Category: NLP

Hypnosis – What is it?

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 24/05/2007

“What do you understand hypnosis to be?”

The answers I get vary every time, from, “I do not know“, to many weird, wild and wonderful explanations.

I also get many emails, requesting information, a typical one for example being: –

“I have been interested in hypnosis for a long time, but not really stage hypnosis, just hypnosis where I can control people and tell them what to do. I’ve looked through many books but they haven’t helped. All that they are, are Self Hypnosis and I want to hypnotize people. Please help me.”

Probably the first thing I say to people is that there is no such thing as hypnosis, it does not exist, it is just a name given to a natural occurring state in which we all go into many time a day.

You have probably traveled on a train or, on a regular journey, going to work or school, or just going about your business. You have seen the same trees pass you by, the same buildings many times. Have you ever traveled on the Underground, the Metro? Through the darken tunnels, where everything looks the same?

And, as you travel along you start to think about what you are going to eat, what you are going to wear that night, for a party, or that holiday you are going to take. Then, you look around and wonder what station you are at, or what junction you have just past.

Yes, of course you have.

You have been in a trance. Yet, you were in full control. If you were driving and an emergency had arisen, for example a child had walked out in front of you, or a car had pulled out without seeing you coming, you would have taken the appropriate action, you would have been in control.

So you would be in a hypnotic state.

I ask the questioner, if I requested you to go outside into the street now, a shout at the top of your voice a quotation from The Bard, William Shakespeare’s Richard III,

“A horse, a horse, my Kingdom for a horse”.

Would you do it?

No I doubt it.

And if I asked you at the same time, to stand in the middle of the street and take all your clothes off, would you do it?

No, you would not. It would probably be too cold for you.

So, in a hypnotic trance it is the same, you would not do anything, that is against your beliefs, your culture, your religion, you are in complete control.

It is a myth that you are under the control of the hypnotist, perpetuated by movies, for example The Manchurian Candidate, where the spy master telephones the normally placid clerk in an office, and says the magic words, “the clock strikes three“, and the clerk’s eyes mist over, he stares out into deep space, opens his briefcase, takes out a Colt 45 gun, walks out of the office into the street, and shoots the victim dead, then the clerk awakens, and stands there wondering what he has done.

Many Government agencies have tried to achieve such states, but they have failed with hypnosis. What they have achieved, is to get people to do things through brain washing, a (technique, which is outside the scope of this work), has been used in the past, and even today, by some countries to control their populations and individuals, by organisations and by religion. We only have to look at certain organisations today, where individuals blow themselves up for their beliefs, killing others for no other reason but the belief that they will enter the gates of heaven. Was those beliefs placed inside their heads by hypnosis? No, simply by brain washing them to believe over a period of time.

Brain washing? That is another subject I have researched and maybe write about some other time. Read article.

Two versions of film have been made of The Manchurian Candidate, the first in 1962 with Frank Sinatra, the send in 2004 with Denzel Washington and based on the 1959 book of the same name by Richard Condon.

Hypnosis NLP Stage Hypnosis

Hypnosis – Expectations

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 23/05/2007

Richard Bandler and John Grinder modeled people of excellence creating NLP. One of these people was the hypnotist, Milton Erickson.

What is hypnosis?

The greatest aid to a hypnotist is expectation.

If a client believes that hypnotist he/she is to see, will be a qualified hypnotist, then there will be an expectation that they can and will be hypnotised. This is especially true in the stage hypnotism area, as the audience attending the show, expect to see people on stage perform funny acts, and those that go up onto the stage to be part of the show, expect to be hypnotized. The main problem here is what does the client expect?

It is the hypnotist’s function to place the client in the correct frame of expectation and understanding of what will be happening. Often the client comes with misconceptions that he/she will go into a sleep like state in which they will have no knowledge, or memory of their session under hypnosis.

Read on (click).

Coaching NLP PhotoReading

NOP

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 22/05/2007

There are times when you wish to achieve, do, accomplish or learn, and we have difficulty. You look about you and see others doing that you want to do with ease, happiness, confidence, enthusiasm.

