NLP method in psychology. NLP model: metaprograms. NLP - a method of manipulation

You've probably noticed that in Lately proposals for the development of various technologies personal growth and self-development flash at every step. One of them includes neurolinguistic programming. But the question arises: how beneficial or harmful is its use?

With the development of technology and increased access to world wide web the majority of the Earth's population got the opportunity to look at a life other than their own: through social media, YouTube, Instagram. And, looking at photographs of celebrities and rich people, many people began to ask themselves questions: “why am I worse?”, “what can I do to have the same?”, “what qualities is this person superior to me?” And this is just one example of topics that concern modern people and are closely related to the personal perception of one’s place in the world.

It is no secret that dissatisfaction with oneself or the events occurring around oneself often leads to the development of depression, immersion in melancholy, or even the development of personality disorders.

This is where a person comes to the rescue psychological science, including such areas as Gestalt psychology, humanistic psychology, transactional analysis and others. However, in addition to generally recognized scientific schools, there are many that are notorious due to the fact that, instead of a positive result, their use can lead to disastrous consequences. One of these is neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP. We'll talk about it today.

What is NLP?

Neurolinguistic programming, in the words of its creator Richard Bandler, is “an attitude and a methodology.” Despite this, both proponents and opponents of NLP call it a practical direction in psychotherapy, although their opinions differ when it comes to effectiveness NLP practitioner.

At its core, NLP uses a whole range of different scientific and pseudoscientific areas, including psychotherapy, Gestalt psychology, hypnosis, programming and linguistics.

The main goal of NLP is to help a person become a better person.

Of course, one can object here and say that the main goal of NLP is to make money, but we will discuss this issue at the end. It is based on a model that allows everyone who is willing and able to reproduce patterns (schemes, models, ideas) of mastery based on subjective experience successful people. Simply put, if a famous billionaire sits with his left leg crossed over his right, you need to do the same. This is the simplest and crudest example, but it reflects the content of NLP: If you want to become better, focus on those who are better.

The creators of NLP argued that our brain is capable of acting like a computer, which can be programmed for a certain model of behavior and life.

History of NLP

Without historical information and descriptions of the personalities who were at the heart of the creation of NLP, it is impossible to understand its essence and the reasons for its criticism. NLP first emerged through the collaboration of three individuals: Richard Bandler, John Grinder and Frank Pucelik. Considering that the latter is mentioned extremely rarely and reluctantly, he is not included among the founders of NLP. It is believed that it was Bandler, who was involved in programming, and Grinder, a psychologist and linguist, who developed the first theoretical model of human “language programming.”

Richard Bandler

Richard Bandler is an extremely controversial figure these days.

But back in 1972, he was an interested student who devoted himself, in his free time from programming and mathematics, to the study of Gestalt psychology, which was practiced in intensive group seminars. It was during heated discussions that the theoretical basis of NLP was born. Bandler, despite the fact that he was still a student, actually led the group and was Grinder’s “model” on which he had to rely. That is, Grinder had to imitate Bandler's behavior. In this not yet formed concept, created by the second, the first introduced linguistic content.

The very figure of Richard Bandler is extremely contradictory: he was rude, arrogant, quarreled with his colleagues, took cocaine, and even tried to prove in court that the intellectual rights to NLP belonged to him, but lost. Today, he is one of thousands of personal development coaches who tell people that to be productive, you need to work, and to not be sad, you don't need to be sad. But the theory itself is worthy of discussion.

The essence of NLP

It should be noted that the titles of the first books published on NLP indicate their focus: “The Structure of Magic. Volume 1-2" (1975, 1976), "Milton Erickson's Hypnotic Technique Templates. Volume 1-2" (1975, 1977). They were not deeply scientific, just as the NLP theory itself is not today.

According to the creators, the books were intended for “ordinary” people. And this is their peculiarity.

Neurolinguistic programming is not part of psychology or psychotherapy, it is a technique, a collection of tips, practical recommendations and, as mentioned above, position. NLP is not afraid of criticism; on the contrary, it welcomes it. And its representatives call the main factor in the success of their practices empirical methods, that is, experience and its results. To successfully master this technique, you need to be ready to experiment, since NLP does not provide the answer itself, but only a series of recommendations for your own search.

Let's take a closer look at the basic postulates of NLP.

Postulate 1. Every person has a representative system

We receive information about the world thanks to our sense organs, which are called representational systems. The resulting data is transmitted to the central nervous system, where it is processed into data that serves as the basis for developing behavior.

This way, you can determine which one you and other people use. For example, if a person in his speech focuses on the words “I look at this issue the same way,” he uses the visual system, if “I feel the same as you,” he uses the kinesthetic system. Similar pointers are predicates, or specific language keys in human speech, which can also be called linguistic markers.

By defining a representative model of a person, it is possible to carry out 3 types of actions that will help us enter into rapport with him (a trusting relationship). Firstly, this accession, in which you match your model with that of another person, that is, you use linguistic patterns and vocabulary to imitate the model of your interlocutor. For example, if a person says to you: “I see that you haven’t eaten your porridge,” you can answer: “Yes, it really looks like that.” Or, the second option is to say: “Yes, I hear your argument and agree with it” and disconnect.

The third option is called mirroring and involves maximum imitation of human behavior. If joining implies that you share the person's representational system as a whole, then to mirror you need to act exactly like him. That is, if your interlocutor scratches behind his ear, you must (after a certain time, of course, so that he does not think that you are teasing) do the same.

The main tool for defining a representative system is sensory acuity, or a person's ability to notice external behavioral cues and interpret them.

