Module Two Flashcards
What is the result of a combination of our life experiences and our ideas and opinions?
Our Awareness
(Our thoughts and feelings evolve from birth. These things facilitate our perception and understanding of everything that happens to us. It is through this awareness that all inputs from external sources pass through and mould our actions and reactions to stimuli. We act in accordance with our awareness. Every single decision we make and every action we take is based on our awareness).
What are Pre-Suppositions?
Internal assumptions we often make.
What are the 6 main Pre-suppositions in NLP?
- The map is not the territory
- You cannot NOT communicate
- You have all the resources you need
- All of your behaviour has a positive intention
- The meaning of my communication is the response I get
- There are no failures, only outcomes.
These assumptions form the basis of NLP.
- The map is not the territory - Sometimes our internal maps get us exactly where we need to go. Other times they may lead us astray - we all have our own version of reality depending on our experiences in life. N.B while some of our past experience might have been helpful, others may be holding us back and may even be outdated. The more you seek to understand your internal map, the more you can fine-tune your behaviours towards success in life. Your internal map is a representation of how you see the world. The more you strive to understand how other people think, feel and act, the more persuasive you will be.
Our internal filters are comprised of: Our five senses, our beliefs, our language and self-talk, our physiological state and our pre-existing mental habits and patterns.
- We cannot NOT communicate - Everything is about communication or the lack of it. Even if someone is silent they are still communicating with their body language. By taking steps to recognise someone’s body language, and internal cues, you can begin to understand them much better.
- You have all the resources you need - NLP always assumes that you have all the resources you need to be successful. Each of us is resilient and have the capacity for change. (Rogers & Maslow)
- All of your behaviours have a positive intention - NLP also assumes that all behaviours have a positive intention. If we look at everything in this manner, we can see that everything we do has some kind of reason. We might also consciously do something that has a positive intention that may have become outdated over time.
- The meaning of my communication is the response I get - This is about owning your communication and taking full responsibility for it. In other words, if you don’t get the repose you are looking for, you own the responsibility for changing the way you communicate in some way, shape or form.
- There are no failures, only outcomes - This is the best assumption in NLP because it means you can never fail. Everything in your life can be a stepping stone to move you forward. This is a powerful assumption for anyone. This assumption removes the idea of judgment because because it allows you to to look at everything as an outcome. Removing the value of judgement from things removes the emotional response as well, helping to facilitate change.
What are anchors?
They’re like triggers that occur in your external environment.
Anchors are something that elicits an emotional response. This might be a positive emotional response like happiness or joy or a negative response like anger or rage.
A few common anchors - red traffic lights, smells like flowers, a song, swear words, someone’s tone of voice, a door slamming, a sad memory etc.
You can use anchors to help you supercharge positive memories. Many use food as a trigger such as emotional comfort. When we eat a warm cookie it often reminds us of our childhood and happy memories.
In NLP you can use an anchor to create a deliberate new helpful association, which in turn, helps you to remember a desired state of mind. Anchors can be visual, auditory or kinaesthetic.
What do NLP Sub-Modalities allow you to change?
The impact of certain memories.
Using this concept, you can make good memories better and stronger and downplay bad memories.
Sub-modalities basically refer to the individual components of a memory - things like how big it is, how bright the colours are, how loud the sounds and how far the image is from you. They are one of the most easiest and most powerful NLP tools you can work with.
What are 7 of the filtering processes that our brain uses to protect us from being overloaded by too much information?
- Deletion
- Distortion
- Confirmation Bias
- The Bandwagon Effect
- Illusion of Control
- The Halo Effect
- Generalisation
- Deletion - Attention is a limited resource. We don’t notice certain things, especially if we are not interested. In every situation there is more going on than we realise. Most of the information we delete may be irrelevant, but sometimes we overlook things that would help us if we noticed them.
- Distortion - In our attempt to make sense of the word, we will attribute meaning to events based on our existing map.
- Confirmation Bias - We pay more attention that supports our beliefs and downplays or ignores evidence that doesn’t.
- The Bandwagon Effect - We are more likely to do or believe something when we see many other people dong it or believing it.
- Illusion of Control - We believe we can control or influence outcomes, even when we can’t.
- The Halo Effect - If we like one quality or trait of a person or thing, we tend to view their other qualities or traits more favourably.
- Generalisation - Generalisations are the basis of learning. What we expect to happen is influenced by our perceptions of previous events.
Is our experience our reality?
No.
By the time we have become aware of something, it has already been filtered. So our ‘reality’, as we are experiencing it right now, is subject to the deletions, distortions and generalisations of our filters.
A good map is one that is useful. Since all maps leave out information, the real issue is not is this map true, but is this map useful? A map is useful to the extent that it helps you find your way to where you want to go.
Yours is no the only truth. Each person has a different viewpoint. They will notice things that you have missed and vice versa. Their view of ‘reality’ is as valid to them as yours is to you. People who believe that everyone sees the world in the same way that they do are setting themselves up for constant bewilderment; people who believe others should see the world as they do are setting themselves up for constant disappointment.
