Grinder entered the United States military service where he served as a Green Beret in Europe during the Cold War. As a result of his gift for acquiring languages, he also spent time as an operative for a well known US intelligence agency. Upon returning to college in later 1960's, Grinder studied Linguistics, for which he received his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego.
John Grinder As a linguist, Grinder distinguished himself in the area of syntax, working within Noam Chomsky's theories of transformational grammar. After studying with cognitive science founder George Miller at Rockefeller University, Grinder was selected as a professor of linguistics at the newly founded University of California campus at Santa Cruz. His works in the area of linguistics include Guide to Transformational Grammar (co-authored with Suzette Elgin, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1973) and On Deletion Phenomena in English (Mouton & Co., 1972) and numerous articles. At UC Santa Cruz Grinder met Richard Bandler, who was a student of psychology. Bandler began studying psychotherapy and invited Grinder to participate in his therapy groups. Grinder became fascinated with the linguistic patterns used by effective therapists, and in 1974 teamed up with Bandler to make a model, drawing from the theory of transformational grammar, of the language patterns used by Gestalt Therapy founder Fritz Perls, family therapist Virginia Satir and
Hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson. Over the next three years Grinder and Bandler continued to model the various cognitive behavioral patterns of these thereapists, which they published in their books The Structure of Magic Volumes I & II (1975, 1976), Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, Volumes I & II (1975, 1977) and Changing With Families (1976). These books became the foundation of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Grinder is a co-author of numerous other books on NLP and its applications, including Frogs Into Princes (1979), NLP Volume I (1980), Tranceformations (1981), Reframing (1982), Precision (1980), Turtles All The Way Down (1987) and Whispering in the Wind with Carmen Bostic St. Clair (2001). In addition to his ability to identify and model complex patterns of language and behavior, Grinder is known for personal power and presence as a presenter and trainer. In recent years, Grinder has focused primarily on working as a consultant, applying NLP methods and principles in companies and organizations. John Grinder Quantum Leap 245 M Mt. Hermon Rd., #277 Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Comments or Problems For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
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The Bio of Richard Bandler. Richard Bandler is a co-founder with John Grinder of the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. A student of mathematics, Bandler began studying the work of Gestalt therapy founder Fritz Perls when he was asked to edit transcripts of Perls' lectures and workshops for the book Eyewitness To Therapy (1973) for Science and Behavior Books. He also began to work with family therapist Virginia Satir at this time. Bandler met John Grinder, a linguistics professor, as a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 1974 Bandler and Grinder began to make a model of the language patterns used by Perls, Satir and Hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson, which they published in their books The Structure of Magic Volumes I & II (1975, 1976), Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, Volumes I & II (1975, 1977) and Changing With Families (1976). These books formed the foundation of the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Richard Bandler Bandler is an author and co-author of numerous other books on NLP and its applications, including Frogs Into Princes (1979), NLP Volume I (1980), Tranceformations (1981), Reframing (1982), Using Your Brain (1985), An Insider's Guide to Sub-Modalities (1988), The Adventures of Anybody (1993), Time For a Change (1993) and Persuasion Engineering(1996). Much of Bandler's later work in NLP has focused on applications of submodalities, the subtle distinctions one can make in one's sensory experience and internal representations. His background as a musician and his interest in sound theory and the neurological impact of sound lead him to develop the area of Neuro-Sonics, which utilizes qualities of music and sound to create specific internal states. Bandler is also the founder of the model and techniques of Design Human Engineering (DHE). In addition to his creative genius, Bandler is known for his sense of humor, his ability to use sophisticated language patterns, and his dynamic training style.
First Institute of NLP & DHE Richard Bandler 268 Bush Street Suite 4115 San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 882-4657 Fax: (415) 974-0353
Comments or Problems For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Strategies of Genius Software Robert Dilts’ Imagineering Strategy and Vision 2 Action software programs are practical and easy-to-use thinking and planning tools based upon the creative processes of some of the world’s greatest geniuses. Applying the behavioral modeling technology of NLP, Dilts has identified some of the critical success factors that can help to stimulate and draw out more of the everyday genius in each of us. These factors have been put into a series of s teps that allow you to organize your own thoughts using the basic strategies that are common to all geniuses. The software allows you to explore and structure your ideas in a way that fits your own natural thinking process, and it gives you guidance on how to maximize your creativity. The programs lead you through simple procedures that draw out your own natural genius and help you collect and synthesize your ideas — providing an interactive “brainstorming” session on a computer. You are presented with a question and the answer is started for you. All you need to do is fill in the blanks. Inspiring quotations from the geniuses help to stimulate your own imagination and navigate your creative process. It is an easy to use format—applicable to any situation or topic—that produces surprising results. Your input can be structured and formatted in different ways to give you further insight into the connections between the ideas you have captured. Saved text can be opened and enhanced using any word processor.
