NLP Today E-zine
January 2006
Something to think about from Dr. Wil Horton
Intro to NLP Today E-Zine
NLP Today E-Zine is a monthly series of articles that will bring you the best information in the world of NLP and Hypnosis. We will bring you articles that have been proven in the real world. Heavy with techniques and information you can use in your daily life, whether it's as a therapist with clients, business or sales, or just for self-development. We will get you the information you want and can't get. We focus on proven applications, not theory. Our trainers all "do the work." This is the difference that makes the difference. We cut the fluff and bring the main course. Mental Food you can use. NFNLP is the leader in this type of technology.
This is a service of the National Federation of NeuroLinguistic Psychology and Dr. Wil Horton. We want people to achieve their highest potential, and NLP is the #1 tool for this. If you feel you have been added to this list in error, check out an issue, and then let us know if you would like to be removed.
You can achieve your dreams.
Captain’s Log:
I recently went to a seminar on Developmental Disorders, it was a great workshop. I picked up a few interesting facts I would like to pass on.
At the time of birth, the pupils of a mothers eyes dilate 5x normal, the babies also dilate 3x. There is a theory that this is to open up the neural pathways and even to let light energy pass into the brain of both the mother and child to connect them. It also starts the dopamine stimulation that starts the development of the right hemisphere of the childs brain. This bio-chemistry is needed for development to start and continue. It also starts the child to focus on the eyes; a child learns to read people at a much younger age than once thought possible. In fact a baby that does not make eye contact is much more likely to show developmental problems in childhood. ADD, ADHD, Ausperger’s disorder, Rhet’s disorder, and bi-polar disorder are the ones we hear about the most.
The first year of life the right hemisphere of the brain develops at is highest rate. The cues that stimulate this growth (by dopamine stimulation) is the baby seeing smiling, laughing, and even sadness. Eye contact is paramount. The right hemisphere is where the social interaction and empathy develop, as well as all around emotional growth. (There is some research that points out that sociopath brains are right prefrontal cortex deficient.) The right Prefrontal Cortex acts as the CEO of the person’s behaviors.
It is broken down into 3 areas:
These areas of the brain must develop in the first year, and continue to develop for an emotional healthy person to emerge.
Can hypnosis and NLP help these areas? Have you ever had a client who had no empathy for others and showed little or no feeling for the feelings of others? On the flip side, have you ever had a client who was overly committed to the welfare of others (to their own detriment)? These could be due to the actual brain development.
I have a couple of working theories:
1. What if we take the type client with a developmental disorder back into their past and re-parent them at the moment of child birth, and imprint the memory of a healthy interaction? You then walk them through their brain developing at a normal rate and function. You have the person actually visualize the brain growing and developing. (Focused attention can stimulate blood flow and growth.) Before you laugh it off, see the story under Theory into Practice, Mind over Matter. We are learning more about the power of the brain every day. We also know a brain is capable of growth at any time of life.
2. Could there be any link to weight control as some people with weight issues cannot inhibit their actions when it comes to eating? Could we do the same thing, but stimulate the inhibition of eating? What about expanding their ability to see the future with the current behavior?
This is just something to think about.
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On another note, if anyone would like to take a Certified NLP Basic Practitioner Course in the near future, I will be in Canada April 21 to 24 teaching at the Ontario Hypnosis Centre in Toronto. We have a lot of fun.
I would like to introduce a new product from NFNLP: a 4 DVD Weight Loss Program. I filmed an in-house training that goes over the protocol I use at SunCoast Hypnosis. It starts with the phone consultation and goes through the first 4 sessions. If you have the Weight Management Specialist DVD or Tape, we will take that price off this new updated program. We will offer this at an introductory price of $129 (The regular price is $249.) until February 15. This would be a great Valentine’s Day gift to yourself or someone you love.
