Run your own brain with NLP

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a name that encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: Neurology, Language and Programming. The neurological system regulates how our bodies function, language determines how we interface and communicate with other people and our programming determines the kinds of models of the world we create. Neuro-Linguistic Programming describes the fundamental dynamics between mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay affects our body and behavior (programming). NLP was originated by John Grinder (whose background was in linguistics) and Richard Bandler (whose background was in mathematics and gestalt therapy) for the purpose of making explicit models of human excellence. Bandler is teaching through some simple experiments how we can learn to run our own brain. The following is from R. Bandler's book "Using Your Brain For A Change".   

Now, take your time, sit back in peace, maybe close your eyes and think of a very pleasant past experience. Make sure you recall all details and you see exactly what you saw back then. Change the brightness of the image and notice how your feelings change accordingly. Make the picture brighter and brighter, bring it closer and closer and now make it dimmer and dimmer, push it away and away and back to brighter!! How do you feel?  

Of course there are some exceptions, but for most of you, your feelings become brighter or dimmer following the picture! How you ever thought of that possibility you have to adjust the pictures of your mind according to the feelings you want to have each time? I guess almost everyone lets their brain randomly show pictures it wishes and you feel good or bad, according to what you are shown and not what you really want. 

 Now, do the same with an unpleasant experience, something it makes you feel bad. And start playing again: make the picture dimmer and dimmer, fuzzier and fuzzier and experience your feelings becoming fuzzier, too! Does that picture bother you still?  

Of course each experience had its own special characteristics, so you have to “play” in relation. For example a candle-light dinner will fade away if you picture it too bright and an unpleasant experience will be stronger if you bring it too close to you. For those who want to run their brain, they can try changing each quality and elements of the below list, so they find out what are the ones affecting the experiences and how much. Preferably choose a pleasant experience and let the game begin! 

1)      Color. Intense bright colors to black and white will affect your feelings accordingly. Choose what you want!
 

2)      Distance. Very close to far away.

3)      Depth. Flat pictures become two or three dimensional.

4)      Duration. Vary from a quick picture to a persistent one!

5)      Clarity. Crystal-clear pictures to fuzzy and blur.

6)      Contrast. Adjust the difference between light and dark.

7)      Scope. A picture in a frame can become a panoramic one, which continues even if you turn your head around.

8)      Movement. Make a movie or feel good with a still photo.

9)      Speed. Very slow to very fast pictures affects feelings very fast or very slow!

10)  Hue. Play with the color balance, with the reds, blues and greens.

11)  Transparency. A transparent picture allows you to see what lies beneath the surface.

12)  Aspect Ratio. Take a framed pic and make it tall and narrow or short and wide.

13)  Orientation. Tilt the top of that picture away from you and then toward you and then away again.

14)  Foreground/Background. Make the difference between what interests you (foreground) and the context it happens to be there (background) and reverse them.

 

The list with the qualities goes on and relates to your personality. You can always use volume, rhythm, location, number, temperature, shape, odor, taste and smell are quite useful and strong qualities.
 
It’s time to make the brain our servant and with a little exercise we can all manage to. Notice the children while drawing; they do not care about the reality – they simply represent the reality of their brain, the reality they wish and we, adults, always find it so clever and cute! Isn’t time to do the same for our own sake?