NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, is a form of behavior modification used in the professional world as well as in parenting. NLP involves an in-depth understanding of mental, cognitive and strategic thinking that are the processes behind how we behave. It is a very powerful skill for communicating. A simple gesture by a person toward us will be interpreted differently based on our past experiences, both good and bad. The action/reactions, our opinions, biases and values system are all stored and consulted. NLP strives to replace your negative responses with positive responses by learning the healthy patterns and behaviors of successful people that can enrich your life
What is NLP?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming, broken down describes the dynamics between your mind (neuro), language (linguistic) and how their interaction affects your body and its reactions (programming). It is a learning tool that focuses on assisting people in overcoming self-perceived or subjective problems. It is based on the theory that your brain can learn healthy patterns and behaviors that will bring about positive physical and emotional effects.
Who uses NLP?
Anyone looking for self improvement can benefit from NLP. It is a very powerful tool and skill that can create positive communication and change in a wide range of areas from parenting to the professional world of counseling, law, psychotherapy, health, education, art, sales and management training. It helps determine the models of the world we create in our minds and gives an understanding of the mental and cognitive processes behind our behavior.
Who Created NLP?
John Grinder and Richard Bandler created NLP in the 1970s. According to their book cover, NLP is a method of "finding ways to help people have better, fuller and richer lives." The two theorized that the brain has the ability to learn healthy patterns and behaviors and that this would bring about positive emotional and physical effects.
An Example of NLP
Preconceived notions may be stopping you from achieving success. These notions are the invisible writings on your mind's walls. They are put there by parents, teachers, churches and friends. This is the place you go to consult on how you should handle an issue. These are your mental and cognitive processes behind your behavior. If an ex-boyfriend came up behind you and wrapped his arm around your neck in a negative way and you were afraid, you would react in a negative way. Another man doing the same thing--even in a loving way--would also bring on that negative response. It has become embedded in your system as a negative, or a button-pusher. We all have buttons that can be pushed by someone, and if you look at it and remodel it, you can remove that trigger response. Different techniques can accomplish this.
Techniques
A few of the techniques used in NLP are re-framing, rapport, anchoring, congruency, swish and parts integration. There are workshops and classes to teach this technique to the layperson and professional. Once you understand your own "writing on the walls" reality, you can begin making positive changes to obtain the experiences you want. What NLP is able to provide to you is the map used by another person who was successful in the same endeavor.
Summary
John Grinder and Richard Bandler created NLP because they wanted to know the secrets of effective people. Their goal was to duplicate the positive behaviors of successful people, their competence and effectiveness in certain areas and to take this information from these individuals and create a model of human excellence for other's transformation.
Tags: healthy patterns, healthy patterns behaviors, mental cognitive, patterns behaviors, processes behind, about positive