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What is NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)?
Most people consider NLP to be synonymous with therapy, persuasion or communication. This isn't technically correct. Fundamentally, NLP is the study of excellence.
See also:
By study of excellence, what I mean is that NLP is a way of distilling which elements in a persons behavior and mental processes leads them to perform excellently. That's not to say we couldn't study failure but really, what would be the purpose? When used in this manner NLP has two sides, the extraction of the 'skills' and then the insertion of those skills into someone else. Most NLP used today relates only to the second half of this equation, as most NLP is about using NLP models generated over the last 50 years rather than generating new ones.
Most people come across NLP in one of two ways, either a therapeutic process to help people overcome issues such as phobias or compulsions, for improving motivation or confidence, or for building communication skills. While NLP can be applied successfully to all these issues, the basis of all NLP techniques is in modelling human behavior and installing those behaviors in others.
It is the skills of the first people studied - the great hypnotists and therapists such as hypnotist Milton Erickson, Fritz Perls and family therapist Virginia Satir - that provide the therapeutic models that are used to model and install skills in others, leaving a stream of .techniques in their wake.
NLP modelling can be used to study the mental element of any skill, but it is generally used for therapy, sales, sports and communication skills,simply because those areas have been studied the most.
From a therapeutic point of view, NLP provides a methodology to allow an NLP practitioner to discover the underlying structure of the way a client responds to particular stimuli and provides them with a methodology to change it.
Where does the term NLP come from?
“NLP is an attitude and a methodology, not the trail of techniques it leaves behind”
NLP was developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Richard often suggests that while deciding what to call the field he had three books in front of him - one on linguistics, one on Neurology and one on computer programming. It's likely that only Richard himself can give an answer to the validity of this claim. What is clear though is that NLP ties very closely to these three concepts, though many people will argue about whether programming is the correct metaphor. As someone with a background in computer programming, personally I think its not a bad analogy at all.
NLP first came into public awareness through the publication of Bandler and Grinders books "The Structure of Magic 1" and "The Structure of Magic 2" in 1975. Since the early years Richard Bandler has published many books on the subject, while John Grinder has taken NLP in a slightly different and, in my view, more academic direction.
Going back to the term Neuro-Linguistic Programming:
Neuro refers to each individuals map of the world and how we process and filter the inputs that we receive through our senses.
Linguistic refers to how we map our internal representations through our language.
Programming refers to both our actions based on how we respond to inputs from the environment and our internal processes and the methodology used to install new programs using the methods of NLP.
What is NLP used for?
NLP is used in a wide range of circumstances:
Firstly NLP is used for modelling as mentioned above. NLP has provided insights, through modelling, in how to improve performance in a number of disciplines including sports performance, leadership, and public speaking.
“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”
NLP is used by many as a form of therapy (through really NLP is not a therapy), NLP can be used to solve numerous behavioral issues such as compulsions, phobias, confidence and motivational issues. There are many articles covering these issues on this site.
NLP is often used for persuasion and sales. A large number of the language patterns used for hypnosis can also be used for persuasion in varying degrees of effectiveness and subtly.
For many people, NLP is simply a form of personal development - while there is quite an overlap with 'NLP as a form of therapy', many people use NLP to improve their lives, to make them happier, more relaxed, and generally more comfortable in the world.
What is NLP Like?
The best way to understand what NLP is about is through experience. A good way to start is through trying a few NLP exercises yourself. The following two articles give a good introduction to using NLP on yourself.
NLP Submodalities - Change your Reality
Take control of your internal representations and change your reality
How can I Learn NLP?
Once you have mastered using NLP on your own brain it's much easier to understand someone else's thought processes. NLP is split up into lots of different skills, there are areas such as rapport, language patterns, submodalities, pacing and leading. The list goes on. But like driving a car, the skills do not stand alone, but need to be used together. The best way to learn NLP once you have mastered using it on yourself (by using the NLP exercises on this site), is to pick a single NLP Technique and work on it specifically for a few weeks. If you wish to go further then an NLP Practitioner training would be the logical next step.
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