[Neurons] 2011 Meta Reflections #11

[L. Michael Hall]

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Meta Reflections 2011 - #11

March 7, 2011

 

                        

NEW

META-MODEL DISTINCTIONS

Alfred Korzybski Series #7

 

 

In 1992 I began writing about my discoveries in Korzybski's original
neuro-linguistics.  And one of the first things that I began writing about
was the linguistic patterns that I found in Science and Sanity that were not
included in the first NLP Meta-Model.  I wondered why.  Bandler and Grinder
started with Korzybski's premise, "The map is not the territory," and yet
they did not follow-up with the ill-formed linguistic structures that
Korzybski identified and how to question/ challenge them.  Strange.  I can
only guess that they had their hands-full with the linguistic distinctions
from Transformational Grammar and that was sufficient for how to begin the
journey.

 

In 1997 Richard Bandler asked me to co-author a new book on the Meta-Model,
one that would celebrate 25 years of the Meta-Model - Magic Revisited was
the suggested title.  This book would update the original Meta-Model with
the discoveries made in those 25 years.  Actually, this is what Richard and
John predicted would happen to the Meta-Model.  In speaking about those in
Generative Semantics they wrote that these "will be particularly useful in
expanding the Meta-Model further." (p. 109, also p. 38, The Structure of
Magic, Volume I).

 

In 1992 I had suggested in numerous articles in NLP journals both in the US
and in Europe seven new patterns from Korzybski to the Meta-Model and in the
1997 book that we were to co-author (now titled Communication Magic, Crown
House Publications), I added nine, two additional ones from Cognitive
psychology.   All of these patterns continues the original design of
enabling a person to re-connect his or her language to their original
experience so that you can develop a richer and more effective map for
navigating life.  (Oh yes, why didn't we have both names on the book?  After
Richard signed the contract, he got mad at me for yet something or another-I
never found out what -and so refused!  Ah, such is life with geniuses!).

 

Now precisely because Korzybski founded General Semantics in linguistics and
focused on how language works, on how the human nervous system operates (he
used the term, "abstracts") and on how language operates as a
psycho-physiological function in our lives, Science and Sanity contains a
great many linguistic patterns.  These are patterns that makes for both
unsanity and unsanity.  And not surprisingly, many correspond precisely to
the Meta-Model distinctions.  Yet also many are not covered by the
Meta-Model.  So here are the new Meta-Model distinctions that I found in
Korzybski in 1992 and that eventually became part of the book, Communication
Magic.

 

Like the linguistic distinctions in the Meta-Model, these indicate deleted,
generalized and distort information that create all kinds of limitations in
mental mapping processes.  The result is that they leave our internal world
impoverished.  Detecting the limiting distinction enables you to ask
questions about it- to meta-model the speaker.  When you do, you ask for
more precision about the experience the person referred to originally and
from which they made their map.  Here are a few of the distinctions, in
Communication Magic (2001) I have detailed nine additional Meta-Model
distinctions that covers three chapters (chapters 11, 12, and 13).

 

UNDEFINED TERMS

Undefined terms are either those presuppositional terms that hie our
metaphysics and theories or over/under defined terms.  Over-defined terms
are defined by intension or verbal definition and are under-defined by
specific facts and details.  This makes them over-generalized, vague, and
often empty verbalisms. To meta-model these-ask for details and specifics.
What it will look, sound, and feel like?  Ask, "What does this assume?"

            

DELUSIONAL VERBAL SPLITS

A word that has been verbally split is one split off from its full phrase
and that's what makes it delusional- it presents a false view of the world.
The split is only verbal and not actual: mind-body cannot be separated
except on a sheet of paper or computer screen.  Where you have "body" there
is "mind!"  The split is false-to-fact and a mis-representation.  Time-space
is a single unit.

"Einstein realized that the empirical structure of 'space' and 'time' with
which the physicist and the average man deals is such that it cannot be
empirically divided, and that we actually deal with a blend which we have
split only elementalistically and verbally into these fictitious entities"
(Science and Sanity, p. 106)

Make such verbal splits, you train yourself in delusional semantic
reactions.  To meta-nodel these, hyphenate and reconnect holistic processes.
"A little dash here and there may be of serious semantic importance when we
deal with symbolism" (p. 289).

 

EITHER-OR PHRASES

Either-or terms assumes things are divisible into two classes and orients to
a two choice world: heredity/environment, nature/nurture; genetic/learning.
To meta-model ask if there are any other choices. "Are there anything
in-between?"

 

IDENTIFICATION

To identify one thing with another assumes an absolute sameness, an
identity.   Eliminate this "all" the word "absolute" loses its meaning and
we have "sameness in some respects," but we have no identity, only
similarity.  Yet in our world, there is no sameness.  Everything is
different.  Identification fails to make distinctions and is built on
subject-predicate language, and the is of identity.

To meta-model use any extensionalizing method to make distinctions.
Exchange the "is" of identity for specific verbs. Sub-script words with
time-dates or space-locations to recognize the absolute individuality of
every event at every time.

                        

PSEUDO- WORDS

Some words are not symbols, do not stand for something other than itself.
Instead, it is a semantic noise or mark-sign (1933, p. 79) and so a
pseudo-word.  "One of the obvious origins of human disagreement lies in the
use of noises for words" (82).  Korzybski says it's a form of fraud since it
is literally, "the use of false representations."  And Science and Sanity is
full of example: "heat," "space," "infinity" etc.  To meta-model, reference
and date-time index what you are referring to.  If I were to see-hear-feel
this, what would I see or hear or feel?

 

AMBIGUOUS WORDS

Words that are ambiguous are full of fluff and ambiguous as to what they
refer to.  They represent infinite-valued variables and so are neither true
nor false, but ambiguous.    To meta-model use co-ordinates to assign single
values to the variable.  Time and space co-ordinates will contextualize the
specific referent. Ambiguous words are often nominalizations (hidden verbs
in a noun form), so de-nominalize them.  To meta-model develop a
behavioristic and functional set of action words and turn ambiguous words
into specific referents.  Functional words enable us to translate dynamic
processes into static and static processes into dynamic.

 

STATIC OR SIGNAL WORDS

Words become static and work like animal signals when we make absolutistic
one-valued statements (1933, p. 140).  These one-valued, static words and
statements then give rise to absolute and dogmatic statements that confuse
our statements with "eternal verity."  This creates a "legislative semantic
mood"!  To meta-model extensionalize and enumerate the details of a
collection.   Ask, "What do you mean by...?" 

 

 

As meaning-makers, we construct most of our meanings with language and as we
all know, language can so easily mis-direct us.  As a model, the Meta-Model
provides a way for you to become mindful of your linguistics, what you are
doing with them, and what they are doing within your neurology.  If you are
interested in Communication Magic (previously, The Secrets of Magic, 1997),
see  <http://www.neurosemantics.com/> www.neurosemantics.com - Products,
Catalogue.  

 

 

 

Reminder:  Neuro-Semantic Conference

                        July 1-3, 2011

                        Western Colorado

 

 

 

L.  Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Neuro-Semantics Executive Director  ----   <http://www.neurosemantics.com/>
www.neurosemantics.com

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO.  81520 USA                             ----
<http://www.self-actualizing.org/> www.self-actualizing.org

1 970-523-7877                                               ----
<http://www.meta-coaching.org/> www.meta-coaching.org

 

     

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Reflection articles by Dr. Hall are sent out every Monday (Colorado time).
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Wednesdays.   Contact Dr. Hall at  meta at acsol.net  

 

 

 

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