It is achieved simply - through daily training, which consists of observing breathing, changes in complexion, muscle tone, position of the lower lip and tone of voice. In the process, in order to “join” a person, you need to calibrate your behavior, depending on the patterns of behavior of your interlocutor.

Why is this necessary? People who think and behave alike are more likely to be attracted to each other.

Postulate 2. “Map” is not “territory”

There are two levels of perception of reality: internal and external. We construct reality at the internal level (internal representation) through the receipt of data by the senses and their subsequent processing. However, our internal interpretation of an event is not its real reflection. Therefore, the “map” that is created within us is not the “territory” that exists outside.

Postulate 3. A person’s behavior corresponds to his “map”

The perception of reality, and therefore our actions, depends directly on our internal “map”. They consist of our beliefs, values, so they are positioned as our “thoughts”. Thus, NLP practitioners argue that changing the “map” contributes to the formation of a new model. To put it simply, there is objective reality, it is not a matrix, but we still perceive it incorrectly. So why not program perception with more practical thoughts?

Postulate 4. Consciousness and body directly influence each other’s state

The placebo effect clearly demonstrates the fact that the presence of beliefs can lead to changes in physical condition. And if the mind can heal the body, then the reverse process is also possible. That is, if we feel moral pain in our hearts, then there will be a threat of the formation of a real disease, as NLP practitioners claim.

Postulate 5. We must respect the model of the world, or “map”, of other people

Subjective perception really exists and will cause a considerable amount of controversy, usually associated with an attempt to convince a person or with a lack of understanding of why he thinks this way and not otherwise. For an NLP professional, an important basis for interacting with people is accepting the possibility of their “map” and respecting it. Moreover, when trying to influence the “card”, it can, and most likely will, arise. defensive reaction, which will negate efforts to establish rapport.

Postulate 6. Personality and behavior are not the same thing

An individual's moral values ​​are not determined by actions, which may depend on a particular context. It should be expected that a person’s behavior in the same situations, but under the influence of different factors, may differ. Thus, behavior does not define the person himself.

Postulate 7. The main result of communication is not the delivery of thoughts, but the reaction

Due to subjective perception, information provided by one person may be interpreted by another in a completely different way. Communication is not a monologue, and the reaction of your interlocutor determines the effectiveness of your ability to convey a point. If a person does not react in the way you want, then you should change not his model of perception, but your model of behavior and communication.

Postulate 8. There are no defeats, there is feedback

One of the main tenets of NLP is that there is no such thing as defeat. If during the communication you were unable to convey the idea, then this should be feedback, that is, the opportunity to analyze your mistakes and correct them. NLP practitioners often cite the example of Thomas Edison, who conducted more than 10,000 failed experiments and said that he did not fail, but discovered 10,000 options for what should not be done. As a rule, failure is perceived as a reason to retreat, while it should provide an opportunity to adapt one's behavior.

Criticism of NLP

Before we talk about criticism of NLP, we need to consider two points. Firstly, like any other science, psychology is open to new ideas and experience, because without this development is impossible. But psychologists as its representatives are a different matter. It's no secret that it is easier to criticize than to build your own scientific theory, in connection with which there are often cases in science when the H-index, or the scientific citation index and the main indicator of a scientist’s success, is created exclusively thanks to critical works.

And secondly, NLP is a theoretical framework that anyone can use. Like one of its two creators, Richard Bandler, proponents of NLP can get a bad reputation for misusing or selfishly using their knowledge. For example, the same coaches personal development calling NLP in a unique way turn an ordinary person into a successful billionaire.

In general, three main positions can be distinguished:

1. Supporters are those who fully share the ideas of NLP.
2. Opponents are those who believe that the theoretical basis of NLP is seriously undermined and can harm not only the person himself, but also the people around him. They, as a rule, choose the pretentious and unscientific language in which NLP is described as the main target of criticism. Neurolinguistic programming promises a lot, which is why the requirements for results are too high.
3. Realists have the most non-conflict position of those presented. Realists simultaneously see both the pros and cons of NLP. They highlight the weak effectiveness, underdeveloped theory, and inflated promises of the creators and supporters of NLP, but note the scientific validity of the first works on NLP and the possibility of achieving a positive result from the use of certain techniques.

What can you say on the merits?

In this article, we did not discuss specific methods of “achieving happiness” and turning oneself into a “successful businessman”; let personal development coaches do this. We have analyzed some of the postulates of NLP so that each reader can define whether to agree with these theses.


NLP has attracted a huge amount of criticism, although it has never tried to reach the stars from heaven. A person who understands the postulates of NLP and shares them will not enter into disputes, because he has made his own choice.

It is the idea of ​​perception and choice that runs through the entire concept: if you don’t want to understand, don’t do it; if you want, do it.

The very essence of NLP is the assertion that we cannot completely recreate reality within ourselves, but it gives us the opportunity to decide for ourselves how we see it. Hence, by the way, the widespread distribution personal trainings based on NLP, the creators of which do not have a specialized education and are interested in making a profit.

Of course, too much enthusiasm for other people's practices can lead to instability in your internal state, but NLP teaches a person to be successful and at the same time respect other people's perceptions of the world. Quite adequate postulates, right? This is how the author of the article sees the concept of NLP. What you see depends on you.

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What is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)? This is a fairly broadly interpreted method of influencing people, including behavior modeling, thinking programming and mind control. NLP is also a specific branch of psychology. In general, a lot can be said about this, but now it’s worth focusing on the most interesting aspects of this topic.

History and background of the method

Before going into detail about what NLP is, it’s worth turning to history. The direction itself was developed in the 60-70s by American scientists - linguist John Grinder and psychologist Richard Bandler.