Imagineering Strategy and Vision 2 Action are simple but powerful tools that you can use over and over again. Everything you need to begin turning your dreams into reality is contained within the program. Instructions for use and extensive ‘help’ files are provided on each disk. Each disk includes biographical information and an overview of the thinking strategies of eight of the world’s most important geniuses: Physicist and creator of the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein Artist and Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci Musician and composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Entertainment giant, Walt Disney Psychiatrist and founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud Philosopher and the ‘father of science’, Aristotle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective, Sherlock Holmes Scientist and inventor, Nikola Tesla Albert Einstein pointed that imagination is more important thann knowledge. Imagineering Strategy and Vision 2 Action help you to tap your imagination and put it to work, turning dreams and visions into practical action plans. The programs can be used by individuals or groups; it can enhance team work by helping people to work together more effectively and find common values. Get Imagineering Strategy and Vision 2 Action today and experience the benefits of NLP without having to be an NLP expert. Order now and begin to: think more creatively, give structure to your dreams, and transform new ideas into workable plans.
Journey to Genius Adventure
You may also want to see the Systemic Encyclopedia of NLP Or Link to the Anchor Point Page.
Comments or Suggestions For information on Robert Dilts, please see Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
Books by Robert Dilts Available in Other Languages German NLP Volume I - NLP; Structuren subjektiver Erfahrung, 1982. Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Identität Glaubenssysteme und Gesundheit, 1991. Strategies of Genius, Volume II: Albert Einstein - Einstein: Geniale Denkstrukturen & Neurolinguistisches Programmieren, 1992. Changing Beliefs with NLP - Die Veranderung von Glaubenssysteme, 1993. Tools for Dreamers - Know how für Träumer, 1994. Effective Presentation Skills - Kommunikation in Gruppen & Teams, 1997. Visionary Leadership Skills - Von der Vision zur Aktion: Visionäre Führungskunst, 1998. Tools of the Spirit - Und dann geschieht ein Wunder . . ., 1998. Skills for the Future - Zuukunftstechniken, 1999. Modeling With NLP - Modeling Mit NLP, 1999. Sleight of Mouth - Die Magie der Sprache, 2000. Publisher: Junfermann Verlag Imadsrabe 40 D-33102 Paderbon Germany Tel. (49) 52 51/ 13 44 0 Fax (49) 52 51/ 13 44 44 email:
[email protected]
French Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Croyances et Santé, 1994 Skills for the Future - Des outils pour l'avenir, 1995. Strategies of Genius Mozart et Disney, 1996. Aristotle et Einstein, 1996. Vinci et Holmes, 1997. Freud et Tesla, 1997. Publisher:
La Méridienne 14, rue du Dragon 75006, Paris France Tel. (33) 1 42 22 46 71 Fax. (33) 1 45 48 49 31
Spanish Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Las Creencias: Caminos hacia la salud y el bienstar, 1996. Dynamic Learning - Aprendizaje Dinámico con PNL, 1997. Visionary Leadership - Liderazgo Creativo: PNL, 1999. Modeling With NLP - Creacion de Modelos con PNL, 1999. Tools of the Spirit - Herramientas para el espíritu, 2000. Sleight of Mouth - el Poder de la Palabra, 2003. Publisher: Ediciones Urano Aribau, 142, pral. 08036 Barcelona Spain Tel. 932 375 564 or 934 156 159 Fax. 934 153 796 e-mail:
[email protected] Changing Beliefs with NLP - Cómo cambiar creencias con la PNL, 1998. Publisher: Editorial Sirio c/Panaderos, 9 29005 - Málaga Spain e-mail:
[email protected]
Italian NLP Volume I - Programmazione Neuro Linguistica: Lo studio della struttura dell' esperienza soggettiva, 1982. Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Convinzioni: Forme di pensiero che
plasmano la nostra esistenza, 1998. Dynamic Learning - Apprendimento Dinamico, 2002. Modeling with NLP - due Summer 2003. Publisher: Casa Editrice Astrolobio Ubaldini Editore Via Guido d'Arezzo, 16 00198 Rome Italy Tel. (39) 6 855 2131 Fax. (39) 6 855 2756 Visionary Leadership Skills - Leadership e Visione Creativita, 1998. Publisher: Edizioni Guerini e Associati V. le Felipetti 28 20122 Milano Italy Tel. (39) 2 58 298 016 Fax. (39) 2 58 298 030 Changing Beliefs with NLP - I Livelli Di Pensiero, 2003. Sleight of Mouth - due Summer 2003. Alpha Leadership - due Fall 2003. Publisher: Dr. Alessio Roberti NLP ITALY SRL Via Don Carlo Gnocchi, 3 24059 Urgnano Bg, Italy Tel: (39) 0543 405 214 Fax: (39) 0543 415 273 Email:
Portugese Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Crenças_Caminhos para a saúde e o bem-estar, 1995.