To communicate with someone and especially to get them to change, start from their map. Don’t expect them to jump over to your map straight away - find a bridge from their map and lead them gently to your viewpoint.
People’s actions make sense from their map, which we can never fully know or understand. When coaching or communicating with them, it’s important to suspend judgement.
What is Sensory Acuity the art of?
Seeing, hearing, feeling (physically and emotionally), smelling and tasting.
Sensory acuity is a critical component of NLP. It helps us gain feedback and valuable information that indicates the extent to which we are on or off target in achieving our outcomes. It also impacts other people’s actions and reactions to certain situations/stimuli.
In terms of NLP and Sensory Acuity what is it defined as?
The ability to observe, examine and interpret external cues from other people.
Sensory Acuity helps us train our minds to see and listen to the non-verbal communication that is happening such as body language, eye movements etc.
Each of us unconsciously emits several external signals and these signals are a reflection of our internal mind and thought processes. With an increased level of of sensory acuity, we are better able to catch these subtle signals and, as a result, read them more efficiently. Since there are many signals that can be emitted via this nonverbal channel of communication, it is important that we master sensory acuity skills in order to communicate more effectively.
If we develop these skills, we can interpret the quality of the incoming signals and use this newfound information to respond much more effectively. A complete NLP picture of communication is formed when we combine the verbal language used by the speaker, with the non-verbal cues emitted.
What are Five Fundamental Areas that you can incorporate on a daily basis when practicing Sensory Acuity?
- Breathing
- Changes in colour
- Minute muscle changes
- Lower lip changes
- Voice sounds or tones
- Breathing - The way a person breathes speaks volumes about their state of mind. A change in the rate of breathing can often indicate a change in someone’s mental state. When you begin to notice a variation in the rate of someone’s breathing, try to observe from where the person is breathing (i.e stomach or chest) - you will be able to detect a key difference in the tempo and pattern. When someone is speaking you should notice distinct changes in style, so you should try to figure out what part of the conversation triggered this change in feeling. Once you understand the shifts while you are talking to them, you can then calibrate those shifts to their internal state of mind. Tip - observe someone’s shoulders as you speak and you can better understand any shifts in breathing pattern.You can also observe the pulse rate of someone by looking at he artery in the neck or the pulse rate of the vein in the temple.
- Changes in colour - The unconscious mind is more than capable of picking up on subtle colour changes. The colours of the a face will change during a conversation and with different emotions. Once you notice them.you can include different emotions in the conversation and calibrate those emotions against the person’s colour responses.
- Minute muscle changes - The muscles of the face change depending on emotion. Practice by making a point to notice the small muscles near the jaw line around the mouth and around the outer corner of the eye and predicting these characteristics in someone by initiating a topic that is controversial and attuning your interpretation to the muscle tons and emotions of that person.
- Lower lip changes - Can be tricky if not properly performed. You can get a lot of neuro-linguistic information about a person’s inner feelings by observing their lower lip, which is a bit difficult to control consciously. Observe the shape, colour, size, texture, edges, stretching and movement of the lips while someone is talking - you can learn to interpret the emotions behind the action. Observe subtle changes and creating a map of the emotion with the state of the lower lip.
- Voice sounds or tones - Probably one of the most significant cues we have when it comes to non-verbal communication. The sound and tone of someone’s voice are strong indications of their internal state of mind. Practice by listening to pitch, volume, tempo, rhythm, resonance and clarity.
In Sensory Acuity - what does V.I.B.E.S stand for?
Voice
Inclination
Breathing
Eyes
Skin
V.I.B.E.S - a great way to remember the cues you can notice about people’s responses.
VOICE
1. Tempo
2. Volume
3. Pitch and tone
4. Modulation and timbre
5. Types of words used
INCLINATION
1. Slumped or Straight
2. Leaning forwards, upright or back
3. Symmetrical/Asymmetrical to left or right
4. Range and speed of gestures
5. Micro-muscle movements
BREATHING
1. Rate
2. Depth
3. Location in body - chest breathing versus deep belly breathing
EYES
1. Movements
2. Pupil Dilation
3. Redness or Watering
4. Direction
SKIN
1. Colour
2. Muscle Tone
3. Size of areas (e.g lips)
4. Shiny or Dull
5. Goose Pimples
To get from the present state to the desired state, what needs to be applied?
Resources.
These resources may be compromised of new beliefs, new actions, evoking positive emotions, money, a new physical environment - or anything that will bring about the desired change.
It is important to be clear about what the desired state is and that you really want it. If you are not sure of your motivation this may be a sign that the ‘ecology’ of the desired state (the effect it will have on your whole life and the systems of which they are a -part) may need attention.
Some people in NLP refer to the present state as the ‘problem state’.
What is the Discovery Frame?
An attitude in which you suspend your expectations, judgements and attachment to a peticular outcome in approaching a task.
The benefits are that you do not prejudge the outcome, and you are not disappointed with any outcome.
Instead, you are able to notice whatever happens more clearly, and you are open to learning something new - which is the most valuable ting you can get from anything that you do.
