The NLP Model of Human Behavior

We are living in a new era of understanding. Science has discovered the elements that make up the human personality, and researchers that have been working with various techniques utilizing these elements have been able to create what seems like miraculous changes in people. The most useful information has been presented to us in the forms of "models" of human behavior that explain which elements have which effects in specific ways to create predictable results. Models are descriptions or simulations of how something works, much like a map is description of a geographical area. Similar to a map, a model is not necessarily designed to be "true", rather, it is designed to be a useful representation of reality. To judge the usefulness of a model, one needs only to look at what kind of results it gets. In the case of the model of human behavior I will introduce you to, it has proved for the past seventeen years to be the most accurate model ever developed, and furthermore, this model has the potential to permanently change our understanding of what it means to be human. The basic NLP Model was developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder and over the years has been expanded and advanced by other brain/mind researchers and NLP technicians.

 

lIlustration of the NLP Model of Human Communicatin.

 

How you work

Looking at the NLP Model, you can see that the process begins with an external event. We experience the external event through some combination of our five sensory input channels of five senses: visual (sight), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (feeling or touch), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste). When the external event comes through the sensory input channels it turns into information, specifically electrical impulses that go to our brain. But before we can make any sense of that information, it must be filtered through our internal procession filters which delete, distort and generalize that information so that we can make sense out of it. Then once the information has been filtered in such a way that the brain can attach meaning to it, your brain forms an internal Representation (IR) of what and how you picture the event in your mind, and what and how you say and hear in your mind. You internal representation, your experience of the event, isn't precisely what happened but rather a personalized internal re-representation. Then that internal representation combines with your physiology to create a certain neurophysiological state or just state. Physiology means the condition and use of our body's physiology. Things like muscle tension, tiredness or energy level, what we eat, our breathing pattern, our posture, and our overall level of biochemical functioning. If for example, you are in a physiology state that is such that you are experiencing great muscular tension or extreme tiredness, or physical pain or low blood sugar, you will tend to represent things to yourself that could magnify the negative feelings, combining with your internal representation adversely affected your state. State (neurophysiological state) can be described as the sum of millions of neurological processes happening within us at any given moment, in other words, how we are experiencing our experience, how we feel emotionally, our feelings and how our body feels. Examples of resourceful states are confidence, love, joy happiness, etc. Examples of disempowering states are confusion, depression, fear, sadness, stress, etc. State creates behavior. Whatever state you are in, in a given moment, will influence and actually cause you to behave in corresponding ways - how you act, what you say, what you do, how you move your body, and even your unconscious bodily functions.

How do you filter your experience?

Let's discuss filters in a little more detail. The brain filters and stores the information it needs or expects to need later, and allows the conscious mind to ignore the rest.

Deletion -

Parts of the experience is deleted because we selectively pay more attention to some aspects of the event than others. It is necessary to delete massive amounts of information that is being fed to us through our senses because our conscious minds can only handle a limited amount of information at a time.

Distortion -

Distortion occurs as we make misrepresentations of reality in order to represent it in our minds so that it makes sense to us. This is where the term "distorted view of reality" comes from. A useful form of distortion is in planning. In order to plan to construct something that doesn't currently exist, the internal representation is distorted differently from the actual physical reality.

Generalization -

This occurs when we draw global conclusions based upon only two or three experiences. This is one way we learn by drawing conclusions and applying information broadly. Some people generalize information from one event and apply it to their whole lives.

Making sense of it all

Using our filters to distort, delete and generate information is the only way we can make sense out of the massive amount of information offered to our brains through our senses at any given moment. Psychologists have said that if we were simultaneously aware of all the sensory information coming in we would go instantly crazy. These filters are the reason that no two people have the same response. Because of their internal processing filters, they create a totally different internal representation of that event, and attach totally different meanings to it. These filters are made up of many elements including: our memories, past decisions, beliefs, values, conditioning, and meta-programs (unique ways in which each of us process information).

An example of how filters change a person's Internal Representation of an event follows: Imagine there is an accident on the street corner with five witnesses. Chances are, if questioned later, there could be as many as five very different descriptions of what happened. Another example that I like to use is: How do you treat your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend when s/he comes home much later than promised? Did you know that your behavior will depend largely upon the state you're in when they return and your state, of course, depends on what you have been representing in your mind about what might be the reason for their lateness. If, for hours you have been picturing this person you care about in the hospital hurt or in an accident, bloody or worse, dead, when they walk in the door, it is likely that you'll respond by with a sigh of relief, tears or a big hug and a question of what happened. These behaviors were a result of the state of "concern" which were a result of your internal representations of why they were late. If however, instead you pictured your loved one in an affair or having a drink with that cute guy/gal from the office, or you just told yourself over and over that this person is late simply because s/he doesn't care about your time or your feelings, then when they walk in the door they will get a much different treatment than the last example. Out of a state of "anger" or "feeling used" (states that you created in yourself by your representations), this will cause a whole different set of behaviors than the above example. Psychology also plays an important role, combining with physiology, to affect someone's state. For example, if you were in a very disempowering state when your loved one is late coming home, you will probably perceive you're in a physiological state of physical pain, a headache, tiredness, etc. that would magnify any negative feelings.