NLP: The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming By Tom Hoobyar, Tom Dotz, and Susan Sanders

your thoughts play a crucial role in shaping your experiences they influence how you perceive interpret and respond to your environment it follows then that if you want to change something in your life such as mindset habits career or relationship status you first need to change your thoughts in NLP the essential guide to neural linguistic programming NLP Master practitioners Tom hubar Tom dots and Susan Sanders explain what thoughts are how they influence you and what specific steps you can take to align them with what you want out of life this guide covers the author's key ideas

in two parts in part one we'll explain how your thoughts form and impact you this information will clarify why you tend to think feel and behave in certain ways in part two we'll explore how you can apply this knowledge to change your thoughts and subsequently your feelings and behaviors to enhance all your experiences additionally we'll build on hubar dots and Sanders's ideas with research advice and actionable methods from Psych ologists and self-improvement practitioners short form note according to NLP Theory three processes neurology language and programming influence all your thoughts emotions and behaviors neuro refers to

how you gather data from the world using your five senses linguistic refers to the way you interpret and make sense of that data programming refers to the behavioral patterns you learn and develop throughout your life NLP practitioners suggest that you can harness these three processes to align your thought patterns emotional responses and habitual behaviors with your goals although some people have anecdotally found benefits from specific NLP practices some researchers have disputed its efficacy with some people considering it a pseudo science part one understand what thoughts are and how they impact you hubar dots and Sanders

argue that the only way to change something in your life is to change the way you interpret feel about and respond to it and to change the way you feel about and respond to it you need to change the way you think about it though changing thoughts sound simple it's often difficult because thoughts are somewhat intangible and difficult to control however the authors explained that this difficulty only arises when you're not conscious of the processes that underly your thoughts that is where your thoughts come from and why they manifest in the way that they do

short form note similarly James Allen as a man think argues that you must understand why you think the way you do before you can change anything in your life without this understanding you're more likely to believe you have no control over your thinking patterns and you won't feel motivated to change the way that you think about interpret or respond to your experiences they suggest that understanding these underlying processes is key to making thoughts feel more tangible and as a result easier to change therefore in this first part of the guide we'll explore the processes underlying

thought formation covering how your brain processes data from your environment your thoughts manifest as sensory Impressions memory associ iations trigger related Sensations sensory nuances influence all your experiences one your brain processes data from your environment beneath your conscious awareness your brain continually collects organizes and stores data to help you understand and interact with your environment this process defines how you think at any given moment however due to the constant influx of complex data your brain doesn't record an exact replica of what's happening in your environment instead it relies on cognitive shortcuts to quickly and efficiently

manage this process this means that your thoughts about your experiences aren't based on accurate reflections of reality but rather on how your brain has synthesized the data from these experiences short form note psychologists expand on what cognitive shortcuts are and why your brain relies on them to process your experiences these shortcuts also known as cognitive biases are automatic unconscious assumptions you make about yourself situations and other people without these assumptions you'd have to consciously process a constant flow of information leading to information overload and mental fatigue according to hubar dots and Sanders three of the

most common cognitive shortcuts include simplifying filtering and modifying let's explore how each of these shortcuts impacts how you think about your experiences cognitive shortcut number one simplifying the authors explain that your brain generalizes the data from your environment by identifying patterns based on your existing knowledge and memories it does this to reduce the complexity of the external world to manageable understandable pieces of information for example when encountering a large dog on the street your brain rapidly sifts through masses of complex data such as the dog's breed size color whether it's on a leash or if

there are other people nearby instead of processing each of these details individually your brain uses your existing memories to quickly simplify the situation if you were once bitten by a large dog your brain might simplify this encounter by assessing the dog as a threat short form note Jennifer eart biased explains that generalizations are the product of your natural impulse to divide all your thoughts feelings and experiences into categories you unconsciously rely on these categories to make sense of the world instead of observing every detail about a person or situation you make assumptions about them based

on their category and these assumptions Define what you notice eart warns that the assumptions you form can create blind spots in your perception causing you to unknowingly form inaccurate or unfair judgments about other people or cultures she suggests that becoming aware of and challenging assumptions is key to overcoming prejudice and discrimination cognitive shortcut number two filtering your brain decides what it should process and what it should discard based on what's relevant to your immediate needs interests and goals according to the authors factors such as your emotional state physical condition expectations and what you're focusing on

at that moment can all influence this decision for example because you feel threatened by the dog your brain focuses on the dog size and bark filtering out other details like its wagging tail filtering helps Focus your attention John Medina brain rules expands on why and how your brain filters information it helps you focus your attention on one thing at a time he explains that at any given time there are millions of sensory neurons carrying messages to your brain each competing for your attention your brain needs to filter this information other otherwise so many things would

