[Neurons] 2025 Neurons #16 MORE NLP ERRORS --- CORRECTED

Mon Apr 21 09:05:46 EDT 2025

From: L. Michael Hall

2025 Neurons #16

April 21, 2025

Updating NLP Series #4

MORE NLP ERRORS

NLP needs updating and one aspect of it that needs an upgrade are some of
the errors that it has fallen into.  In addition to the first eight errors,
here are the rest of the ones that I've collected.  If you know more, let me
know.

Error #9. Sub-modalities are 'sub-' (under, below) modalities.  

The choice of terminology here is the error and the problem.  The qualities
of your inner movies (the so-called sub-modalities) are actually the
cinematic features that you use to edit any movie that you're playing in
your mind.  And given that you edit from a higher perspective, they are
actually meta-modalities.

This error was committed by Bandler himself after Todd Epstein had named the
cinematic features (close/far; loud/quiet; bright/dim; etc.) pragmagraphics.
Actually, that would have been a much better word.  The cinematic features
are the graphics of our movies which then lead to specific pragmatic
responses.  But from what I gather, Richard thought pragmagraphics was too
big of a word, so he invented sub-modalities, as if that was better!

The problem is that you cannot edit your movies if you do not have a picture
or sound in the first place.  First, the film that you're play, then the
editing.  Once you have a film to edit, now you can introduce circus music,
put the picture a block away, turn it black-and-white, and on and on.  You
have to go meta to even detect the cinematic features of your movies.  "Is
it in color or black-and-white?"  To find out, a person has to step back and
look.

Error #10.  Logical levels are hierarchical.  

Well some levels can be hierarchical, but the mind's logical levels are
psycho-logical and operate more as a holoarchy.  Now Dilts' Neuro-Logical
Levels does use the format of a hierarchy: Environment, Behavior, Capacity,
Belief, Value, Identity, Purpose (Spirituality), but it is not really a
hierarchy.  Can you believe about your values?  Your identity? Your purpose?
The mind is much, much more fluid than a rigid hierarchy.  The mind's
reflexivity makes that possible.

Error #11. Logical levels and logical types are different phenomena.  

Both Steve Andreas and John Grinder perpetrated this error and from what I
can tell their purpose was to argue against the logical levels that Robert
Dilts and that I had introduced into NLP.  While they asserted that Bateson
made this distinction, Bateson actually used both phrases interchangeably.
[See my articles about this with Andreas on the website.]

Error #12. NLP depends on Transformational Grammar (T.G.) for the
Meta-Model. 

NLP began by using the "surface" and the "deep" levels which were in the
Transformational Grammar model.  But quickly thereafter, almost no NLP book
kept quoting the structures of T.G.  And no wonder-Chomsky, who founded
T.G., repudiated it in 1976.  I have written the full story of that in
Communication Magic (2001).   Nor do we need them.  The levels and logical
levels of Bateson, of Korybzski and meta-cognition is quite sufficient. 

Error #13. Meta-programs are about content.  

This is another error that arose from John Grinder.   He declared, without
any evidence, that meta-programs are 'content' and therefore not part of
NLP.  This is patently false.  Meta-programs are thinking and filtering
patterns that govern how you think, not what you think.  Perhaps because
Leslie Cameron and Richard Bandler came up with Meta-Programs, that's why
Grinder refused to teach them.

Error #14. NLP is and should be content free.  

Yet another error from John Grinder and one that is completely wrong-headed.
Without some content, you would not know what you are actually doing with a
client.  If a person says he want to "Yellow" and you don't ask what that
refers to, it could be kill someone, embezzle a company, commit suicide,
etc.  My recommendation is to gather 20% content; and then focus 80% of your
attention on the processes.

Error #15. There is a New Code in NLP.  

Well, yes there was in 1983!  Yet the so-called "New Code" in 2025 is now 42
years old.  And that raises the question: When will the additions in 1983
become old?  Actually, Neuro-Semantics introduced the next level of newness
to NLP in 1996.  Today "new code" is part of classic NLP.

Error #16. If any expert can do something, anyone could.  

Well, that's not exactly right.  No one is going to play basketball like
Michael Jordan unless they have some of his genetics and years and years of
practice.  Every expertise involves not only how the expert thinks, her
internal strategy, but also historical context, environment, life's
challenges, decisions, inherent talent, neurology, etc. 

Error #17.  Eye accessing cues can tell if a person is lying or not.

This is completely false.  It is not something that NLP has ever taught,
although people have attributed it to NLP.  None of the founders believed or
said this.  It was sometimes said by some who did not know the significance
of eye accessing cues.

Neuro-Semantic News

.       An update of NLP practitioner course ---this coming August.
https://meta-nlp.site

https://meta-nlp.site

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ISNS

738 Beaver Lodge

Grand Jct., CO. 81505 USA

meta at acsol.net

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