NLP
Dr Richard Bandler, a Gestalt Therapist, and John Grindler , a linguist developed Neuro-Linguistic Programming in the 1970’s, but their work was seeded long before their entry. Linguist Noam Chomsky was a renowned linguist and his work influenced Anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, (referred to as the “Father of Structuralism” and hailed for many years as the most intellectual man on the planet), who was working on his theories of language in understanding humans. Later, the 1960’s was the time of Skinner’s “Pavlovian Dog” and conditioned responses – the “black box” of Behaviorism in Psychology. The use of language in programming and understanding the mind was not a new one when Dr Milton Erikson, a noted hypnotherapist of the time, was seriously working in this area. His Therapeutic Metaphor, or use of the story was one of his techniques. When Bandler and Grindler developed NLP, they paid a great deal of attention to Erikson’s work.
“My book “Start Where You Are”, NLP can be understood as a tool to both comprehend the make-up of our cognition.”
NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), is a language based method of understanding and having some control over our lives, through a semiotic system. In our more Post Modernist times the story becomes even more respected as a way of discourse and understanding of ourselves today.
From the perspective of this website, and my book “Start Where You Are”, NLP can be understood as a tool to both comprehend the make-up of our cognition, as well as a therapy that we can employ to make those changes that aren’t so easily made by us. NLP is also a great deal more than this and is used for life coaching motivation as well what could be referred to as spiritual shamanism through such techniques as Time Line Therapy. Throughout my book “Start Where You Are” I only mention Tony Robbins as the proponent of NLP in my examples. This is because Tony’s use of NLP in his work lends itself to a wonderful ‘Do It Yourself’ way of using NLP. His use of the physical as well as the mental has particular appeal to me, as so many others so easily forget the physical in their bias towards the mental or spiritual.
The language we use is powerful. To fully understand its power an excellent book by Bandler and Grindler is The Structure of Magic. As you read this not easily read book the semiotics of meaning within grammatical syntax shifts your cognition into fascinating places if you persist. Although this and its follow on books aren’t easy to read they profoundly affect the way we understand our own speech, including self talk! Anyone who has studied any occult discourse may appreciate Bandler and Grindler’s use of language in this less mysterious logical exposè, because their demystification does indeed bring more magick to the surface, enabling it to be grasped without the cognitive mind-mapping cacophony usually surrounding uneducated forays into the occult cloud.
When we understand some NLP we can more easily understand some of those things I mentioned in my book about how our Cognition, or Formed world view, operates. The use of the question is very much an NLP tool, although its roots are pre-biblical and perhaps innate in our need to evolve.
On this site, chakra-spinach.com I hope that I will be able to bring to you some keen insight into NLP from a respected practitioner here in Brisbane who is also a Hypnotherapist. I have often found it extremely useful to use her services and I am hoping that I can introduce her to you soon.
In the meantime, I will provide you with some direction about how to find out more about NLP yourselves and give you some reviews on some of the books and courses available.
