To understand NLP it is very important to see its origin. Richard Bandler & John Grinder the co-creator of NLP started their journey by observing three of the great therapist of that time Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton Erickson. They identified language used by these three great therapists is one of the important key which is unlocking the positive outcomes in their clients.
Bandler & Grinder focused their observation on what is working and what is not, they extensively studied people who have overcome their problems like phobia, fears anxiety etc and how part of that. Also observed successful people and find out what they do what they do well. Based on all these observations they created the model which is universally true and can be applied to anyone. They discovered that by modeling successful behaviors we can also produce the same results, and they put modeling at the core of the all the available NLP tools.
To my mind NLP is something we always do in our day-to-day life. We learn NLP right from our childhood; Don’t we learn things by modeling the behaviors of our elders/peer group. And we keep on doing this modeling throughout our lives. Don’t we get inspired by different people? We do copy the behaviors & attitudes of them, and generally label this as learning or conditioning.
NLP is about focusing on the how someone is achieving something and how we can model them to create the similar results in us. It seems very simple yet effective premise and it works in any area of life, relationship, self-development, career, spirituality, money etc.
In NLP modeling is primarily based on three factors, which in fact is prime constituents of NLP and these are:
- Neuro – The nervous system and the neurological responses. Everything we think or experience causes neurological responses, states and chemistry in body
- Linguistic – Language. We describe our world and ourselves to ourselves and others using language and language both describe and create experience and meaning.
- Programming – Our automatic programs, patterns and spontaneous unconscious responses which we learn how to change and install
There are number of ways to define NLP, Bandler defines it as “an attitude and methodology” “which leaves behind a trail of techniques”. Some others define it as “owner’s manual” for your brain and etc. Every single person coming to NLP has its own take on NLP. Having said that everyone realizes the power of NLP in different settings, no matter how they define it what matters is “It works”.
NLP.com defines it as:
“Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a behavioral technology, which simply means that it is a set of guiding principles, attitudes, and techniques about real-life behavior, and not a removed, scientific theorem.
It allows you to change, adopt or eliminate behaviors, as you desire, and gives you the ability to choose your mental, emotional, and physical states of well-being.
With NLP, you learn how to grow from every single life experience, thus increasing your ability to create a better quality of life.
NLP is a very pragmatic technology based on an ability to produce your desired results, thus allowing you to become proficient at creating your future!”
Where it works:
Since last more than 30 years now NLP has grown and evolved many folds, people from different fields studied and contributed to its development. Every individual coming to NLP has given it a new flavor and added new streams to it.
Few of the fields in which NLP is practiced worldwide these days are :
- Behavior change work
- Education
- Training
- Sales
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Therapy
- Relationships
- Coaching
- sports
And there are more fields to be discovered !!!!!
Random Thoughts 