What is wrong?

Nothing.

You have not found the right strategy for you yet. In NLP we use STRATEGY Elicitation to find out how people achieve excellence. We look for the internal processing of those you wish to emulate. You look for the V.A.K.O.G. of how they process the external and internal information, stimulus or experiences, and if it is appropriate, try the strategy yourself.

As you try the new strategy you can apply the following model, the NOP model.

         N   = Notice it.
         O   = Own it.
         P   = Play with it.

NOTICE IT.

If you do something and it is to your liking and successful, notice what is happening, notice your feelings, your thoughts, what you see, hear, taste and smell, both internally and externally.

OWN IT.

If this new thing is good, then make it your own, take ownership of it. It is yours.

PLAY WITH IT.

Make adjustments to what you notice, and try the new strategy again, if that is better then own it. Then play with that.

Keep looping round the NOP strategy until you have a strategy that is uniquely yours.

Coaching English Courses NLP Travels

Frustration

Post author By nlpnow
Post date 22/05/2007

I was frustrated.

I presupposed that certain things, actions, people’s thoughts were as I saw them, understood and believed in my own mind. My cat on the mat or my cat in the tree.

I was asked if I had written an article or blog on how the brain works (to follow) by a member of the course I am giving here in Istanbul, Turkey. I said as yet I had not as I need time to write it, but I would. Quite rightly, the participant asked that he be emailed when I had published it, and others overhearing the conversation also asked to be informed, to which I said “join the blog and SUBSCRIBE on the left-hand side”.

I pointed to the area on my computer screen and the participant entered his email, and pressed SUBSCRIBE.

Nothing happened.

How long had this facility not been working? How many people had failed in the past? Were you one?

I tested other features on the blog, and found errors. Entering any word in the SEARCH facility resulted in always the Paypal screen being displayed which people are sent to, to download The Castle MP3 hypnosis track.

I contacted the supplier of the blog service, and after half an hour, was told that there was a problem, and they had been corrected now.

So Subscribe NOW if you wish on the left-hand sidebar, it now works, please let me know if it does not work for you.

That meant I left the office at 8:30pm, twelve hours after arriving, and with half-an-hours lunch break, the rest of the time being spent training people, presenting, teaching and using my NLP skills to solve participants problems of frustration, lack of confidence and other issues.

Please do not take me wrong, I love my work, I would not do so many hours, put so much effort into my trainings, if that was not so. I get a buzz from seeing people learning, overcoming hurdles, removing barriers, gaining confidence, achieving what they wanted in life, learning a language, and so quickly. I love my work.

But where is my time? I have so much I want to do, learn, accomplish. I plan my day, I use time-management, but still I have not enough time in the day to satisfy my wishes and requirements, as well as the wishes and requirements of friends, colleagues, participants and customers.

I get frustrated.

That frustration brings my state down, you begin to doubt your ability, confidence drains away, you blame other people. Why was there a problem with the SUBSCRIBE button? Why are people late, eating into the lunch break? Why do people want things now?

When you get frustrated, it is a state, as happiness, sadness, joy are too. We create these states ourselves, in our mind.

Just think of a happy time, perhaps a great holiday by the beach, relaxing, with the blue sky, seagulls swooping down into the sea, the waves gently washing the sand as the waves gently break in the shallow water. (click to see video of Sri Lanka or click to see video of the seashore at Rixos Premium Belek).

What happens to you as you picture and experience thoughts in your mind? Do you get a good feeling inside, does your state change? Yes.

Notice your sitting position now. Notice how you feel.

Now, push your bottom into the back of the chair, sit upright, shoulders back. Notice how you feel. Different?

Perhaps we are too quick to blame others for our own state of frustration. “Why did they not do this?” “Why did they not do that?” “Why are they late?”

I should have checked the SUBSCRIBE button myself, like I should have checked the frustration I felt at the time, so to change and correct the situation, change your state to a good happy successful state, and not presuppose it is others problems or fault.

