Neurolinguistic Programming

Neurolinguistic Programming, or "NLP", is an alternative approach to psychotherap that has been adapted to hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Based on hypnotic techniques of Dr. Milton H. Erickson, Neurolinguistic Programming is sometimes referred to as "the Milton model" (Dr. Erickson is recognized as the founder of clinical hypnotherapy - click here to read more about The History of Hypnosis).

The basis for Neuro-linguistic Programming is to recognize and use parts of speech and key patterns to direct another person's line of thinking. This includes using speech to distract the conscious mind and access unconscious areas of another person, both to gather information and subsequently to lead them into an altered, or trance-like state.

Milton, along with many professionals in the field, believe that effective hypnotic suggestion should be "artfully vague", allowing the subject to "fill in the gaps" subconsciously, even if they don't consciously grasp what is happening.

A skilled hypnotherapist using Neurolinguistic Programming will create these gaps of meaning, tailored to suite the individual subject. NLP attempts to do this in a way which is most likely to produce the desired change.

Direct suggestion is often blocked by a persons concious brain. Defense mechanisms, logic, fear, and other aspects of concious reasoning will often minimize the effectiveness of direct suggestion.

By modifying direct suggestion into more "artfully vague" speech, Neurolinguistic Programming attempts to circumvent, or bypass these traps of concious reasoning and thought.

Beyond speech, NLP also teaches that people are unconsciously influenced by physical gestures, facial expression and movements. This is similar to the idea of "reading body language", but is combined with speech ("linguistic").

Body language and speech are used both to read the subject and hypnotize them. A skillful Neurolinguistic Programming practicioner will pay close attention to the other persons speech patterns and body movement, while using their own during suggestion.

Research into these techniques peaked in the 1980's, however it has regained something of a resurgence recently. Methods such as Conversational Hypnosis and Underground Hypnosis integrate these methods into their systems.

Some psychologists and clinicians feel that Neuro-Linguistic Programming has become a victim of it's own success in a fashion, leading to exaggerated or misleading claims about it's capabilities. Of particular concern to many in the field is that it can lead to a "quick fix" mentality.

Neurolinguistic Programming will be most effective when combined with other techniques, and taken as part of a larger holistic approach to hypnotism and hypnotherapy.