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A Few Basic NLP Concepts

Definitions and introductions

Every field has a vocabulary unique to its purposes and NLP is no

exception. NLP introduces many new concepts and new terminology to
describe its models, techniques and processes. Some of these terms
come directly from linguistics and the science of perception, while others
were invented to describe discoveries that did not fit into any previous
category.

NLP is a very large field and no brief summary page can begin to cover
its breadth and depth. However, there are a few key concepts which I
use so frequently in my practice, it helps both my clients and me if we
can refer to them occasionally with a common vocabulary.

If you are a new client beginning work with me, it is not necessary for
you to "learn" or memorize these concepts. The ones we use will
become familiar, and the ones we don't use you don't need to learn
unless you have an interest in studying NLP more on your own. Just read
over the parts of this page that catch your interest and let whatever sinks
in do so on its own.

The entries on this page are very brief, just the terms and a short
definition for each. For more in-depth information, there are a number of
NLP books I'll be happy to recommend if you ask me about them.

Neurological Levels
NLP introduces many
new concepts and
Spirituality
Identity new terminology to
Beliefs and Values describe its models.
Capability
Behavior
Environment

Concept: The higher the level, the more of your neurology is involved.
NLP provides explicit processes for using these levels and for integrating
experiences between them to achieve full congruity for goals and
resolutions to problems.

In principle, the higher levels operate on, define, or influence the lower
levels. Certain internal conflicts result from lower levels being given
precedence over high levels, or confusion of levels. For example: "I don't
eat right..." [behavior] "...and that means there is something wrong with
me." [identity].

These levels are not formulaic and may differ from culture to culture,
particularly at the top levels. For instance, in Far Eastern models of
spirituality, the logical levels may look more like this:

Spirituality and Identity

Mission and Purpose
Beliefs and Values
Capability
Behavior
Environment

In this model, Environment wraps around to Spirituality and Identity.

John Grinder, one of the original co-developers of NLP, recently

suggested that instead of proposing a fixed model of neurological levels,
a formal NLP process needs to be modeled and developed to enable
practitioners to determine each unique individual's hierarchy. To date

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Perceptual Positions
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A perceptual position is a point of view which includes all of our
representational systems (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, gustatory, frame of attitude.
olfactory, linguistic). Our body's somatic syntax, our beliefs, our patterns
and behaviors, etc., are also parts of what we perceive, and thus can be
important components of our perceptual position.

Our brains are capable of representing more than one perceptual

position. When in a perceptual position, a person internally represents
the world, events -- past, present or future -- and relationships in an
associated way from within that position. Here is a brief synopsis of the
four main perceptual positions as described and used in NLP Training,
Coaching and Therapy:

1st Position: The perceptual position of oneself. What

one sees, hears, feels, tastes, smells; plus what one
believes, one's capabilities, behaviors, etc.

2nd Position: The perceptual position of another. Another

can be a person, an animal, vegetable or mineral. Another
can be real, imagined or remembered, a character from a
novel or movie, a supportive mentor or a critic, a future or
ideal self, or any number of archetypal roles.

3rd Position: The perceptual position of an observer. An

observer can be a fair witness, a scientist from another
planet, a fly on the wall, or any uninvolved entity, real or
imagined, with the ability to perceive in a disinterested
and well intentioned way.

4th Position: The perceptual position of the larger system

or systems. The system can see all of the other positions
at once, as a whole, and use all of the representation
systems to perceive such things as relationships between
other positions, effects on the system itself, and systems
within systems to any level of magnitude, large or small.

[For a full discussion of Perceptual Positions, see my article on

Perceptual Positions in NLP.]

Submodalities
Submodalities are the specific characteristics of each of our sensory
representational systems. For example:

Visual submodalities: size, shape, color, focus,

transparency, motion/still, angle, brightness/darkness,
contrast, vertical position, horizontal position, distance,
speed, peripherality, panoramic/bordered, visual texture,
2D/3D, point of view (associated, disassociated), etc.

