What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a modern form of waking hypnosis created by Richard Bandler computer scientist and John Grinder a linguist.  They modeled such masters of change as Milton Erickson, Virginia Satier, Fredrick Perls and discovered ways of producing extremely rapid change.

The constituent words of NLP are:

Neuro - the nervous system (which traverses the whole body and is more than just the brain) through which one experiences the external and internal worlds. These include our senses:

  1. Visual -- our sense of seeing.
  2. Auditory -- our sense of hearing.
  3. Kinesthetic -- our sense of touch and feelings.
  4. Olfactory -- our sense of smell.
  5. Gustatory -- our sense of tastes.

Linguistic -- language both symbolic (verbal) and nonverbal communication with others and self. These include:

  1. Pictures -- V or Visual (in NLP parlance).
  2. Sounds -- A or Auditory Tonal. You may find some NLP books using At for this.
  3. Feelings -- K or Kinesthetic.
  4. Tastes -- G or gustatory.
  5. Smells -- O or olfactory.
  6. Self Talk or internal dialogue -- Ad or Auditory digital.

Programming -- is the ability to discover the mind's internal programs and changing them to produce appropriate behavior. As Richard Bandler once wrote, "Who is driving the bus?" We are always being programmed by our parents, loved ones, pets, friends, enemies, strangers, TV, papers, Internet.... In NLP we consciously decide to program ourselves and change our behavior and internal states.

In NLP we can produce very rapid change by altering the brain's internal maps. Basically the maps are in term of V,A,K,G,O,Ad components and their relationships to each other in time, quality and quantity. One of the basic techniques of NLP is to bring the client into a position of responsibility (response-ability) for his own behavior – that is to say answer the above question by saying, “You are driving the bus:” “It is you brain and your body and you can control your behavior.

Some NLP posts (new posts going up all the time - please bookmark and return often):