What is NLP?

What is NLP?

NLP is the homogenization of language, mind and body and how they can be used in combination to interact within an individual to create results. NLP was so named in the 1970’s when John Grinder, a linguistics professor, and Richard Bandler, a student of philosophy and psychology, began the process of modeling how, through language and thinking processes, excellence in several fields of therapy was being achieved.

The original models of NLP were in the field of therapy because of the particular interest of John and Richard, the original modelers. Since then, NLP has been used to study and model excellence in all areas of life and business. There are NLP models for teaching, learning, test taking, sales, employee management and so on. Most importantly, NLP is about how a person’s mind and body work together to get results and how your communication with a person leads to you, and them, getting results. NLP is excellence in communication.

Because NLP is communication, everyone is already doing it. The objective is to learn how communication works between people and begin to communicate effectively with intention and purpose. To fully understand the scope of the previous statement, you must consider all forms of communication such as person-to-person, person-to-self, nonverbal, and so forth.

It is said that Richard Bandler defines NLP as “An attitude and methodology that leaves behind a trail of techniques.” And there have been other definitions too. Here is how I like to define NLP…

NLP Defined
When you buy a kitchen appliance or a car or a TV, they give you a manual that explains how that item works, right? Well… here you are now, having been born into your wonderful body with all of its complex entangled systems and no one gave you the manual for how you work. I believe that the basic precepts (attitudes) and processes (methodologies) of NLP are the manual for how you function. Learn NLP and you learn about you. When you understand you, you can truly begin to understand others and when you do that, you can intentionally live the life of your choosing.

In a comprehensive study of NLP you will notice that something is missing. The best NLP training programs also teach, or at least introduce some concept of a spiritual or metaphysical nature. The focus of pure NLP is on the conscious and unconscious mind. If we limit our studies to only that then we are essentially denying one-third of who we really are. The third to which I am referring is your spirit (also, higher-self, higher consciousness and so on.)

In a subsequent article, I will describe an entirely new spin on NLP that is emerging on a global scale.

Stay tuned!