Auditory submodalities: volume, pitch, timbre/tonality,

duration, distance, movement, source, direction, location,
harmony, dissonance, rhythm, tempo, progression,
dynamics, phrasing, staccato, legato, etc.

Kinesthetic submodalities: location (inside/outside),

tactile/proprioceptive, temperature, pressure, texture,
solidity, weight, intensity, duration, often/frequent
/constant, movement, fullness/hunger, sticky/smooth
/rough, hardness/softness, sharp/dull, wet/dry,
flexibility/rigidity/brittleness, etc.

Olfactory submodalities: sweet, pungent, fresh, stale,

putrid, chemical, burnt, smoky, animal, faint, strong/mild,
etc.

Gustatory submodalities: sweet, sour, salty, hot, bitter,

tart, savory, juicy, dry, etc.

Submodalities are different from interpretations. Submodalities are

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qualities of sensory perception. Interpretations are complex secondary

evaluations of perceptions and their meanings. The following are
examples of interpretations, not submodalities: good, bad, soothing,
irritating, boisterous, beautiful, uninteresting, painful, relaxing, annoying,
puzzling, uncomfortable, pleasant, attractive, etc.

Association and Disassociation

These terms are used differently in NLP from similar terms used in the
psychology model. In NLP association and disassociation are
characteristics of perceptual position.

Association is perception and experience as if one is inside the scene

or experience being represented internally, whether that representation's
time location is in the past, present or future, and whether that
representation is in any of the four perceptual positions. An associated
state is one in which the person experiences the state as if immersed in it
or surrounded by it.

Disassociation is perception and experience as if one is outside the

scene being represented internally. A disassociated memory, for
example, is one in which one can see oneself in the memory as if
viewing it from the outside. Disassociated states do not have to include
an image of oneself, but can have the quality of perceiving others in a
non-identified way.

In NLP, the ability to associate and disassociate are considered skills.

One is not 'better' than the other. The benefits and drawbacks of each
depend on the access, flexibility and appropriateness of their use in
different contexts. Most people tend to favor one over the other as a
default, but can learn and improve in the use of either with practice.

Meta Programs
Meta Programs are habits or "programs" of attention -- what we pay
attention to and what we filter out -- the awareness of perception in
various contexts.

The conscious mind, it is said, can only attend to a maximum of 7 +/- 2

representations at once. Yet our sensory receptors are actively
perceiving uncounted millions of perceptions every second of our lives,
and our brains are processing the vast majority of that unconsciously.

Our conscious minds are designed for focus. How, then, is that focus
to be selected? The conscious mind can manage the selection within 7
+/- 2 (seven, plus or minus two) representations. It would be
overwhelmed, however, at the full infinitude of sensory choices on a
moment by moment basis.

It's a good thing, then, not a bad thing, that our unconscious can handle
millions of sensory representations at once. The question is, how is it
doing that, and is it serving us in the best way?

What if the unconscious is habitually selecting things to present to

awareness that our conscious mind would prefer not to be aware of at
that time or place? And what if we want to change the selection criteria or
update it to adapt to new circumstances?

Meta programs can be changed with NLP. However, it is often more

useful to keep them as they are but increase our choice in their use more
appropriate to certain contexts.

There are many meta programs, but the following are a few of the most
important. Each is a binary choice -- that is, attention is focused on one
or the other. Bear in mind that Meta Programs are neither good nor bad
outside some specific context. They are not a form of personality typing.
In general, a person benefits from having increased access to, and
choice about both sides of the following pairs.

Toward vs. Away-From: Attention is directed either

toward what is wanted or away from what is not wanted.

Internal Reference vs. External Reference: Attention is

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directed to internal processes or external processes

(including people, objects, etc.).

Big Chunk vs. Little Chunk: Attention is directed to the

big picture or small details.

Options vs. Procedures: Attention is directed to

selecting from options or following procedures.

Match vs. Mismatch: Attention is focused on what is the

same or what is different.

[For a full discussion of Meta Programs, see my article on Meta

Programs .]

Goals, Intentions and Action

A goal, an intention to reach it, and the action necessary to get there are
all needed to achieve a desired outcome.