Eating Out NLP Travels

Airline Food

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 18/05/2007

From previous entries you may have seen the offering of food on aircraft as we jet across the blue sky, looking down at the white cloud tops, the rivers meandering down to the sea, the towns and cities, and the roads and railroads linking them.

I wonder how many people realise I am up here?

Aircraft food is pretty standard really in the quality, it differs in the content.

Turkish Airlines offer reasonable food for a three and a half hour flight. It is usually hot, and you do get a choice of two main meals, mostly chicken or pasta.

My last flight offered the usual, and in the cramped seating I was able to stave off my hunger.

cat on the mat or cat in the tree, and getting it wrong?

I do it a lot.

Coaching NLP

WHAT, WHY, WHERE, WHO, WHEN, HOW

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 17/05/2007

When we have a task, something we wish to achieve, there are two models we can apply that can help us. They are the SMART. Model and the GROW Model. We can also apply the WHAT, WHY, WHERE, WHO, WHEN and HOW model.

By applying or asking the questions WHAT? WHY? WHERE? WHO? WHEN? HOW? we can cover all aspects, all requirements, to know what resources we need to achieve your goal or outcome.

WHAT?

What are you going to do? What are you going to make? What are you going to purchase?

This is the task, the goal or the outcome you wish to achieve.

Be positive in defining the WHAT? Be bold, strong. It is not good enough to say “I want to be rich.” You must say by how much, make it as if you were describing the richest person in the world.

Ask, “WHAT am I going to do?”

WHY?

Why are you going to do this task, attain the goal the outcome? Again be decisive, Do not say “So I can save the world.” Chunk down, give specific information as to the reasons you will be doing this task.

Ask, “WHY is this important for me to do it?”

WHERE?

Where are you going to do, perform, carry-out this task? If you are going to teach Scuba Diving, is it feasible to do this in the middle of the Sahara desert, where there is no water.

Ask, “WHERE am I going to do this?”

WHO?

Who is going to perform, do, carry-out the task? Is it just you? Do you need other people? What sort of people? How many? Who else needs to be involved?

Ask,”WHO is going to do what?”

WHEN?

When is this task to be carried out? Remember the SMART Model, it has to be timely.

Ask, “WHEN do I want this to be completed?”

HOW?

How are you going to carry-out the task? What steps do you need to put in-place? What resources do you need to accomplish the task?

Ask, “HOW am I going to do this?”

By applying the WHAT, WHY, WHERE, WHO, WHEN, HOW principle, you will find the “building blocks”, the steps, the resources you need to succeed.

Coaching NLP

GROW – The GROW Model in Coaching

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 17/05/2007

Another model for coaching people as well as the S.M.A.R.T Model (click to read) is the GROW Model.

The acronym stands for :-

         G      Goal
         R      Reality
         O     Options
         W     Will

GOAL

As with the SMART Model the goal or outcome to be achieved must be specific. It should be measurable, you should know when you will have had done the task, and it should be timely, you should set deadlines, a time frame.

REALITY

You need to understand where you are starting from, to fully understand the situation you are at, at this moment, rather than what was thought or imagined, to understand the concept of the Map is not the Territory (Click to read).

OPTIONS

Now you know the situation you are in now and the goals or outcomes you wish to achieve, you need to look at how you are going to get there, what can you do, what strategies you have available to you. These options must be SMART.

WILL

You must have the will to achieve the goal or outcome. You must have motivation. As you work through the GROW model, keep in mind the following as well :-

WHO is going to do this, and will be responsible?
WHAT is to be achieved?
WHY are you doing this?
WHEN do you want to do this and to be completed?
HOW are you going to do this?

Coaching NLP

S.M.A.R.T. – The SMART Model

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 16/05/2007

When you have a plan, set a goal or outcome, if you have the correct intensions, objectives in place, you will have a greater chance of achieving what you want. Be SMART.