Experts clearly explain the principle of neurolinguistic programming. Scientists say that this method embodies the main idea of ​​Alfred Korzybski, an American researcher and founder of general semantics. It goes like this: all our models of the world and cognitive maps (images of familiar spatial environments) are representations distorted due to the characteristics of neurological functioning, as well as due to the limitations that are associated with it.

Scientists assure that after information enters the receptors of the five senses, it undergoes linguistic and neurological transformations. Moreover, before a person (more precisely, his brain, consciousness) himself gains access to it. This only says one thing: none of us ever experiences objective reality. In any case, it is modified by neurology and language.

Basis of the method

Without studying it directly, it is quite difficult to understand what NLP is. The method itself implies, first of all, the study of the structure of subjective experience. That is, what only this or that specific person experienced.

Neurolinguistic programmers are primarily interested in how people process reality and construct it. Scientists admit that perhaps the notorious objective reality (a world that exists independently of man and his consciousness) exists. But no one is given the opportunity to know what it is, other than through perception and successively formed beliefs about it.

All books on NLP say that subjective experience has its own structure and organization. That is, for each person, his beliefs, ideas and perceptions are collected according to the relationship between them. They are structured and organized. And this manifests itself at both the micro and macro levels.

Scientists say that all behavioral acts and communication (both verbal and non-verbal) reflect how a person internally structures the concepts and beliefs inherent in him. And an experienced observer can work with these processes.

There is definitely some truth in this. The subjective nature of human experiences will never allow us to grasp the objective world. People do not have access to absolute knowledge of reality. All they have is a set of beliefs about it that is created over the course of their lives.

Principles of the method

Having studied them at least briefly, you can roughly understand what NLP is. And one of the principles sounds like this: no matter what a person does, he is driven by a positive intention, which is often not even realized. That is, the behavior demonstrated by him at one time or another is the best available or the most correct. Proponents of NLP believe that finding new alternatives can be useful, as they help change behavior that is not desirable for other people.

Also in this topic there is such a thing as rapport. It denotes a quality connection established between two people. It is characterized by ease of communication, mutual trust, and unimpeded flow of speech. In the field of psychology and psychiatry, special attention is paid to rapports between doctors and patients. Since their presence affects the outcome of psychotherapy. Therefore, NLP specialists focus on what exactly constitutes rapport, as well as what factors allow it to be achieved and maintained in the future.

The third principle is: “No defeat. There is only feedback." In NLP, communication is never seen in the context of failure and success. Only from an efficiency point of view. If the results turn out to be ineffective, then this is a reason for researchers not to be disappointed, but to look for feedback. It will determine the success of the actions performed. This principle, by the way, was borrowed from the information theory of the English psychiatrist William Ross Ashby.

The fourth principle: “Having choice is better than having no choice.” This is what is important for beginners to learn - NLP is aimed at recognizing “stagnations” and identifying new options for action in any situation. Proponents of the method say that an individual who is characterized not by strength, but by flexibility in the range of reactions shown, can influence something more effectively.

Fifth principle: “The meaning of communication is the reaction received.” As mentioned at the beginning, NLP is the manipulation of people in a sense. So, the main thing in communication is not the intention behind the message being sent, but the reaction it evokes in the opponent. If you start to follow this principle, you can become more effective in communication. After all, by the visual reaction of your opponent you can trace how this or that information reaches him.

Consciousness and body have mutual influence

This is one of the rules of NLP. And it’s hard to argue with its truth. When a person dances to his favorite music, his mood improves. If you take a sleeping pill, your brain turns off. When a person is pushed in the back during rush hour in the subway, his central nervous system instantly reacts with irritation to this.

In all cases, what happens to the body affects consciousness. The principle also works in the opposite direction. A man prepares to speak in front of a crowd - his heartbeat quickens. They compliment him - his cheeks turn pink, a smile appears. They tell you bad news - there is a pressure drop, tears.

What does NLP have to do with it? The abbreviation contains the term “programming”, which in this context means the embedding of a certain function in the consciousness. So, in this case, a person must realize the power of his thoughts over his body. Put this in your mind, program yourself to this principle. And then he will understand how great his capabilities are.

Of course, many are skeptical about this principle. But proponents of NLP believe that people who live in accordance with it can give orders to their bodies. Force yourself to lose weight or get better without pills, improve your mood.

Skepticism was dispelled by the placebo effect. There was an experiment: researchers gathered sick people and, dividing them into two groups, began to treat them. Some were given medications. For others - “pacifiers”, placebo pills. But they didn’t know about it. Doctors wanted to find out what affects people - chemical substances, or their belief in the treatment they receive. According to the results of the experiment, it turned out that the “pacifiers” worked as well as medications, and in some cases were even more effective than them.

Internal resources are limitless

This is the next NLP rule. Every person has fantastic resources, but practically does not use them fully. Why? Because of natural laziness.

Why read and educate yourself when you can take out your smartphone and quickly Google what interests you? Why try to master the skill of managing your body, pressure and temperature when there is aspirin, antipyretics?

NLP is a field of knowledge and methods in which great attention is paid to hidden potential. One of the main tasks is to discover in the depths of the soul the necessary resources to achieve certain goals, find talents, and quickly master skills and knowledge. In general, everything that can make life easier.

And here is the NLP rule for every day: you need to train yourself to pay special attention to people whose abilities you admire. This is the easiest way to identify and develop your hidden talents. After all, a person notices in others those qualities that are characteristic of himself! Only he sometimes doesn’t realize it. NLP supporters are sure: if a person noted someone’s talent or ability and was happy for its owner, it means that he has the same inclinations. He just didn't allow himself to show them earlier.