Well-Formed Outcomes: NLP specifies the following six conditions for a

goal, or other type of desired outcome, to be considered "well-formed" --
that is, complete, fully congruent, and ecologically sound for the person
internally as well as for his or her external relationships and environment.

The Six Criteria for Well-Formed Outcomes are:

1. The desired outcome is stated in positive language.

2. The desired outcome can be defined and evaluated according to

sensory based evidence -- including internal sensory
representations.

3. The desired outcome is initiated and maintained by the person

who desires it.

4. The desired outcome can be achieved in ways that preserve any

important benefits or positive intentions of the present, pre-goal
state.

5. The desired outcome is appropriately sized within a specific

context and is congruent with internal and external ecologies.

6. The actions necessary to reach the goal are worth the effort.

Intentions: NLP defines 'intention' in several ways according to the

context. In relation to a goal, a person's intention is the "meta outcome"
of the goal -- the deeper something, the "even more important"
something which having the goal will bring to the person. Often, the
positive intention is several meta levels deeper or larger than the specific
goal.

Sometimes a particular goal, action or behavior connected to a positive

intention is no longer the best choice when new resources become
available, yet it continues programmatically, as if on autopilot. When the
positive intention is known and preserved, a person can have greater
flexibility, choice and power to follow through on well formed goals and
actions.

Another way 'intention' is used in NLP regards setting one's

determination to take action. To intend to reach a goal is more powerful
than merely to desire it. Intention is active. It has direction and
movement. A goal, by itself, is more like the location of a point on a map.
It may be worth getting to, but if a person doesn't intend to get there, it
isn't likely to happen.

Often, at the beginning of an NLP session, I suggest that we 'set' our

intentions for the session. For example, "I intend to be fully present and
open to new learnings," or "I intend to give myself permission to consider
new possibilities." Setting intention is more powerful than saying, for
example, "I want to get my outcome." Intentions that are 'set' have a
powerful way of pervading an entire context and multiplying its
resources.

Action: In NLP, both internal and external processes are considered

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actions, whether undertaken consciously or unconsciously. Having an

intention and a goal still requires some action to manifest them, to create
movement along a direction. Action can involve great conscious effort or
the relaxation of effort to allow a larger process to self-organize within us.
The type of action appropriate to moving toward a specific well-formed
goal with a set intention varies with ecology, timing, where along the path
a person is located, what resources are needed and available, etc.

Whatever the type, action is where the "rubber meets the road." Where
there is no action, nothing happens, even with well-formed goals and
congruent intentions. Generally, if nothing is happening, it indicates that a
person has remaining ecology issues which need to be addressed and
resolved before action will be appropriate -- which is to say that the well-
formedness of the goal, or the congruency of the intentions, is not yet
complete.

Particularly with regard to action, the NLP presupposition, "There is no

such thing as failure, only feedback," is a useful frame of attitude.

Orientation in Time
Orientation in time is a phrase originally used by Milton Erickson,
M.D. to describe the ability of people to fully associate into experiences
in the past, as well as the imagined future.

NLP discovered that people do not have to be in a hypnotic trance to

experience orientation in time in this way. In fact, people in ordinary
states of mind regularly recall memories in an associated way, replaying
them representationally as if they were in them.

Associated memories in time may be pleasant or unpleasant

depending on content, with predictable resulting responses. Neurological
and physiological responses to associated memories are often equally as
strong as the original events, suggesting that, at least in some contexts,
the brain does not distinguish between present ("real"), remembered, or
imagined events.

People also frequently imagine the future in an associated way, as if they

are in it. As with memory, if they like what they imagine, they have one
response; if they don't like it, they have another response.

NLP expanded on this initial idea of orientation in time, and now

makes full use of the human mind's ability to represent time internally in a
number of powerful ways.

During process work, we can subjectively move through time, forwards

or backwards, change its direction, duration, speed, chunk size and
submodalities. This ability allows us to work in past, present and future
contexts with ease.

For More Information

For more information on NLP, please see the articles index on this site.

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