be competing for your attention that it would be difficult to focus on anyone however while the author state that your immediate needs interests and goals determine what your brain filters Medina suggests that stimuli and your environment influence this decision he explains that environmental stimuli influence what your brain filters through a process controlled by three neural networks which are activated consecutively the first is the alerting network this detects notable stimuli and initiates the filtering process for examp example if you encounter a dog your alerting network will register its presence the second part is the orienting network

this processes information about the stimulus helping to determine which details are relevant for example if you're afraid of dogs you might focus on the dog size while filtering out the color of its fur the third part is the executive Network this dictates how you respond to the stimulus for example because you focused on the dog's threatening features you might then find an Escape Route cognitive shortcut number three modifying hubar dots and sander suggest that your brain also modifies the data so that it aligns with your existing knowledge and beliefs making it easier for you to

quickly interpret and understand new experiences for example if you once had a bad experience with a dog your brain might exaggerate the size or aggressiveness of the dog in front of you altering your perception based on your preconceptions short form note cognitive scientists explain that this modification process otherwise known as top down process offers two advantages first it allows your brain to fill in missing details when faced with incomplete or unclear information second it helps you anticipate and prepare for potential outcomes in a situation two your thoughts manifest as sensory Impressions we've just explained that

the way your brain processes environmental data influences your thoughts about your experiences now let's explore how these thoughts manifest that is how they express themselves in your mind according to hubar dots and Sanders all thoughts Express themselves through your senses thinking about something involves seeing smelling hearing feeling or tasting it in your mind your internal sensory experience is unique to you shaped by sensory preferences some people think through a combination of their five senses While others tend to favor one sense over another for example when you think about a rainy day you might feel the

sensation of being wet hear the pitter patter of raindrops and visualize gray Cloudy Skies another person might in instead focus on the smell of rain mixed with Earth short form note while the authors argue that all thoughts Express themselves through your senses conceptual metaphor Theory suggests that thoughts and conceptual understanding are metaphorically structured rather than strictly sensory based according to this Theory cognitive processes often rely on metaphors to understand abstract concepts by relating Concepts to more concrete familiar experiences these metaphors operate Beyond just sensory experiences for example you might use raal metaphors when thinking about

time such as thinking of the future as ahead and the past as behind or you might think about your emotions as being up or down three memory networks trigger Associated Sensations the authors explain that internal Sensations don't restrict themselves to the specific thing you're thinking about but Cascade to include Sensations from other experiences this phenomenon occurs due to the way your brain categorizes and stores data according to pre-existing patterns recall your brain categorizes data to help you rapidly interpret and understand your environment in effect your brain uses your memories to assign meaning to the new

data it collects it then stores that new data alongside those pre-existing memories building networks of associated memories for example your brain might store your experience of encountering a seemingly threatening dog in the same memory Network that holds your past experience of being bitten by a dog as well as other experiences that generated the same level of fear these memory Networks guide the trajectory of your thoughts the authors explained that within each Network every memory has the potential to trigger any of the other memories from that Network this explains why your stream of thought seldom follows

a direct path but zigzags from one subject in sensation to another for example when thinking about a rainy day the sensation of being wet might prompt you to recall another experience that involves feeling wet like swimming then thinking about swimming might evoke the image of a blue swimming pool under a clear sky which might lead you to and feel excited about where you'd like to book your next summer vacation and so on pattern separation and pattern completion Neuroscience research expands on how memory networks influence thought associations and thought trajectories explaining the role that two intertwined

processes pattern separation and pattern completion play in guiding your thoughts pattern separation this process helps you distinguish between similar experiences or events it triggers when you encounter a new experience or piece of information segregating new input from pre-existing related memories this discernment prevents memory crossovers enabling you to recall distinct incidents despite their similarities for example if you've dined at the same restaurant twice pattern separation helps you remember the two meals as separate incidents even if your menu choices were identical during both visits pattern completion this process operates on the opposite end of the spectrum serving

as a mental bridge builder it enables you to reconstruct an entire memory from a mere fragment or detail for example when the smell of fresh bread transports you back to a Sunday morning at your grandparents complete with a hustle bustle of the kitchen the newspaper on the table the old songs playing on the radio and the taste of homemade jam both processes account for the cascading nature of your thoughts by separating memories and simultaneously linking these distinct memories into interconnected networks these processes enable each sensory impression to act as a spark and each spark triggers

