[Neurons] 2009 Meta Reflections #50

[L. Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Meta Reflections #50

November 16, 2009

 

 

THE GLITZ AND GLITTER OF NLP

 

 

I first thought about the glitz and glitter of NLP the other day while out
for a run as autumn was coming to Colorado.   Earlier that morning, a person
new to NLP had called and asked about trainings in NLP and Neuro-Semantics.
Then, during the call, as so often happens, the caller asked my opinion
about some of the other things being offered in the field of NLP.

"What do you think about past lives regression in hypnosis?"

"What do you think about brainwave technology?"

"What do you think about photo-reading?"

"What do you think about unconscious installation?"

"What do you think about hypnotic repatterning, DHE, huna, the Secret,
etc.?"

 

The person who called most recently also wanted my opinion about some of the
things being asserted by certain so-called NLP trainers.  (I say "so-called
NLP trainers" because they certainly have missed the foundational
Cognitive-Behavioral principles of the field.)

 

He asked,  "Isn't all learning actually unconscious and doesn't need to go
through the conscious mind?"  When I then asked, "Who in the world teaches
that?" I was told.   And I wish I could say I was shocked and surprised.
But knowing the trainer that the speaker referred to, I wasn't.  And that
was the saddest part of it.

"Of course all learning is not actually unconscious.  In fact, every single
skill of any complexity must go through the conscious learning process in
order to drop out of consciousness and be encoded in our neurology- what we
commonly call 'the unconscious.'"

 

I thought that would settle it, but it did not.  My caller actually found my
statement surprising and shocking, so he wanted to know more about that.

"Okay, then consider.  Could you unconsciously install riding a bicycle
through whatever hypnotic repatterning or guided-fantasy process?  What
about the skills of dentistry?  Or the knowledge of anatomy?  Could we take
a pre-med student and install what she would need to know and be able to do
in order to be a surgeon or general practitioner?  What about an astronaut?
Okay, an automobile mechanic?  Electronics guy?  How about a person at the
front desk helping customers?  Name one set of skills, or even one single
commercially viable skill, that you can directly stick in a person's
unconscious mind!  Name just one.  I'll tell you that if you could do that,
then Bandler, Grinder, James, and all of those "so-called NLP Trainers"
would be billionaires!  They put medical schools out of business.  They
would made business schools redundant.  Yet the truth is that they do not
put those schools out of business, nor are they billionaires."

 

So all that glitters in NLP is not gold, nor does not create gold- and that
in spite of all the over-promises of instant competency, wealth and sex.
The gurus of NLP (which in my opinion begins with Richard Bandler himself)
and the want-a-be gurus all talk a beautiful, mysterious, captivating, and
expensive talk, but in the end they over-promise and under-deliver.  Now how
can I make such an assertion? 

 

Here are some facts. For years Bandler has been forbidding papers and pens
in his trainings saying that he doesn't want conscious learning and that he
will take charge of the installing unconsciously process.  Now doesn't that
have a ring of Jim Jones, David Koresh and other gurus who wanted totally
compliant followers rather than thinking men and women who know how to ask
hard questions.  Why are tough questions not welcomed?  And from Tony
Robbins to all of the want-a-be Tonys-there is the mystic of the
all-competent, all-knowing, all-wealthy leader who will tell you his secrets
if only you sign up for the Master of the Universe Course for $10,000 in the
next 20 minutes.  And you wonder why NLP has gotten a reputation of being
"manipulative" in the negative sense of the word?!

 

Glitter, yes!  Enriching?  Again, yes- well, for the guru; but almost never
for the compliant followers who have to attend yet one more training, now
the Super-Masters NLP University course in Hawaii.

 

Now what got me thinking about all of this was the last question that my
caller asked.  "Well, if all of that is just superficial NLP glitter and not
the real thing, then what would you recommend I do?"

 

I was tempted to say that I was just about to unveil my own new Mastery
University myself in the Greek Islands of the Mediterraean for a select
group of learners and only for $9,995.00.  But I didn't!  Instead, here's
what I said.

