What Is NLP?

Author - Chris Anderon

Components of the NLP Communication Model

As we consider the NLP model, it starts with an external event that we perceive through our senses. Our understanding of the event happens as we receive the information through our sensory input channels, which include:

Visual: What we see, including what we perceive through our sense of sight, in how someone's gaze appears to us.;

Auditory, which includes the sounds, the words we hear and the way that people say those words to us; and our self-talk,

Kinesthetic or external feelings, which include the touch of someone or something, the pressure and the texture;

Olfactory, which is smell; and

Gustatory, which is taste.

Distortion:

Distortion happens when we misunderstand reality by misinterpreting our sensory experiences. Indian philosophy has a well-known story that explains this concept - the analogy of the rope and the snake. In the story, a man walks along the road and suddenly spots what he thinks is a snake and screams, "SNAKE!" But when he reaches the spot, he is relieved to discover that what he saw was just a piece of rope.

Distortion is a critical component of the NLP Communication Model and can be used to motivate ourselves. Motivation can happen when we misrepresent, change or garble the material that has come into our neurology. The information has been changed by one of our filtering systems.

Generalization:

It's important to remember that when we generalize based on one or two experiences, we are drawing global conclusions that may not be accurate. For instance, if someone dislikes one dish of Chinese food, it does not mean that they hate all Chinese food. Our conscious mind can only handle a limited amount of information at any given time, leading to oversimplification and decisions based on inadequate information. It is especially common in the digital age, where we are constantly bombarded with information. It's critical to understand this in the larger context of the NLP Communication Model. According to Miller's Law, a principle of cognitive psychology explains how many pieces of information an average person can hold in their working memory at once. According to this principle, a person can typically remember only about 7 (plus or minus 2) items at a time. This limit is often referred to as the "magic number 7". If we actively filter information, we can take it. That's why we simplify and delete data to avoid information overload. For example, say you are trying to recall items from your shopping list that you accidentally left at home. You can easily remember the last few things you wrote down but can't recall any of the items in the middle of your list. Most people can only name a few due to the limited processing power of the conscious mind. This is known as the recency effect, which can play a role in daily life. It's important to recognize this limitation and seek more information to avoid making decisions based on incomplete data.

Generalization is a powerful tool for learning. It involves extracting broad conclusions from the information we receive. However, even when two individuals are presented with the same information, they may respond differently. It's because we filter the information that enters our senses through one of five NLP Communication Model filters: Meta Programs, Belief Systems, Values, Decisions, and Memories. These filters can cause us to delete, distort, or generalize the incoming information, which leads to different responses from different people.

Two Guys On A Bus https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/252/775/460.jpg

Deletion:

It's common for us to delete certain aspects of our experience by selectively paying attention to some and ignoring others. Because we would be bombarded with too much information if we didn't, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information you're currently dealing with, you may be already experiencing the effects of information overload.

Meta-Programs:

The concept of Meta Programs is the first filter used in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Understanding someone's Meta Programs can enable you to predict their emotional states, actions, and behaviours accurately. Tad James's book "TimeLine Therapy and the Basis of Personality" outlines Meta Programs. It is important to note that Meta Programs are not inherently good or bad; they represent an individual's preferred method of processing information.

Values:

In NLP, values are an evaluation filter. They help us determine whether our actions are right or wrong and how we feel about them. Values are arranged in a hierarchical structure, with the most important at the top and the lesser below. According to Tad James' book "Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality," we all have a unique NLP communication model of the world, which shapes our values. If our model of the world conflicts with our values or someone else's values, conflicts will arise when we communicate with ourselves or others. Richard Bandler famously said, "Values are those things we don't live up to."

Values are what people are attracted to or repulsed by in life. They are part of a deep, unconscious belief system about what's important. Values can change with context, meaning you may have different values for what you want in a relationship versus what you want in a business. If your values for both are the same, you may need help with both. Since values are context-dependent, they may also be state-dependent.

Beliefs:

Beliefs are a crucial factor that affects our perception of the world. They are the generalizations we make about things, and they either empower or limit us. In other words, beliefs act as an on/off switch for our personal power. When working with someone's beliefs, it is necessary to identify which beliefs are driving their actions. Also, it's crucial to pinpoint the disabling beliefs which hinder them from accomplishing their goals. Have you ever noticed how people perceive things differently? Some people need to "see" relationships between things, while others need to have things explained to them or "hear" them. Others need to "get a grasp or a feeling" for relationships. This is what the NLP Communication Model is all about.

Memories:

Our memories act as the fourth filter in our behaviour. According to several psychologists, our present experiences have a minor impact on our behaviour. As we age, our reactions to the present are predominantly influenced by past memories, organized in a certain way, known as gestalts (collections of memories that are arranged in a certain way around a particular subject) of past memories and that the present plays only a tiny part in our behaviour.

Decisions:

The fifth filter is the decisions that we have made in the past. Decisions may create new beliefs or affect our perceptions through time. The problem with many choices is that they were made either unconsciously or at a very early age and need to be remembered. But the effect is still there. We can also change the limiting decisions in our past using Time Line Therapy® techniques.

These Five filters affect how we process events happening in the present. Our internal representation of these events determines our state of mind and body, which influences our behaviour. The NLP Communication Model helps us understand how we take in and process information from the outside world.