An model, the S.M.A.R.T. Model, can be used to help you become aware of if you have all the steps or objectives in place to meet your outcomes or goals. The acronym stands for :-

   S      Specific
   M      Measurable
   A      Achievable, Attainable
   R      Realistic
   T      Timely, Time-bound

SPECIFIC

What you wish to achieve, should be concrete, you should define and detail the outcome or goal, to know what you want.

Consider the following questions to being specific :-

WHO is going to do this, and will be responsible?
WHAT is to be achieved?
WHERE will this take place?
WHY are you doing this?
WHEN do you want to do this and to be completed?
HOW are you going to do this?

MEASURABLE

Can you see or measure the progress you are achieving and when you have completed the task?

If you plan to read three books in a week to research a subject, how will you know as each day passes that you have read so many pages, chapters, or a book? How will you know you have read the three books at the end of the week?

ACHIEVABLE

Another word could be attainable, is the goal or outcome within your reach?

Have you got the right resources available to you, have you enough knowledge? Is the time-frame correct, have you given yourself enough time, or is the time too long that you loose motivation and have no commitment?

REALISTIC

Can the outcome be achieved? Is it physically possible to do this? Have you all the resources available to you, finance, materials, do they exist? At this time it is not realistic to build a house on the Moon.

TIMELY

Another word can be time-bound. Have you set a timetable or deadline to achieve the outcome or goal?

Is the time the correct time to do the task? Skiing in the Scotish mountains in the summer months is not feasable as there will be no snow.

Do you wish to loose 20lbs in weight? To do it in one week is not timely, you have not allowed enough time.

Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Be S.M.A.R.T. use the SMART Model on all you do, and be aware of it when working with others, setting tasks for your employees, your students, your coaching clients.

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Coaching Course ends

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 16/05/2007

Today is a day of rest.

I have worked for five days on a coaching course and at the same time, ran three session a day with participants learning English. I am quite tired as it has been a difficult time, for once the facilities have not been up to the standard I have been used to over the years, I have needed Mustapha here with me in Turkey.

Today I will do nothing, except write the blog, go for a walk to get food, and prepare for the next round of courses starting tomorrow with Memory Skills, following on with an NLP Practitioner course, then a Mind Map course. Nine days without a break.

I enjoyed the participants over the five days, they inspired me, as they wanted to learn despite background problems. It is when you get students eager to learn that you move up a gear, and proceed with enthusiasm.

Durring the course we looked at many aspects of coaching, especially saying nothing with style. Graham Alexander the World’s number one Executive Coach, once told me the art of a good coach is to say nothing with style. The exercises to learn this technique were fun, and the participants soon got the hang of it.

We looked at the S.M.A.R.T. Model. (click to read) and the levels of beliefs (to follow).

As normal the course ended with sadness that all good things come to an end, we had become a team a group of motivated people, but the participants left with a knowledge that they had learnt a lot, and to know that they were on their way to achieve what they wanted from the course.

Me? I missed the ferry, missed the last train of Tunel, and entered an empty flat again. But joy, I found an internet signal, I can watch British TV on Slingbox via my computer in peace, eating one of my favourite wrap meals from La cantine, near Taxim Tunel, before having a good nights sleep.

The Smart Model

English Courses NLP

First day of Courses in Istanbul

Post author By nlpnowcom
Post date 12/05/2007

Today I start a course for Coaching in Kadikoy in conjunction with NLPGrup, in a district of Istanbul on the Eastern side of the Bosphorus.

We travel on a beautiful sunny day by car across the bridge, thankfully on Saturday there is not much traffic, but there is enough time to look down onto the waters of the Bosphorus, with the ferries criss crossing from one side to the other. Large ocean going vessels slowly sale up and down from the Black Sea towards the Marmara Sea.

On arrival, I find I have another class to incorporate into my day, the English NLP course. Thank goodness for Mustapha, I need the strength, but good fun.

Oh dear, on arrival we cannot get into the school building, someone has forgotten the key to get in. Great I can get breakfast.