related memories and Sensations that fuel a continuous stream of thoughts four sensory nuances influence all your experiences we've just covered how memory networks guide the trajectory of your thoughts leading you to flip from one sensation to another now let's explain how sensory nuances contribute to this process influencing not only what you think about your experiences but how you feel about and respond to those experiences as we've established all thoughts Express themselves through your senses hubar dots and Sanders suggest that sensory nuances play a critical role in this process these nuances are the subtle variations in

how your senses engage when you think about something they explain that sensory nuances can manifest in various ways for each sense visual variations in color contrast or size when thinking about a past event some details might appear Vivid or large While others seem blurry or small auditory variations in volume or Clarity when recalling a conversation you might hear loud clear voices in your mind or so the voices might sound muffled and distant old factory variations in intensity or complexity when you think about freshly baked bread you might smell a strong Rich Aroma or just a

faint whiff that barely registers tactile variations in pressure temperature or Texture when thinking about shaking someone's hand you might feel a light touch or the warmth of skin gustatory variations in flavor intensity or complexity thinking about what you plan to eat for dinner might a strong mouthwatering taste or just a hint of flavor how sensory impairments influence perception and thought according to the authors sensory nuances influence all your thoughts feelings and behaviors but what happens when sensory impairments like blindness deafness anosmia reduced sense of smell hypoesthesia numbness or agusia reduced sense of taste come into

play according to research if you can't use a sense when perceiving an experience you won't use it Associated sensory nuances to think about that experience researchers explain that people with sensory impairments often depend on their remaining senses to perceive their environment for example someone with a visual impairment might rely heavily on the sounds and voices in a room to perceive the number of people present this strategy then determines what sensory nuances they use when thinking about their experiences for example instead of visualizing faces in the crowded room they might instead hear the rising cacophony of

multiple people talking at once sensory nuance es shape your emotional responses and behaviors the authors explain that sensory nuances influence your emotional response to your thoughts which then influences your subsequent thoughts feelings and behaviors for example if you vividly imagine the texture and taste of a snack you're trying to avoid you'll likely experience a stronger craving than if you only vaguely recall its flavor making you more likely to give into temptation and eat the snack since sensory nuances play a key role in how you think feel and respond to your experiences they deter the types

of experiences you move toward or away from According to the authors this is because they affect every phase of thinking about an experience before the experience when you're anticipating it for example thinking about an upcoming job interview you visualize crystal clear images of stern interviewers and hear their critical voices loudly in your mind these nuances make you feel anxious leading you to cancel the interview during the experience when you're living it for example during a conversation you focus in intensely on the other person's furrowed brow and slightly raised voice these sensory nuances lead you to

interpret their tone as confrontational causing you to feel defensive and argumentative after the experience when you're recollecting it for example thinking about a recent vacation you see the vibrant colors of a Sunset and hear the soothing sound of waves these sensory nuances evoke feelings of relaxation and joy encouraging you to plan similar trips in the future your brain constructs your emotional responses to sense s nuances Lisa Feldman Barrett's constructed emotion Theory adds insight into how sensory nuances influence your emotions determining what types of experiences you seek out according to Barrett your emotions are not fixed

reactions to stimuli meaning that you don't always have the same emotional response to specific sensory nuances this is because your brain actively constructs your emotions each moment it does this by analyzing both your past experiences and the present context to determine a sensory nuance's emotional significance to illustrate let's continue with the job interview example explaining the process that triggers anxiety you visualize Stern interviewers your brain sifts through your past experiences and analyzes your current circumstances to determine your emotional response to this sensory Nuance because you've had stressful interviews in the past and you currently need

this job due to financial pressures your brain decides that anxiety is a suitable emotional response next Barrett explains that this emotional response determines your physiological State and behavior avoral impulses influencing your decisions and responses for example if your brain decides that anxiety is a suitable emotional response it might trigger a racing heart and induce a panic response leading you to cancel the interview this construction process explains why the same sensory Nuance can evoke different emotional responses from you at different times for example imagining Stern interviewers might cause intense anxiety if you're currently unemployed but only

mild nervousness if you're securely employed and exploring new options why it's difficult to change thoughts feelings and behaviors hubar dots and Sanders explained that because this sensory-driven thought process typically occurs without your conscious involvement you only notice the experience and your resulting emotion this leads you to form unconscious associations between experiences and emotions and these associations lead you to believe that you have no choice in how you think feel and respond to certain situations for example when thinking about an upcoming interview you don't realize that the way you're visualizing Stern interviewers makes you feel anxious

