Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) 101 Series

Many hypnotists supplement their hypnosis skills with the use of NLP which stands for Neuro-linguistic Programming.

The use of NLP has been particularly useful in helping with smoking cessation, weight loss and self-improvement sessions.

NLP is a relatively new “science” being around for just about 40-years and is still going through the phrase of validation and acceptance by the scientific community. It’s been in the self-help gurus arsenal for many years.

It’s controversial because its impact is difficult to measure in a group circumstance and this makes the usual scientific process for validating new theories conclude its positive success must be chance rather than a consistent process to achieve an improvement effect.

At its core is the premise that our reality is made of our own perceptions of life caused by our individual experiences. Our reality is what we perceive from those experiences and so each person’s reality is individual and can be very different from others.

I am not a medical Doctor nor qualified in the field of psychology and so I leave the debate to those better able to evaluate this new science. However, my individual experience in the field of the mind so far raises more questions about the overuse of harmful prescription drugs and their side-effects to treat behavior issues than of NLP.

We still know so little about the mind that it seems worth exploring alternative therapies to the current crop of medicines to treat mental illness.

But I digress, because the use of NLP is in the area of common habit challenges not normally associated with mental illness. People who smoke or are obese can be helped without the use of surgery or drugs through hypnosis and NLP. This is also true of those seeking to achieve success in their lives by removing “self-inflicted” barriers stopping them getting what they want out of life.

This does not mean that people who want to quit smoking, or lose weight or be successful don’t have some deep-rooted issues silently sabotaging every effort they make to move forward. For example, failure to achieve weight loss goals and stay the perfect weight is a particularly complicated topic for many. Frankly it is the reason why so many people cannot get rid of weight because of their emotions around food, and the reason why a solution built entirely around a diet rarely works, or if it does is temporary.

In my practice if I discover a client has deep-rooted barriers stopping me from helping them achieve their desires then a combination of hypnosis and NLP can in many instances get them over the barrier. Some people will need a professional referral to advance.

So what is this thing called NLP and how could it help you?

The answers to this topic are a little deeper than the space I have left in this article. But I have something better for you. I commissioned a primer series for Neuro-linguistic Programming from somebody better qualified than I to explain the subject.

Dr. Peter is a staff writer for our blog over at Free At Last Hypnosis and qualified to talk about NLP. In his four article series he will run you through an introduction to NLP so you can decide for yourself if this is something that can help you.

Read Dr. Peter’s Neuro-linguistic Programming Primer here.

Enjoy the topic – for many it has been life-changing.

Erika Slater, CH
Director
Free At Last Hypnosis