But this also applies to disadvantages. A person accuses someone of envy, meanness, anger, meanness? But aren’t they characteristic of him too? Probably yes. Particularly annoying are those qualities that people subconsciously do not accept in themselves.

Who to be in this world is an individual decision

Probably everyone has heard phrases like: “Everything depends on ourselves” or “You are the master of your life.” But, as usually happens, few people think about such words and realize their meaning. And in NLP, one of the key rules is exactly this: “Who a person will be - a winner or a loser - depends only on him.”

Everyone is the creator of their own Universe. Ruler of your own Destiny. The one who can “order” himself wealth or poverty, health or illness, success or failure. Sometimes “orders” are made unconsciously.

Some will smile skeptically, others will find hundreds of refutations and arguments against this statement, others will think about it. But we must remember that we are talking about NLP - a technique for manipulating people and one’s own consciousness. Sometimes, some people begin to arrange their lives so recklessly and even aggressively that the phrase “I can!” becomes an hourly accompanying motto. And they achieve truly amazing results.

Because these people believe in their own strengths and in themselves, they take responsibility for their Fate upon themselves (understanding that they create it, and not karma, bosses, higher power, government or circumstances), and are also engaged in unlocking internal potential. They do major work on themselves every day. NLP should not be viewed as a pseudoscientific technique. These are motivations, attitudes, studying one’s consciousness, a constant process of self-improvement. Strength is needed here.

Technique #1: Creating an Anchor

Many people are interested in NLP and the manipulation of their own consciousness. Mainly because they don’t want to be... happy. People come to neurolinguistic programming with the hope that they will be able to “tune” themselves to good life. And it is possible.

The vast majority of us have/have had moments when we are absolutely happy. The pinnacle of bliss, so to speak. Life is going like clockwork, everything works out, there are no obstacles, wishes come true. It's a pity that this is not always the case. But what prevents you from remembering this state and constantly returning to it mentally?

This is one of the key techniques of NLP. You need to remember your blissful state, called “resource”, and imagine the range of feelings experienced at that moment. When they become as bright as possible, you need to set an “anchor”. This could be anything - a snap of the fingers, a slight pull on the earlobe, a gentle squeeze of the shoulder with the palm. In general, the main thing is that it is a gesture that can be carried out in any situation.

The exercise must be repeated. Remember your feelings and blissful time and put the chosen “anchor” at the peak. The goal here is simple - to form a certain conditioned reflex. When it can be achieved, the person, with the help of his anchor, will experience the whole gamut of those emotions and feelings. And this skill really improves psychological condition under dreary, sad, unfavorable life circumstances.

By the way, the “anchor” can be replaced with an object. The reflex will additionally be developed on the basis of associations. But then you will need to carry it with you constantly.

Technique #2: influencing others

Many people want to master manipulation using neurolinguistic programming. There are many NLP techniques that help influence others. But they are all based on the specifics of speech, sentence construction, address, and attitude towards a person. So, here are just some NLP techniques that help influence people:

• Method of three agreements. The basis is the inertia of the psyche. The principle is this: before voicing important question, to which you need to get a firm “yes” from your interlocutor, you need to ask him three insignificant, easy ones that absolutely imply a positive answer. Having agreed several times, he will continue to do so inertly.
• The illusion of choice. A cunning NLP manipulation technique. On the one hand, a person offers a choice. On the other hand, it stimulates the defendant to do what he needs. For example: “Will you purchase the whole set or part of it?”
• Trap words. They tenaciously “catch” the consciousness of almost every person online. For example: “Do you feel confident after our classes?” And it doesn’t matter at all that the person didn’t notice it. His consciousness had already fallen into a trap, and he became thoughtful and began to look for confirmation of the question asked.
• Affirmation of positive reality taken on faith. For example: “Well, you’re a smart person, you’ll agree with this.” And the opponent is no longer interested in arguing, since this will cast doubt on the fact that he is smart.
• Command questions. Something that few people will contradict. For example, not “Turn down the music,” but “Would you mind turning down the volume a little?” The first option sounds more honest, but looks like an order. When voicing the second, an illusion is created that the person takes into account the opponent’s opinion, since he asks him in a polite manner, and does not force him. This cannot be denied.
• The turnover is “then... the...”. A combination of what the manipulator himself needs. For example: “The longer you drive this car, the more you realize that you want to own it.”

And these are just some of the NLP techniques that have an impact on humans. But all of them can be resisted by a person who understands this topic and knows that manipulators are everywhere. You just need to ask yourself the question: “Do I really need this?” Consciousness will immediately react by bringing arguments.

Advertising sphere

You can find a lot of examples of NLP in it. Good commercials, slogans, billboards evoke the following reaction from the consumer: I see, I want, I buy. They can be based on values ​​- what represents holiness for target audience. Images of elderly parents, grandparents, family, lovers, home comforts... all this puts pressure on the consumer's sensuality.

Submodalities are also one of the foundations of NLP advertising techniques. The emphasis is on kinesthetic, auditory and visual perception. Everyone knows these videos. Well-chosen angles, the effect of moving away and approaching, dynamic development of the plot, exciting music... everything is used to make the consumer feel like a part of the advertisement. Such a context easily awakens the appetite, calls for action, and allows you to feel like the owner of the advertised item in reality.

Another effective technique is the truism. What is taken from authoritative sources can be said. Something that won't cause mistrust. For example: “Approved by the World Association...”, “Doctors recommend...”, “Made in Germany”, etc.

Setting SMART goals

This method is also directly related to NLP. The abbreviation SMART reflects the criteria that a person's intended goal must meet. So this is:

• S - specific.
• M - measurable (measurable).
• A - attainable.
• R - relevant (significance).
• T - time-bounded (relationship with specific deadlines).