which in turn makes you want to cancel your interview instead you believe that job interviews are inherently stressful and intimidating so you avoid them whenever possible feedback loops reinforce unconscious associations Maxwell Mals psycho cybernetics expands on how unconscious associations impact you clarifying why it's often difficult to change your thoughts feelings and behaviors according to him once your brain has created an association it influences you to automatically think and behave in ways that reflect and reinforce that Association it does this by creating feedback loops it triggers your emotions which colors your perceptions and interpretations of your

environment which leads you to react in specific ways to stimuli the feedback loop continually reinforces the association the way your brain processes your environment justifies your habitual thoughts feelings and behaviors and your habitual thoughts feelings and behaviors reinforce the way your brain processes your environment for example whenever you think about job interviews your brain triggers a reaction that reinforces your anxiety such as by inducing panic or urging you to avoid them and because you always feel anxious when you think about interviews your brain automatically classifies them as anxiety inducing situations part two take control of

your thoughts feelings and behaviors we've just explained the processes underlying your thoughts covering where thoughts come from and how sensory nuances influence how you feel about and respond to your experiences though these processes typically occur beneath your conscious awareness hubar dots and Sanders argue that you can take conscious control of them and choose how to think feel and behave and this will enable you to enhance all your experiences short form note Joseph Murphy the power of your subconscious mind explains the interplay between your subconscious and conscious Minds clarifying how it's possible to consciously control processes

that usually happen unconsciously your subconscious mind the part of your brain that manages your automatic responses to stimuli relies upon your habitual conscious thoughts to form your mental associations and memory networks according to Murphy your subconscious mind is malleable and reflects your habitual conscious thoughts this means that by regularly and intentionally changing the sensory nuances you focus on you can change the way your subconscious mind responds to incoming sensory information the authors offer techniques for aligning your thoughts with three overarching goals maintain a positive attitude enhance your self-esteem achieve success goal number one maintain a

positive attitude according to the authors negative sensory nuances such as visualizing potential failures in Vivid detail hearing critical voices with harsh tones or feeling anxiety related Sensations can make it challenging to maintain a positive attitude they recommend a two-part process for cultivating a more optimistic mindset immerse yourself in positive sensory experiences and distance yourself from negative ones one immerse yourself in positive sensory experiences practice recalling positive memories as viid L as possible emphasizing as many sensory nuances as possible for example by increasing brightness size volume or intensity hubar dots and Sanders explain that this will

create a more immersive experience heightening the positive emotions you feel during recall short form note virtual reality design research supports the idea that Vivid sensory nuances create a more immersive experience heightening emotions associated with that experience in one virtual environment study researchers manipulated sensory inputs such as visual sharpness and acoustic richness varying their intensity and complexity they found that the more Vivid the sensory inputs the more participants reported an increased sense of really being there in stronger emotional responses next the authors recommend establishing a tacl link to this positive memory by touching your thumb to

a specific knuckle while you recall it according to the authors this creates a mental association between the action and the positive emotion the authors refer to this as an anchor you can then repeat the action later to trigger the positive feeling on demand short form note in the field of neuroplasticity research hebbs Theory adds insight into how establishing a tactile link helps trigger positive feelings according to this Theory your brain continuously forms new neural Pathways in response to your habitual behaviors a neural pathway is like a well-worn trail in your brain that allows you to

perform actions or recall information without conscious effort when you consistently pair two behaviors you strengthen the neural connection between them forging an automatic Association as a result engaging in one part of the paired Behavior effortlessly triggers the other two distance yourself from negative sensory experiences pay attention to the sensory nuances that precede your negative emotions so that you can identify their underlying causes for example you might notice that you visualize yourself looking uncomfortable hear a harsh inner critic or feel a knot in your stomach before you begin to feel anxious about public speaking once you've

identified these new nuances mentally diminish them to reduce their impact on you for example decrease the size or brightness of a troubling image change the tone of a critical voice to a humorous one or imagine any physical tension you feel being washed away by waves the authors explain that this creates psychological distance between yourself and the sensory nuances which lessens their influence on your emotions short form note in contrast to the author's advice researcher Daniel seagull mindsight recommends That You observe sensory nuances without trying to change them according to seagull observing these nuances disrupts your

habitual emotional reactions allowing you to respond more intentionally on the other hand attempting to manipulate these Sensations promotes the misconception that certain Sensations are inherently problematic rather than a result of the associations you formed this misconception May inadvertently intensify the negative emotions you're trying to avoid for example manipulating the tone of a critical voice can reinforce your negative response to that voice heightening anxiety instead of reducing it goal number two enhance your self-esteem hubar dots and Sanders explain that you're more likely to suffer from low self-esteem when you vividly recall past failures or embarrassments to