Remember to mark your calendars and make your travel reservations! The Essential Skills workshop is coming up. Join Scott McFall and myself in Fort Myers, FL, February 24-27. We are offering this as a way to give back to those who have supported NFNLP, and for those who have taken the home study course and would like to get some hands-on training. We know you will leave the seminar comfortable with your NLP skills and you will have increased you skill set. We will limit the numbers as we are doing it at the SunCoast Hypnosis office in Ft. Myers. This is a great opportunity since Scott McFall will coach you on your practice building skills.
New NLP Forum/Newsgroup!
Finally Ready! Here is the sign up info:
Click on: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Art-Of-NLP
Users who don't have a Yahoo ID can sign up for one for free, and the forum posts can then be sent to a free email account for that Yahoo ID, or forwarded to their own pre-existing email account, or viewed on the yahoo website. This site will be moderated by NLP and Hypnosis trainer Charlie Curtis. His fair and caring attitude is known to all who have trained with him or interacted with him on the hypnosis user group sites. He plans on a true open place to share and grow our field. We are proud to be helping with this.
It is in the alternative health section and is open to all of the other applications of NLP as well, such as sports and business communications. Please get involved it will be a great forum to exchange ideas and feedback.
Steve Andreas’s has a new book!
Nationally-recognized NLP Expert and Trainer Steve Andreas will soon release his new, book: Six Blind Elephants: understanding ourselves and others, forthcoming March 2006, from Real People Press., He truly is on the cutting edge. For more information about Steve’s work, go to http://www.SteveAndreas.com
Mind Over Matter Becoming A Reality
Jan. 4 - New research shows the power of thinking could be enough to control a computer device. It's a discovery that could someday give amputees and those who are paralyzed power over their lives.
He's winning this round of pong, but what's really amazing is how Aaron is playing the game.
Aaron Danforth, epilepsy patient: "I have to think of the word 'move' to get it to move to the right." That's right. No hands. Aaron's brain controls the cursor. The computer can detect what he's thinking by the intensity and pattern of his brain activity.
Kai Miller, researcher: "It's a junction of computer science and medicine and sort-of human interaction."
Jeffrey Ojemann, M.D., neurosurgeon: "It's remarkable to watch almost as if there's a degree of mind control or something that you only see in science fiction movies."
Dr. Jeffrey Ojemann says this technology could lead to new devices for amputees and people who are paralyzed.
Dr. Ojemann, M.D.: "If somebody has lost control of their arms and legs and can't move them, they might still be able to imagine moving them, and if they still have that same electrical signal, we can turn that into a control of a computer or ultimately a robotic device."
To study the technology, scientists rely on patients with severe epilepsy who are under close watch -- like Aaron. He has electrodes implanted on the surface of his brain, so doctors can monitor his seizures. It's the same wiring the scientists needed to conduct this study and Aaron was happy to take part.
Aaron Danforth: "It's definitely interesting... weird seeing them being able to move just by me thinking of words."
As scientists study how the brain works during thought processing, they hope this video game is just the beginning of the power of mind over matter. Scientists hope to enroll 50 patients in their study over the next five years. They say the study has far-reaching possibilities for many neurological diseases.
To learn more of this research, visit http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=edell&id=3782726
From The Road:
As you all know who have trained with me, I am a big fan of movies. They are the literature of our times. They can do more transformation than most therapies…(This is from the guy who saw the last Star Wars at midnight the opening day, and 2 other times that weekend.) Here is a brief article about this from Beryl Comar of the UAE:
The Power of a Great Story: Why Movies and Music Move and Motivate Us
Are you off to see Harry Potter this week? Films and music have the power to motivate and move us in a very powerful way. A great script brought to life by wonderful actors can touch us in very profound ways. We gladly hand over our money to be entertained but why do some films affect us in such a strong way?
I believe the impact of great film or piece of music happens because we get to engage all of our senses. We are mesmerized because we see it, hear it, feel it and involve our active imagination as well. It can spark memories or “hit” us in a place that triggers real emotion. For film or theater none of this happens until we make an unspoken agreement. The agreement we, as the audience make is to suspend our beliefs for 2 hours. The suspension of belief allows us to be completely immersed in a story even if what we're watching can't happen in “real life”.