A person, writing a goal according to SMART, programs himself in the most direct way. Here's an example of what a thoughtful mindset might look like: “What do I want? Own business, open your own establishment. What is needed for this? Earn start-up capital, draw up a plan, perhaps take out a loan for development. What options do I have for this? Ambitions, promising work and early successes- this means you can set a goal above the limit of your capabilities. Why do I need my own business? This is an old dream, and wishes should come true, plus, I will work for myself and have the prospect of developing the field in the future. How much time do I have to prepare? 2 years".

This is just one example. In any case, meeting the goal with these criteria will increase the likelihood of its implementation. Speaking in simple language In order to change something in life, you need to have a clear idea of ​​what you want specifically.

By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to read some books on NLP. In particular, those that were written by the founders of the method. It is recommended to read their work entitled “The Structure of Magic” in two volumes (1975 and 1976). You can also read the book “Changes in the Family,” written together with American psychologist Virginia Satir.

Also worthwhile is being an “NLP Practitioner”. Written by Bob Bodenhamer and Michael Hall. This book is interesting both to beginners in the NLP topic and to people with skills in this area who want to improve them.

Recently, more and more often on the Internet and not only you can find articles and various conversations about this modern concept, like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). More and more more people, who don’t even fully understand the essence this direction, try to explain it to others.

It is for this reason that in this article we will deal with this concept. Let's take a closer look at NLP.

Newness in psychology or unification of the old?

Neurolinguistic programming is a direction (school) in practical psychology. In fact, despite the fact that this method has its own history, persons, language, methods and traditions, it is still nothing more than a combination of several technologies that, when combined, allow an individual to act more effectively in various problematic situations. The effectiveness of this method lies in the client’s (patient’s) ability to master an expanded set of behavioral structures. In other words, a person can in different problematic situations choose a more appropriate response, which allows him to avoid many problems.

Many scientists worked on the creation of this complex NLP method, including R. Bandler, D. Grinder, F. Pucelik and others.

The creators of NLP believed that an individual is a complex information mechanism that has its own language and program.

For them, the affective side, emotions, feelings and will of a person do not have their own nature or pattern; all of this is considered by the authors of NLP to be only resources that can be created using programs.

Differences from other methods or unfamiliarity with NLP

Neurolinguistic programming affects both the unconscious and the human consciousness; work with the structure of subjective experience, which avoids questions related to the objectivity of what is happening around, is also indispensable.

In general, NLP is very different from other methods in psychology, for example, one of its theses “The map is not equal to the territory” is focused on the study of how a person perceives, interprets and structures what is happening around him and how he is influenced by all the information emanating from the surrounding world.

Another difference of this method is its focus on the present. Compared to psychoanalysis, which returns to the patient’s past, looking for a solution to all current problems there. NLP studies the present, today’s subjective experience of a person, ways of perceiving it, and builds on this, programs the future of the individual.
In other words, phylogeny, ontogenesis, the conditions in which a person’s personality and mental functions were formed, all this is unnecessary information for NLP. Since neurolinguistic programming is initially focused not on explaining a particular state, but on making changes to them.

The goal of NLP is to achieve real personal changes in a person. They need to understand not “why”, but “how”.

Of course, the above does not mean that a specialist working with the NLP method does not collect theories, however, in this case, theories are not taken as a basis, but are perceived as working models and nothing more.

The very position and essence of NLP can be understood in the following phrase: “What is being told is not true. The only point is that it helps, so it’s what you need.”

Negative and positive aspects of the method

We must not forget that a coin always has two sides. As with any other approach, neurolinguistic programming has both positive and negative sides.

The positive aspects include:

• Practicality of the method;
• Pragmatism.

The most obvious negative side of this approach is that in NLP a picture of the world is imposed or suggested to the client, which often changes from material to mystical.

NLP practitioners themselves accept as truth only what they themselves consider to be true and what others can accept as truth.

This gives a certain peculiarity to the investigators of this school, who become indifferent to all reasonable evidence and arguments. They have a firm conviction that all kinds of interactions between individuals are nothing more than a suggestion that is effective for people. having a “rational” personality type.

Concepts such as truth, logic, justification or objectivity are empty words for NLP investigators; instead of these words and concepts they have “efficiency” and “environmental friendliness”.

NLP itself is technologically advanced and during its application it is used step-by-step descriptions procedures that should lead to personal changes. And each step, in turn, has obvious signs that attract a large number of of people.

And during psychotherapeutic work, an NLP specialist uses the trance state of the patient’s psyche when he implements his technique. This is why the patient feels a sense of magic. This method mostly attracts those who want to get results without making conscious efforts for this.

In the work of NLP, technological techniques are used that exclusively affect a person’s unconsciousness. That is, basically, this is suggestion and various techniques on the unconscious, which act covertly and the patient does not have the opportunity to exercise conscious control.

That is, this school ignores open and reasonable interactions between psychologist and patient. This, of course, can be considered a minus, however, this is what attracts most people, giving NLP a certain aura of magic.

It is important to understand that NLP is not a value-based approach, but rather a tool technology.

This school does not show a person how to live, does not delve into solving issues related to finding the meaning of life or restructuring in society.

When someone comes to an NLP specialist with a certain problem, he reformulates this problem into a task and begins to help the client find solutions to this problem. Only options that are too obvious and not environmentally friendly are eliminated.

The specialist himself does not delve into the essence of the problem and does not try to create connections.

However, in neurolinguistic programming itself there are no such concepts as “the right person,” “the right behavior,” or “non-adaptive behavior.” In NLP there are only behaviors that more or less fit the context of a given situation. During NLP, the specialist allows the client to focus his attention on unwanted behavior and its different options.

