What is NLP?
NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) is a constantly evolving set of models, presuppositions, patterns, techniques, and observation-based theories resulting from the study of the structure of subjective experience, behavior and communication. Beyond understanding, NLP seeks to enable remedial and generative change quickly and ecologically.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a highly effective methodology for modelling excellence and creating change. It is based on the principle that all behaviour has a structure and that this structure can be identified, learned and adapted to create specific outcomes. NLP is the study of these patterns and is designed to add flexibility, effectiveness and more and better choices to your life. NLP was initially developed by Dr.Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s and continues to be a growing and evolving field.
Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many well-informed answers to this question – though it must be said that some are better informed than others.
NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming is actually only one thing – a specific, non-analytical modelling technique.
The adult version was "discovered", I guess you could say, in the EARLY 1970s (1972-1973) by Richard Bandler and initially developed by him and Frank Pucelik.
The "junior" version is the technique used by all able-bodied infants when they are learning to walk and talk (and also by many less fortunate). That is to say, we watch, we listen, and without making judgements about what we are seeing and hearing, we try to duplcate those behaviours.
The rest of what most people refer to as "NLP" is actually more accurately termed the FoNLP (field of NLP). This includes the NLP modelling technique, all of the authentic NLP-related concepts and techniques, and all accurate training in NLP and/or any of the concepts and/or techniques.
Note: Although the terms "NLP" and "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" are in the public domain and can therefore be used by anyone, if someone is claiming to be using/teaching original BLP/NLP-related concepts and techniques then the claim is only genuine if they are accurately following the guidelines set down by Bandler, Grinder and Pucelik.
The process should be as non-analytical as possible so that, as far as possible, the result is a model of what the exemplar is ACTUALLY doing rather than imposing our own interpretation of what s/he is doing or what is of value in what he s/he is doing (this is determined in the follow-up process).
Thus the claim by one well-know "NLP trainer" that: "Anything that works is NLP" is pure BS.
My electric kettle worked very well just now, when I was making a cup of tea. But it knows diddly about NLP or the FoNLP.
[ Because I asked it – smart aleck! ;¬) ]
Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) is a model from cognitive and behavioral psychology which was created in 1975 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, who began modeling and duplicating the “magical results” of a few top communicators and therapists. Among the first successful communicators to be studied included hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, gestalt therapist Fritz Perls, family therapist Virginia Satir, and anthropologist Gregory Bateson. NLP explores the relationship between how we think (neuro), how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programs). It is both an epistemology, in that it studies how we know what we know and a methodology for creating practical descriptions of how we function as human beings. The purpose of NLP is to study, describe and transfer models of human excellence. (Modelling).
