The information that I cover here is basically a transcript that I put together from a resource I found on You Tube, What is NLP & How Does It Work? Neuro Linguistic Programming Basics - YouTube
What is NLP?
NLP is a set of modeling tools you can use to observe, model and reproduce excellence.
What is NLP good for?
- Helps your ability to manage you internal state
- Helps you to stay resourceful/flexible during stressful situations
- Helps increases the speed with which you learn dramatically
- Helps you to become a more influential member of groups you find yourself in
- Helps to identify the keep elements in a system or a process quickly, modeling it, testing it, and then reproducing it
- Can help change the dialog content that one experiences in a panic attack so that it might become a motivated positive productive state
How we process information?
We process information from the outside world up to 134,000 bits of a possible 2,000,000 bits per second through the 5 senses. From all the sense information we create a collage or map in the mind. In order to deal with all the information 2,000,000 to 134,000 we delete, distort, and generalize. We decide what to delete, distort, and generalize based on our individual personalities. A 134, 000 bit map (Internal representation) second to second based on our current experience then we compare it other internal representations that we have stored from the past. Only when we find a comparison that matches can we determine what it actually means, how we feel about it, and ultimately how we act in response. It is notable that your physical or emotional state can affect the meanings/IRs that are created moment to moment. There is also a difference between the physical sensation that you feel in the body and what you determine it to mean. Something to consider is that the physical sensation of terror and excitement are the same, the heart-rate elevates, blood pressure goes up, and sometimes the palms get sweaty. Driving off a cliff---going over a hill in a roller coaster. Getting in your first school yard fight---asking someone to dance for the first time. Fear arises in these situations when we tell ourselves this means something negative, assuming the situation might lead to death, rejection, etc. It always comes back to the story that we make in our minds.
We can only track 7+/-2 bits of information accurately at a time because of this Internal Representation. Since there is so much information available to use, so readily, and we can only accurately track 7+/-2 it is logical to assume that we will find exactly what we are looking for. Thinking of the brain like a stereo receiver, with all the channels that we can tune to, country, hip hop, jazz, etc. We only can tune into one at a time with one channel being about heartbreak (country) perhaps and other being about love making (RMB), etc. A change in life situation can tune your radio to different channels, for instance, if you or your spouse becomes pregnant you might notice things around you that you have always ignored like daycares, minivans, baby on board signs, etc. This because your Internal Representation had no or little presence for the channel of children before the event. If we can get a picture of our personality profile, we can gain awareness of the information that we are including and excluding from our experience. For example if you are freedom oriented you might completely ignore the potential danger in a situation like skiing down a steep hill without knowing how to stop safely, and if you are safety oriented you might miss the thrill, excitement, and fun of feeling the sensation of speed, wind rushing around, adrenaline pumping, etc.
We are always on a self profiting agenda all the time, it can be wonderful, adding a variety and color to the landscape, but it can also create anxiety if we feel a need to change, but feel trapped in our circumstances and way of looking at things. Thought Pattern Identification is the term used to describe the awareness of how we tend to collect and understand the information that we process to create our Internal Representation.
So take aways:
- “We respond to our map of reality, not reality itself.”
- “All meaning is subjective.”
- “If you don't like the way that you feel about something you can change it.”
- It may not be easy to change but NLP can help it be a quicker more effective process
Reading materials “Unlimited Power” “Awaken the Giant Within” Anthony Robbins
“Transformational NLP: A New Psychology” Carl Buchheit, Ellie Schamber
Thank you, my dear friend for joining me on this intro to NLP! I do hope that it offers you some ideas how NLP might be able to give you insight and aid into your own journey, and how you might draw closer to inner Truth! May peace, love, and joy always be with you! May you find the Light within through all the shadows that may arise to try and take Its place! Love, Aaron :-)