In this approach, the main thing is not the behavior itself, but the ability to enable a specific person to choose the appropriate behavioral model for a particular context. When a patient manages to find such a solution, this is an effective, environmentally friendly, reliable and affordable solution to his problem.

All of the above (that is, focus on the effect and indifference to the values ​​​​used in society) has led to the fact that today, for most people, NLP is equal to manipulative technologies.

By the way, this is not so far from the truth, since NLP supporters claim that they manipulate absolutely everything and in everything, and NLP practitioners themselves teach their clients to do this competently and consciously.

Where is NLP used?

Today NLP is applicable in all areas where there are relationships and where manipulation is possible. Some of the areas where NLP is most often used include:

• Psychotherapy;
• Advertising;
• Sport;
• Personal growth;
• Coaching;
• Sale.

This list can be continued endlessly.

In other words, the method of neurolinguistic programming itself is built on the belief that if at least one person is successful in some area, then everyone else can “copy” this model of behavior and apply it to themselves.

Often, this is precisely what is taken as the basic principle of this approach. And based on this, they claim that NLP is a technology for modeling success. In different areas, he copies the model of successful figures: in psychotherapy, the effective work of a successful psychotherapist; in the field of advertising, the work of successful advertisers who have achieved stable results is modeled, etc.

NLP supporters themselves are confident that a person’s success mainly depends on his correct and effective behavioral technologies. Therefore, if you carefully study the structure this behavior, then others can easily recreate the success of someone else.

Of course, this statement is great, because in fact, everyone wants to be successful. And yet, supporters of this approach forget that success is not only technology, but also ability specific person. And people are gifted with abilities to varying degrees. For example, if someone has achieved success as a singer, then if another does not have such ability (in this example it is necessary ear for music), then no matter how much a person tries to simulate the success of a singer, he still will not achieve results.

Thoughts out loud or one last thing

Attitude to this method cannot be unambiguous. The truth is that the creators of neuro-linguistic programming didn't really create anything particularly new. In fact, they just competently modeled, qualitatively described and effectively sold through their own training system everything that other scientists and researchers of different times had created.

At the same time, to date, what NLP proponents have done to popularize practical psychology has not been done by any psychological movement since the end of the 20th century.

In addition, one cannot underestimate the psychotherapeutic effectiveness of this direction in curing various phobias and irrational thoughts. In this case, the result is achieved already from the first session.

Therefore, it is definitely impossible to say that this method does not work. But it is important to remember that NLP should not be considered a deep psychotherapeutic method either. But there are areas where using NLP is not only useful, but also profitable.

And attitudes formed in childhood are very tenacious. In addition, often a person simply does not know what and how to fix in order to change his life for the better.

The dream of managing one’s own consciousness and attitude towards the world was embodied in the development of various psychological and psychotherapeutic practices. One of the most popular of them currently is NLP - neuro-linguistic programming.

The first developments in this area appeared in the 60-70s of the last century. The founders of NLP are considered to be the American linguist John Grinder and the American psychologist Richard Bandler. Creating theoretical basis neurolinguistic programming, they proceeded from the following position: all the information we receive from the world around us is transformed using logical and linguistic (language) mechanisms. And this happens even before we comprehend the data we receive from our senses. Therefore, a person deals not with objective reality, but with his subjective ideas about this reality. Consequently, changing a person and his life is possible only through changing these ideas with the help of neurolinguistic mechanisms and the formation of models of consciousness.

NLP was not initially an independent direction or school in psychology, like, for example, humanistic psychology or psychoanalysis. Its developers used techniques and verbal techniques from representatives of three psychotherapeutic directions: Ericksonian hypnosis by M. Erickson, family therapy by V. Satir and Gestalt psychology by F. Perls.

Currently, NLP has many followers and critics. The cautious attitude of classical psychologists towards neurolinguistic programming has led to the fact that this system of techniques is rarely used in psychotherapy, but is widely used in various trainings for the professional training of personnel, especially advertising and sales managers.

NLP - what kind of technique is it?

As already noted, the attitude towards NLP is contradictory: along with enthusiastic reviews, there are also many skeptical ones, and some psychologists generally consider neurolinguistic programming almost quackery, and ordinary people not associated with psychology often identify NLP techniques with the tricks of psychics or zombies (well, since this programming).

However, NLP is officially recognized as a direction of practical psychology, and skepticism is often associated with the specifics of techniques and techniques that use the power of words.

What is the essence of the NLP technique?

Neurolinguistic programming is based on the following objective laws of the human psyche and characteristics of human behavior:

• Human consciousness is a product of the interaction of an individual with the environment, when external influences are transformed and transformed into mental processes.
• An important role in the formation of stereotypes of consciousness and patterns of behavior based on them is played by language, more precisely, speech or linguistic formulas.
• Analyzing his own experience and the experience of other people who have achieved success, a person, with the help speech formulas is able to program his attitude to the world and his behavior.
• Successful management of life and behavior requires specially developed strategies and linguistic models. Developing them is the task of a practicing psychologist - an NLP specialist.

As I think you already understand, there is nothing supernatural or paranormal in neurolinguistic programming. The power of the human word and self-persuasion has long been known, as well as one of the fundamental principles of NLP: “If you cannot change the situation, then change your attitude towards it.” However, the apparent simplicity of the practices of neurolinguistic programming leads to the fact that poorly prepared people who do not know the basic principles of psychology begin to practice it. The attempts of these would-be specialists to invent their own methods, which do not bring the desired result, are one of the reasons for the skepticism towards NLP.

