Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) first came about in the early 1970s, and was developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. One of the fundamental differences between Bandler and Grinders research compared to others was that they found that the way in which people think about something makes a crucial difference to the way in which they experience it.
NLP can be broken down into three definitions to make it more user friendly.
Neuro is fundamentally our thinking process; it refers to our nervous system and how we use our senses to make sense of the world around us.
Linguistic is the language we use which includes both verbal and non verbal communication which influences those around us.
And finally programming refers to our behavior and strategies; the strategies produce wanted and unwanted behavior so can therefore be modified to enhance performance and reduce unwanted behavior.
NLP is a widely used technique branching out into all areas of life such as business management, sales, education, law, advertising, music and personal development. One particular area which is seeing some incredible results is in sport with athletes such a Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi, and Freddie Flintoff using NLP techniques to enhance their performance to help them be at the top of their game. There would have been a small handful of athletes at the London 2012 Olympics who were not using some sort of mental performance technique to be at the top of their game.
The techniques that come from NLP are used to model peoples’ attitudes, beliefs, values, thinking strategies and their behavior. Anyone can learn these techniques but they have to be curious and willing to experiment with it. NLP takes a different approach to dealing with problems compared with the more traditional areas of psychology. NLP takes a more pragmatic approach as it looks at how our thoughts, behavior and feelings work. There are many presuppositions of NLP, which give us a set of principles for changing our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
In my view the top three presuppositions are;
3. ‘If one person can do something, anyone can do it’ this suggests that it is not necessarily the skill but the attitude that differentiates people.
2. ‘You are in charge of your mind therefore your results’ this suggests that you are in charge of your behavior and only you can make you do something. The best goals are the ones that are set by the individuals themselves, as they want to achieve the goal not what somebody else wants them to do. The goal must be YOUR GOAL.
1. ‘There is no failure only feedback’ the most successful people are those who make the most mistakes as they are constantly gaining feedback and learn from their mistakes. NO FAILURE = NO FEAR.
– Michael Jordan
What is hypnosis?
Many people experience being in a state of hypnosis on a daily basis, how many of you have been caught daydreaming? Have you ever gone from A to B without having to think about it and if you were asked a question about your journey at the end you simply don’t remember? Both are a state of hypnosis.
Being in state of hypnosis is a pleasant and relaxing experience where you are in a heightened and focused state of awareness, which helps to promote learning and retention of new ideas. You are 100% in control throughout a hypnosis session.