A Quick Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

The time to take control of your life and create lasting change is here. It is with great excitement that we introduce our Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) training in e-learning format. Whether you are interested in self-development or have aspirations of becoming a professional practitioner, you have come to the right place.

But what exactly does NLP consist of? 

Let’s begin by unpacking the three main components:

Neuro – The physical components as well as the mental and emotional components of our neurology; as if our brain were one big computer

Linguistic – Linguistics pertains to the language that we use, and how we communicate with others (and more importantly, how we communicate with yourself); as if language was our way of encoding complex information

Programming – Programming is the way our past experiences, thoughts and emotions affect all areas of our lives; as if our mind was our operating system

In short, NLP is like learning how to become fluent in the language of your mind so that the powerful ‘computer’ that is your unconscious will finally understand what you actually want out of life.

The Unconscious

“The conscious mind is the goal setter, and the unconscious mind is the goal getter.” (nlp.com)

Your unconscious mind is not out to get you – rather, it’s out to get for you whatever you want in life. If you imagine that your conscious mind is the tip on an iceberg, then the unconscious would be the other 95% hiding below the surface. It is at the level of the unconscious that you have all the internal resources to change your life and manifest your vision of success. However, if you don’t know how to communicate what you want properly, it will keep bringing the same results that your past programming has achieved, whether they are helpful or not. 

In fact, go ahead right now and think of, if there was one thing you could change, one habit you could break, what would it be?

Internal States

In NLP, internal state means any combination of thoughts and feelings that we can categorise as being helpful (resourceful), or unhelpful, in a given situation. For example, learning is state dependent, which means that if someone is tired or frustrated, they will not learn as effectively as if they were calm and collected.

Going back to the programming principle, in NLP it is believed that internal states have a significant role to play. During difficult moments, for example, we are likely to have adopted a range of negative programmes. Some common examples are when a child is told they are not good enough to do a particular thing (i.e.  sport, be attractive, be clever) by a figure of authority. Those original words will then be converted into an internal state because it is a more efficient and quicker way to process that information. However, we do not realise that we are doing this – we think it is completely natural because we have taken this state (or reaction) for granted.

This principle is worth unpacking in a little more detail. When a child learns to cross a road, for instance, they will also notice a parent holding tightly onto their hand. They will equally sense the fear the parent has when they are told to look both ways before crossing. This process is repeated until the parent understands that the child has achieved a similar ‘internal state’ before crossing, automatically looking both ways in a focused and alert manner. The parent is then satisfied the child will be safe and the child is given their first taste of freedom. However, at the heart of this example is also the central problem of programming: the words disappear and are instead replaced by a state that drives our behaviour.

Why Learn NLP?

One of the main purposes of NLP has been to create a wide variety of techniques that help individuals discover potentially unhelpful programmes and substitute them with more helpful ones. This can often transform a person’s life as they not only realise that their previous programming is no longer appropriate for them, they also feel better because their internal state has changed. This can open opportunities for health, relationships and career that were stuck because of what was effectively a mistake in programming that created unhelpful consequences in someone’s life. Often change is just at your fingertips and all you need is a little nudge.  

So what are you waiting for? Come check out our brand new e-learning course in NLP training at the Basic, Technician, and Practitioner level. Discover everything from the core theory of NLP through to the more advanced NLP techniques, tools and strategies to help both yourself and others bring about change in their lives. This course has been created for all those discovering NLP for the first time as well as those wishing to acquire all of the knowledge pertaining to the discipline.

Diogo Guia

NLP trainer 

www.psynfinity-formation.com