Having it all with Neuro Linguistic Programming

My friend Sandra sighed.

• "My audition is on Sunday, arrgghh!!"
  
• "so why go?" I asked.
  
• "Because I want to sing!" She laughed, "I know I'm crazy!"
  

Neuro linguistic programming NLP is perfect for these kind of inner debates. It offers several techniques to help us negotiate with ourselves and find the perfect answer to these types of dilemmas.

The Visual Squash pattern of NLP can be used to help us help our clients get what they really want, and make decisions which are fully aligned with their desires.

1. The Visual Squash first takes the two separate “parts” of us that want two different outcomes
   
2. Secondly we visualize images (in the visual representational system) to represent each of these parts. These are normally an image of the part of me that wants the first outcome and an image of the part of me that wants the second.
   
3. We hold each image in one of our two hands
   
4. Ask the image or part on your right hand what it wants for you, or what its positive intention is? By speaking we bring in our self-talk or inner voice, the so-called auditory digital representational system of NLP.
   
5. We continue to ask for higher and higher positive intentions for the part. Perhaps the pleasure brings me joy, and the joy brings me peace.
   
6. Turn to the other hand and ask that part for it positive intention. Continue to ask until you find the highest positive intention.
   
7. As we continue the exercise we may want to use other NLP techniques such as association, perceptual positions etc to build rapport between the “parts”
   
8. As we continue the exercise we often see the client's hands begin to move together as the two parts become closer in intention.
   
9. We can then encourage this new part to be brought back into the body and an inner integration can be achieved.
   

The NLP coach requires good hypnosis skills to fully involve the client's unconscious mind in this highly symbolic process.

That is why here on our NLP Training in New York, we teach what we call In-Depth NLP. In-Depth NLP uses principles of hypnosis to fully engage the unconscious mind in NLP exercises. We teach In-Depth NLP with a certified hypnosis trainer, to ensure that hypnotic principles are used.

Because we are relying on the client's unconscious mind, we want the client to be able to access their unconscious resources. We do this through trance induction.

Using arm catalepsy or arm levitation (or both) as the hypnotic induction already transfers control of the arm(s) to the unconscious mind, in hypnosis. It is therefore a small step, once hypnotic trance is induced, to suggest to the unconscious mind that the arms can and will move hypnotically, as integration takes place.

The NLP coach will notice from the movement of the arms when they are actually being controlled by the unconscious mind, as the movements become more jerky.

These are the principles of In-Depth NLP; to fully and completely engage the unconscious mind in the change process. By doing so, we generate change that is more compelling than exercises where the conscious mind has more control.

Take our NLP course in New York to fully learn the Visual Squash pattern.

Shawn Carson is an certified NLP trainer in new York City. Call for training, hypnosis, coaching. 212 714 3574, www.nlptrainingewyork.com, iphnewyork@aol.com

Goal Repetition Induction Technique

This article relates to an induction I learned with Stephen Gilligan, and demonstrated at Melissa Tiers' practice group for people who have undergone her Hypnosis Training in New York and NLP Training in New York.

Katy selected another student to be the client. She began by asking him what he wanted to work on, and he described a writing project that was giving him some difficulty. As she spoke to him I noticed she was drawing out details, words, language and images that she would no doubt be using during her work. Finally the client was able to describe what he wanted to achieve in a single sentence, laced with evocative imagery and metaphor:

“I want to create a three dimensional hologram [the metaphor for his project] that I can feel, and that is inclusive and ecological”.

• Katy: “Now, close your eyes and say the sentence”
• Client: “I want to create a three dimensional hologram that I can feel, and that is inclusive and ecological”.
• Katy: “does that sound right to you? Does it feel right?”
• Client: “Yes”
• Katy: “Excellent. Now. Say it again, with one breath for each word”
• Client: “…I…”
• Katy: “I”
• Client: “…want…”
• Katy: “want”
• Client: “…to…”
• Katy: “to”

The induction continued in this way for some time, with Katy repeating each word, reminiscent of a double induction with the client taking one part.

Now Katy altered her approach, as the client breathed in preparing to say the next word, Katy spoke fractionally before he could:

• Client: “…[breathing in]…”
• Katy speaking fractionally early: “three-dimensional”
• Client: “…[breathing out]…”
• Client: “…[breathing in]…”
• Katy speaking fractionally early: “hologram”
• Client: “…[breathing out]…”

I could see the client drop ever more deeply into trance as Katy began to weave her spell of words, fragments of the client’s sentence, other words and metaphors the client had used, and others that eased out of Katy’s mouth into the space between them.

• Client: “…[breathing in]…”
• Katy speaking fractionally early: “don’t”
• Client: “…[breathing out]…”

“Don’t” is such a typically non-hypnotic word that my antenna came up.

• Client: “…[breathing in]…”
• Katy speaking fractionally early: “don’t be”
• Client: “…[breathing out]…”
• Client: “…[breathing in]…”
• Katy speaking fractionally early: “don’t be”
• Client: “…[breathing out and smiling]…”
• Katy: “don’t be smiling”

Katy continues weaving her spell. Then:

• Katy: “Now I want you to say the sentence”
• Client: “…I…”
• Katy: “You” [changing to second person]

And so on, bringing the client a little further in, then out, then in and out of trance as his verbal mind was asked to act then forced not to…

Katy finally brought the client fully out of trance and back into the room. He reported a wonderful trance experience, very focused on the issue due to the repetition of the key sentence. The real deepener for him had been when Katy had “interrupted” him, which he reported as an increase in body tension as he breathed in without the expected release of speaking, followed by deeper relaxation when he “gave up the word” and simply breathed out. He had absolutely no recollection of the “don’t be” instruction, which had acted to create amnesia. Katy reported that this was her intention as the “client” was also a trained hypnotist and nlp master practitioner and she did not want his conscious mind to interfere.

This induction is elegant, fun and begins to directionalize the client’s change as soon as the induction begins. Give it a try!

Love
Katy

Caty Shannon

Welcome Caty!

This is Caty's new blog and web presence! I look forward to seeing it grow with Caty's thoughts and quiet wisdom.

Shawn Carson

NLP Training in New York