Discovering the World of NLP
How to manage your mind with NLP
The early development of NLP occurs in the 1970s, when Richard Bandler and John Grinder come up with the concept. As psychologists, they took previous theories in psychotherapy, language and personal development and created their own therapeutic method for improving human behavior. NLP has roots in some of the ideas and techniques developed by people such as Milton Erickson, Noam Chomsky, and Carlos Castaneda.
From their earliest days, Bandler and Grinder were enthusiastic about increasing their understanding of the complex nature of human nature. It was through a book they published in 1975 that they developed the language and therapy system and how to apply it to treating and other professions.
According to Bandler and Grinder, our neurological processes, behavior, and language are interdependent. Our ability to use certain skills to our advantage may enable us to treat problems ranging from phobias to psychosomatic illnesses.
It was during the early phases of the human potential movement that the idea developed and was influenced by the growing literature. Neither Bandler nor Grinder were trained in the psychology or therapeutic approaches. The freedom to think differently about these fields gave rise to a paradigm shift.
Why NLP is so popular
In the late 1970s, as part of the human potential movement, the system gained in popularity. There were some aspects of NLP that were seen as helpful to personal development, and its therapeutic benefits were starting to emerge even outside of the psychotherapy market.
Thus, the system became commercially viable, and its methods were deployed in various fields such as business. Besides academic writing, Bandler and Grinder also organized seminars and events for those looking to better themselves.
Motivational speakers supported the practice
The NLP movement began to gain global attention when a community of both psychotherapists and students formed around it. Self-help gurus and motivational speakers use NLP in their presentations. Grinder trained Tony Robbins, for instance.
Since then, the movement has lost some traction, with opponents claiming it lacks scientific support. However, the movement continues to be studied and used by both academic and non-academic circles. For example, NLP is still used in psychotherapy. This therapy serves at the same time as the foundation for other therapeutic disciplines and as its own unique therapeutic style.
Additionally, even though the movement began as a therapeutic oriented movement, it still has a wide range of applications in other fields as well. Due to the system’s ability to enhance persuasion, negotiation, and sales, business has used the aspects of the system to improve its business. The system can provide many benefits to business leaders, managers, and sport coaches who believe the system can be of use to them.
Core Concepts of NLP
It is thought that everyone shares the same fundamental neurology. Therefore, how well you control your nervous system essentially determines how well you can do things in life. NLP also states that your neurological system is directly related to your linguistic and behavioral patterns. As all of these aspects are primarily learned through experience or programming, you can also control them with the correct modeling.
In this theory, the ability to control external behaviors is controlled by internal processing strategies. Thus, when you engage in a behavior like making a sale, you are executing an internal processing strategy, even if you are not aware of it. In NLP, you can discover and utilize a variety of strategies that can help you achieve your goals.
For instance, if you want to increase your social status, you can learn internal strategies to make this happen.