Auditory, visual and kinesthetic: three approaches to influence in NLP

People perceive and process information differently depending on which channel of perception is dominant in them: visual, kinesthetic or auditory. And the nature of this information is different. The dominance of one channel or representative system leads to the “filtering” of data from the senses, that is, what some hear may not be seen or felt by others. That's why important condition the effectiveness of NLP practices is an orientation towards the dominant channel and, accordingly, towards the psychological characteristics of kinesthetic, visual and auditory learners.

This should also be taken into account by people who would like to use neurolinguistic programming techniques to manage own life. It is possible to determine which representative system dominates in a person by the characteristics of his behavior and speech.

• Visuals are focused on visual images, for them has great importance shape, size and color of objects. For these people, the orderliness of things and the harmony of the surrounding space are important, so they are irritated, for example, by clothes lying around out of place, a book that is not on a shelf in the closet, but lying on the sofa, and the asymmetry of the company logo can make them refuse to purchase. They describe reality in visual terms; their speech contains many words related to vision: “look”, “see”. They “vaguely understand,” “clearly imagine,” “see prospects,” and their achievements are “visible.”
• Kinesthetics are people who live by body sensations. For them, tactile perception, the feeling of movement, the speed of a car or the comfort of a soft sofa are important. They attach importance not to color, but to the convenience of things. That's why nothing irritates them more than a tight collar or cookie crumbs in bed. They evaluate the reliability of a business partner by shaking hands or by the smell of perfume. Since the thinking of kinesthetics is focused on bodily sensations, in their speech they have many corresponding words and verbal formulas: “feel”, “it feels like...”, “soft”, “rough”, “touching”, “firm look” , “tough decision”, “inconvenient position”.
• Auditory learners perceive the world as a combination of sounds. They remember information better by hearing. The timbre of the interlocutor’s voice is important to them; they prefer to communicate with business partners over mobile phone or via Skype. In speech, auditory learners often use words and phrases related to auditory perception: “listen”, “it doesn’t sound somehow”, “noisy”, “quiet”, “ringing”; they wait for an “explanation,” which often “tells them nothing,” and they themselves “take the floor.”

NLP Techniques

Currently, there are many different NLP techniques. Their advantage is that, unlike other areas of psychotherapy, neurolinguistic programming methods can be used independently and feel their effectiveness for yourself. For this, a small training seminar from a specialist or even detailed instructions. There are, of course, techniques of varying degrees of complexity, but here we will get acquainted with the most accessible and popular ones.

Anchor technique

In the lives of each of us there are situations that are significant because they have had a serious impact on our lives. They may be associated with negative ones, but we are in in this case I’m only interested in positive ones, those that evoke memories of a feeling of bliss, unclouded happiness.

Images of such situations filled with happiness are recalled spontaneously, but this process can be made conscious and organized. The “anchor” serves this purpose. Having chosen the most attractive situation that is in memory (meeting with a loved one, a combination of a feeling of freedom, warm sun and gentle sea, etc.), you need to associate it with a specific action. This could be clapping your hands, snapping your fingers, rubbing your earlobe, etc. This connection will be the “anchor”. You can also use some kind of “anchor” material object: keychain, finger ring, souvenir or talisman. And if this item is initially associated with the chosen situation, even better.

The connection between the memory and the “anchor” needs to be consolidated by mentally repeating it to yourself several times. This will lead to the development of a conditioned reflex that can be “turned on” at any time, just perform an action or look at the object chosen as an “anchor”.

The situation on which we have set the “anchor” is called “resource” - from it we will draw a positive mood, strength and be charged with positive energy at any time. The anchoring technique is very helpful when we need to solve difficult problems or when it seems that nothing positive is happening around us.

SMART - goal setting technique

One of the main problems of many modern people– vagueness of goals or lack of a clear idea of ​​them at all. Therefore, these people, without thinking about anything, seem to go with the flow and are very surprised when they are carried out onto the rocks of problems and troubles.

A goal is a necessary guideline for moving forward, and indeed for any movement. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to put the right goals, which is the subject of one of the neurolinguistic programming techniques – SMART. This is an acronym for 5 rules to follow when setting a goal.

• S – specific – accuracy and specificity. When setting a goal, be precise and in detail about the specific result you want to achieve. So, “I want to be rich” is too vague and unclear a goal, so it is not able to stimulate your activity. But “I want to earn money to buy new apartment" - more specifically.
• M – measurable – measurable. Have a clear idea of ​​how much time and what resources will be required to achieve the goal.
• A – attainable - achievable and realistic. Be aware of the possibility of achieving your goal and do not strive for the obviously impossible. This will only lead you to disappointment and loss of self-confidence.
• R – relevant – importance, significance and compliance with your requirements. The goal should be meaningful to you, and its achievement should qualitatively change something in your life or in yourself.
• T – time-bounded – time limitation. Set strict deadlines for achieving what you want. A goal that is lost in the distant, foggy perspective will never be a stimulus for activity.

By following these rules, you can not only learn to set goals that are meaningful to you, but also achieve them and realize your dreams.

Reframing

According to the theory of NLP, what is important for a person is not only and not so much objective reality, but his own attitude towards it. It is the perception and assessment of the situation that shapes behavior and determines our emotional condition. If we are upset because of an action loved one, then the point is not in it and not in the act itself, but in our attitude towards it. Emotional assessment– this is a kind of frame into which we insert the events of reality. It is enough to change the frame, and reality will be perceived differently.

This is the essence of the reframing technique. Frame is a “frame”, and reframing is changing the frame. With the help of reframing, you can not only change your attitude towards what happened, but also get rid of thought patterns that have a traumatic effect on us.