"What should you do?  Refuse to let the gurus get by with their non-sense.
Take pens and papers, record the things they say, challenge them, ask hard
questions, give feedback, don't let them off the hook when they say that
they don't take feedback (as one of the co-developers did in Switzerland at
Briefer Formation) or that all feedback is "projection" (as one new age Huna
NLP trainer says when someone attempts to offer him some feedback).  Then
ask even harder questions, ask for results, demand money back when the
promises are not delivered.  In other words, be a discerning buyer, beware
of what you are buying; ask for evidence.  Learn to be a smart
decision-maker."

 

Yes, there's a lot of glitz and glitter now in the marketing of NLP- bright
shinny toys that seem to be the most wonderful things possible, like the
special chocolate bar of Willie Wonka with the golden ticket.  And some are
real; but most are not.  So, let the buyer beware.  When you call for
trainings, ask the trainer tough questions.  Ask about results.  Ask about
sources.  Ask about style and emphasis.  As for contact numbers of people.
Anyone legitimate will be more than glad to provide it.  And most
Neuro-Semantic Trainers will invite you to come to the first half day of the
training with full money-back guarantee.  All you have to say after the
first half day, "It's just not for me."  And then with a smile and kindness,
you'll get all of your money back ... or not pay until you are convinced
that it will be informative, life-changing, and loaded with value for you.

 

I'm not against glitter as such.  Some is good to raise interest, excite,
and create some buzz around the transformative nature of this field.  But
the genuine value of this field is not about the glitter, it is about the
gold within- about the processes by which you can discover, access, and
unleash your highest potentials and best values and visions.  The gold
enables you to discover your powers and to learn to run your own brain,
manage your own state, and then not need the teacher.  A good teacher
(coach, trainer, consult, parent, etc.) always aims to work him or herself
out of the job!

 

 

 

Unleashing Leadership Workshop

 

The latest book in the Self-Actualization Series and in the Meta-Coach
series is Unleashing Leadership: Self-Actualizing Leaders and Companies
(2009).   As a leadership development workshop, discover how to identify
your leadership potentials and unleash them --- whether for self-leadership
or leadership in an opportunity that awaits you.

 

Dec. 11-13, Imola, Italy

            Sponsored by Bless You --- Nicola Riva and Lucia Giovannini

            Nicola at blessyou.it 

            Special gathering on Dec. 14 for Meta-Coaches and NS trainers 

at the home of Nicola and Lucia.

 

 

 

 

--- Meta-Coach Trainings coming 2009 - 2010

                        

1) Australia

       November 19, 20-27 - Coaching Mastery.  Sydney, Australia

      Sponsors: Laureli Blyth and Heidi Heron                  

      Heidi at nlpworldwide.com              Laureli at nlpworldwide.com 

 

 

2) China --- 2010

      Meta-Coaching in two parts --   January 17-22 and May 9-14  (6 days
each time): 

Includes also Module II (Coaching Genius).  

            Guangzhou, China:  Sponsor: Team Huang --- supported by
Neuro-Semantic Trainers: 

Mandy Chai and Wilkie Choi   For Chinese---   yeshow at 163.net .  For English
speakers: 

Mandy Chai: chaimansun at yahoo.com.hk 

 

 

3) Mexico --- 2010

     In two parts --- March 4-7 (March 3 for Team Leaders) and April 15-18
(April 14 for Team Leaders). 

     Sponsor: Salom Change Dynamics-  www.salomchd.com  (55) 30930687 ---
emilia at salomchd.com

 

 

 

 

 

L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.

(ISNS) International Society of Neuro-Semantics

The International Meta-Coach System

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO.  81520 USA

1 970-523-7877

      <http://www.neurosemantics.com/> www.neurosemantics.com 

       <http://www.neuro-semantics-trainings.com/>
www.neuro-semantics-trainings.com 

       <http://www.self-actualizing.org/> www.self-actualizing.org

       <http://www.meta-coaching.org/> www.meta-coaching.org

       <http://www.ns-video.com/> www.ns-video.com 

 

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(Neurons) go to  <http://www.neurosemantics.com/> www.neurosemantics.com ---
you can  subscribe and unsubscribe there.   Meta Reflection articles by Dr.
Hall are sent out every Monday and meta-Coach Reflections sent out every
Wednesdday to the Meta-Coaches egroup.  Contact Dr. Hall at  meta@ acsol.net


 

 

 

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