Effective Presentation Skills - Enfentando a Audência, 1997. Strategies of Genius, Volume I - A estratégia da genialidade, Vol. I, 1998. Strategies of Genius, Volume II - A estratégia da genialidade, Vol. II, 2000. Dynamic Learning - Aprendizagem Dinâmica Vols. 1 & 2, 1999. Publisher: Summus Editorial Rua Cardoso de Almeida, 1287 05013 _ Sao Paulo, SP Brazil Tel. (55) 11 872-3322 Fax. (55) 11 872-7976
Danish Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being - Sunde Overbevisniger, 1994. Changing Belief Systems with NLP, 1999. Publisher: Jorge Paludan Forlag Copenhagen Denmark Fax. (45) 33 15 06 75
Japanese Tools of the Spirit - 1999. For the Japanese translation of Tools, you may contact: Andrew Matsuo Homecoming, Inc. Purecity Yokohama III 605 2-2-10 Hiranuma Nishi-ku Yokohama Kanagawa-Ken Japan 220 Fax: (81) 45 313 3284
Russian
Changing Belief Systems with NLP, 1997. Strategies of Genius, Volumes I, II & III, 1998. Publisher: Leonid Kroll a/ya 85 103104 Moscow Russia Tel. & Fax. 7 095 917 8291, 8020, 8028 e-mail:
[email protected] website: http://www.igisp-klass.aha.ru Modeling With NLP, 2000. Sleight of Mouth, 2000. Visionary Leadership Skills, 2002. Effective Presentation Skills, 2002. Skills for the Future, 2002. Publisher: Piter Publishing House Viborgskaya nab. 27/6 194044 St. Petersburg, Russia Fax: 7 (812) 327 13 15 Email:
[email protected] website: http://www.piter.com
Dynamic Learning, 2000. Tools of the Spirit, 2002. Publisher: Dmitry V. Plutes Modek Publishing House P/b 179, Voronezh 394000, Russia Coach to Awakener, due Fall 2003 Publisher:
Prime-Evroznak Ltd. Co, Office 419, 41 Komsomola Str., 195009 St. Petersburg, Russia Email:
[email protected]
For information on Robert Dilts' products and services, please see Robert's Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following address: michaelp@bowsprit. com. This page, and all contents, are Copyright (C) 2003 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
The Bio of Tim Hallbom. Tim Hallbom is an internationally renowned trainer and developer in the field of NLP. Together with Robert Dilts and Suzi Smith he founded the NLP World Health Community and wrote the book Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-Being (1990). He is a co-author of NLP: The New Technology of Achievement (1994) and has authored numerous other training tapes and videos, including the audio tape "How to Build Rapport" and the videotapes "Eliminating Allergies", "Neurological Levels in the Mind-Body Connection", "Re-Imprinting: Utilizing the Mind-Body Connection", and "Conflict Integration",with his partner Suzi Smith. Tim was also a contributor to the book Alternative Medicine- A definitive Guide (1994). In 1980 Tim Hallbom and Suzi Smith founded Western States Training Associates/ NLP of Utah (now Anchor Point Institute and Anchor Point Products) in Salt Lake City, Utah to offer practical, skill-based training to individuals, businesses and government organizations.
Tim Hallbom In addition to providing over 150,000 person contact hours of communication and behavioral change related training to individuals, business and government organizations in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, Tim has spent thousands of hours researching stress, health, lifestyle and personal productivity. He has also maintained a private psychotherapy practice and worked with many individuals with health related problems. Tim is a Certified Trainer in the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming and is also a clinical Social Worker. He received his MSW from the University of Utah in 1972. He is past president of the National Association of Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Comments and Suggestions For information on Robert Dilts’ products and services, please see Upcoming Seminars or Robert’s Product Page or return to Home Page. If you have problems or comments concerning our WWW service, please send e-mail to the following
address:
[email protected]. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dilts., Santa Cruz, CA.