Context reframing

From the point of view of NLP, changing the perception of a situation is possible with the help of verbal formulas that describe the event differently. This is the so-called context reframing, which has become popular recently. By the way, this is not a new invention at all. We can find an example of context reframing in the fable of the blind ancient Greek storyteller Aesop, translated by I. A. Krylov. The fable is called "The Fox and the Grapes." The fox, who, no matter how he jumped, could not get the bunch of grapes, declares that they are still green, so there is no need to be upset.

And here is another example of “folk” reframing. When a bride runs away with another man before the wedding, this is, of course, a very unpleasant situation. But folk wisdom words famous song teaches: “If the bride leaves for someone else, then it is not known who is lucky.” Agree, this radically changes the perception of the situation.

Sometimes, to change your assessment of an event or your behavior, it is enough to just slightly change the phrase describing the event. Here, for example, are 3 variants of verbal formulas, essentially with the same meaning, but how they differently influence the emotional state and attitude to the situation:

1. “I want to achieve results, but I have problems.”
2. “I want to achieve results, even though I have problems.”
3. “I want to achieve results, despite the fact that I have problems.”

Along with context reframing, there are other types of reframing: content reframing, result reframing. But one of the most difficult is considered to be the “six steps” reframing, which appeared as the very first of all types of this technique.

Six Step Reframing

Its goal is to change an unwanted behavior pattern or habit, which in NLP is called a pattern. This type of reframing consists of 6 stages or steps:

• Stage 1. Decide on the problem, that is, clarify for yourself what specifically does not suit you in your behavior.
• Stage 2. Designate this trait or stereotype of your behavior with some symbol, color, letter, that is, create a visual image and clearly establish in your mind the connection between it and the undesirable pattern. Imagine this image as part of yourself and feel your relationship to it.
• Stage 3. Why are you following this pattern of behavior? There must be some positive reason or intention behind it. Identify them and clearly understand the essence of these intentions.
• Stage 4. Come up with a set of alternative behaviors that also satisfy the positive intention and can replace the unwanted pattern without harming you.
• Stage 5. Contact your subconscious with the desire to replace the unnecessary stereotype with one of the alternative behavior options.
• Stage 6. Check to see if all parts of yourself agree with the proposed alternative. This last stage is called "Environmental Review".

Communicating with parts of your Self, with your subconscious, turning to them with a request or gratitude seems strange at first glance. However, in accordance with the theory of NLP and psychology in general, we are not always aware of our activities different areas and levels of consciousness and subconsciousness, and even more so we do not always control them. Therefore, establishing contact with these areas of our psyche is not only useful, but also necessary in order to learn how to manage our lives.

The use of verbal influence in NLP encourages followers of this direction not only to develop speech skills, but also to be very serious and attentive to our own speech, including internal speech, to the formulations that we use. It’s not without reason that they say: “Whatever you call the ship, that’s how it will sail.”

Neurolinguistic programming- the science of the impact of words on a person. These are methodological techniques that allow a person to program himself through words and then change these programs.

One of the basic provisions of neurolinguistic programming is the assertion that every person carries hidden, untapped mental resources. Therefore, the main tasks of the therapist-communicator are to provide the patient with access to these resources, extract them from the subconscious, bring them to the level of consciousness, and then teach them to use them.

How to “look” into the patient’s internal mental processes? There are only two ways: (using the word) and , which is especially important in NLP.

A person perceives and reflects the world through their organs. The process and mechanism of such perception in neurolinguistic programming is called modality. They talk about visual (visual), auditory (auditory) modalities and a modality based on olfactory-gustatory and bodily sensations (kinesthetic). One of the modalities is usually dominant in a person, the others are accompanying.

There is a relationship between the dominant modality in which a person perceives the world and the words with which he expresses this perception. These are the predicates of speech:
- visual predicates - words “see”, “bright”, “hazy”, “clearly”, “perspective”, etc.
- auditory predicates - words “hear”, “sound”, “creak”, “shout”, “deafen”, etc.,
- kinesthetic - “feel”, “touch”, “warm”, “heavy”, “rough”, “hard” or “smell”, “tasty”, “stale”, “fragrant”, etc.

Predicates are formed in the patient at a subconscious level, and the therapist, in order to quickly form rapport, needs to use those predicates that the patient primarily resorts to. Speech predicates are “keys” that give access to its internal ones.

No less important “access keys” to are non-verbal, external signs manifestations and emotions (posture, facial reactions, timbre of voice, breathing rhythm, etc.).

One of the “access keys” to the unconscious is eye patterns.

The ability to quickly recognize the “modality” in which the patient perceives the world, find “access keys,” enter the modality and work with the “access keys” is called tuning in NLP.

If a person perceives external world in different modalities, one of which is dominant, then in approximately the same way he reflects his inner world.

Before saying anything or answering a question, the patient must “gain access” to his own information, to his unconscious mental processes.

The system responsible for extracting information is called leading, the system presenting this information to consciousness is called representative, and the system that verifies the result is called referent.

The chain of mental processes leading to one form or another of behavior is called a behavioral strategy in NLP. A socially immature or sick person usually has one behavior strategy for each situation, a socially mature person has two, three or more. The more strategies, the more choice and the better.

In neurolinguistic programming there is the concept of a meta-model. This is a set of linguistic means to obtain information that is hidden from the patient himself.

A person perceives the world subjectively, so everyone has their own model of the world. Sometimes the patient's subjective model of the world cannot be corrected.

The basic rule of NLP is the following: recognizing a person’s right to his own rules, allow the rest of the world to have theirs.

Basic methods and techniques of NLP
“Anchor” method, work with submodalities, overlay, decision making, belief change, “swing”, “explosion”, visual-kinesthetic dissociation, “Look at yourself with eyes full of love” method, reframing, therapeutic metaphor.