counter this they recommend diminishing the sensory nuances of these painful memories as described in goal number one additionally they suggest a two-step process for focusing attention on your positive traits and for developing new ones one reflect on what you like about yourself and identify the sensory nuances you focus on when you think about these traits for example if you pride yourself on your kindness you might visualize a bright colorful image of yourself helping others or hear a warm approving inner voice praising your actions short form note if you find it difficult to identify what you

like about yourself you might find it useful to consider past achievements that you're proud of notice any compliments you receive or ask friends and family members what they appreciate about you two consider new traits you'd like to adopt and use the same sensory nuances you focus on when you think about your existing positive traits this will leverage your brain's positive associations making it easier to integrate these new traits into your self-image for example if you want to be more confident imagine yourself being confident using the same bright colorful imagery you associate with your kindness short

form note can you reshape your personality just by focusing on sensory nuances linked to positive traits according to research the only way to effectively change your personality is to align your habitual behaviors with the traits you aspire to adopt for example to be more confident you need to regularly engage in confident behaviors such as sharing your thoughts more openly or going to events on your own this suggests that you might need to combine the author's visualization technique with tangible actions that will reinforce the new traits goal number three achieve success success means different things to

different people it may involve adopting new habits communicating more effectively achieving career goals goals or reaching Financial Milestones hubar dots and sander suggest that to achieve success you first need to be clear about what success means to you they explain that a lack of clarity about what you want to achieve creates vague or conflicting sensory representations that prevent you from taking decisive action and without a clear Target to aim for you're more likely to focus on obstacles in your way creating negative mental associations that hold you back for example with a vague goal like get

in shape you might hold conflicting images of how you want to to look feel uncertain about which exercises to do and focus on obstacles like lack of time or energy short form note Tony Robins awaken the giant within Echoes the author's advice to be clear about what you want he adds that the more specific you are the easier it is to imagine the benefits of achieving it these positive expectations increase your motivation to take proactive steps additionally this Clarity helps you devise a detailed plan to prepare for and overcome potential obstacles allowing you to maintain

momentum toward what you want hubar dots and sander suggest three techniques for clarifying and moving toward what you want set clearly defined goals that align with your values and desires create Vivid detailed mental images of what you want to achieve recall previous achievements linking the sensory details to your current goal Technique One set clearly defined goals that align with your values and desires the authors explained that setting clear goals that align with your values and desires ensures that achieving them will be genuinely fulfilling increasing your motivation and commitment for example if you value your health

and enjoy challenges you might refine the goal to get in shape as follows run a 5K race in under 30 minutes within the next 6 months short form note in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Steven cvy suggests a method for aligning your goals with your values and desires picture yourself at the end of your life looking back at your proudest moments focus on what you want to achieve in your various roles parent spouse friend colleague and so on this process helps clearly Define who you want to be and what you want to achieve

in each area of your life and it encourages you to imagine how life would look after successfully achieving all your goals technique two create Vivid detailed mental images of what you want to achieve according to hubar dots and Sanders engaging all your senses when envisioning your goal makes it feel more tangible and achievable they suggest paying particular attention to how good you'll feel once you've achieved your goal as this will help your brain form positive mental associations that make it easier for you to take action toward your goal for example you might imagine the sense

of accomplishment and joy you'll feel as you cross the finish line in a 5K race the sounds of the cheering crowd and the sight of your time on the clock short form note while Vivid detailed mental images may make you feel more positive about achieving your goal research suggests that this practice may also drain the physical energy required to achieve your goals according to one study imagining success lowers systolic blood pressure the four exerted on artery walls when the heart contracts and pushes out blood elevated systolic pressure often signifies increased levels of alertness and energy

on the other hand a drop in systolic blood pressure can lead to leagy decreased alertness and reduced energy hindering your ability to actively work toward your goals technique three recall previous achievements linking the sensory details to your current goal when thinking about your current goal use the same sensory nuances you focus on when remembering past successes to achieve this apply the same method for adopting positive traits goal number two the authors explain that this will encourage your brain to associate the positive Sensations from past successes with your current goal boosting your confidence in your ability

to achieve it for example recall passing an exam identifying the feeling of Joy when you saw your passing grade and the sound of your family congratulating you then imagine experiencing these same sensory details feeling joy in hearing your family cheer you on as you cross the finish line of your 5K race short form note while recalling previous achievements can boost your confidence it's worth noting that your feelings about the past will fluctuate depending on your current mood due to a phenomenon known as mood congruency psychologists explain that you rely on your imagination to construct your

memories however your emotions and Imagination are inextricably linked meaning that your current emotions determine the emotional content of your Recollections therefore ensuring you're in a good mood before you recall your achievement will help you maximize the benefits of this method