People loved Indiana Jones, Star Wars or the “Back To The Future” films because we made the unspoken agreement to suspend our belief for 2 hours and let the stories move us. Even though most of the “events” in the films did not reflect “real life” they provided important messages and entertained us at the same time.
This got me wondering. What if we suspended our beliefs in our daily lives? We agree to do it when we walk into the movie theater (and pay for it!) so why not when we step into our lives? Here are 3 benefits of suspending your belief every day:
1) Increase in "Present Time" Focus-- When focused “in the moment” we reduce our preconceived notions about people and situations and therefore are less “cluttered” in our minds. Being “in the moment” is like being in the “zone” athletes refer to so much. When we are there we are more focused, relaxed and energized.
2) Improved Listening Skills-- When we are focused in the present we are able to communicate more effectively. Without the distraction of negative or limiting thoughts we are able to listen with greater clarity and be more attentive to the person we are speaking to.
3) Stronger Commitment-- Think back to one of your favorite films and you might find that you enjoyed it because you were fully engaged and committed to the story. We love certain films because they spark something within us whether it's a sense of adventure, romance, uplifting the human spirit or any other human condition we relate to. Next time you perform a task or just communicate with another person be fully engaged and notice if you feel more powerful and energized (and the impact on them as well).
Films can motivate and inspire us whether they are fiction or not and powerful messages never go out of style. They help us reconnect with a part of us that triggers us to think, feel and act differently even if for a short time. John Lennon has been gone for 25 years and yet the moving messages in his music can affect you today the same it did 25 years ago. It doesn't matter how old it is because anything that “hits” us at our core will always have the ability to move and motivate us.
Imagine.
Techniques and Tips:
Binoculars Technique
By Susan Jennifer Grace, C.Ht; MPNLP
www.gracehypnosis.com
“Recognition is simply the change from unawareness to awareness; from fuzzy to focused”
This technique can be used for the client who wants/needs clarity in one or more areas of their life. It is best used with visual people. Using binoculars (rather than a telescope) utilizes the metaphor for focusing and getting clarity through both eyes rather than just one. If needed, describe to the client exactly where the center focusing wheel and the adjustment ring are located on standard binoculars. I keep a pair of binoculars in my office for using this technique. A picture will do just as nicely.
Do any past tidying up by using Soul Retrieval or Re-parenting if necessary.
Ask client to think about an area of their life that they know needs to be changed, but the specific change or goal is vague and difficult for him/her to clarify at this point in time.
Establish client’s time line, referencing past, present and future.
Client should be standing for this technique.
(Spoken to client)
1. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. Think about a time in your past when you had true clarity in some area of your life. A time when you knew exactly how to make a positive change. A time when making decisions and choices was very easy for you. Bring to mind exactly what it felt like to be so clear about your future and your goals.
In your mind’s eye, see how you walked with confidence during that time. Experience again, the assertiveness that you felt during that time. Notice everything about that experience. Visualize it, Hear it, Feel it, Taste it, Smell it, BE it!
Set Anchor # 1
2. Clear state (open eyes)
3. Close eyes back down.
4. Now, with my assistance, move onto your timeline; stand on your present spot, and look along your timeline towards your future. Imagine (Think about) a vague image off in the distance. Perhaps the image seems far away from you, fuzzy, out of focus and unrecognizable.
5. Imagine now that you have just purchased a pair of binoculars. Take the new binoculars and put them to your eyes. Spread the barrels apart so that each lens fits comfortably against your eyes, and once again look out towards that distant image in your future. Notice that the image is still out of focus… fuzzy, far away and unrecognizable.
6. You are a smart and intelligent person, so you know that all new binoculars are set to a factory default vision, and that in order to see images CLEARLY and CLOSE-UP, you must calibrate the binoculars to fit your own eyesight. Each lens has to be carefully focused so that you can see CLEARLY and PERFECTLY through both lenses. You need to focus the binoculars to match your own vision.
7. So with both eyes open, and keeping the binoculars to your eyes, cover the end of the right barrel and turn the center focusing wheel …slowly and carefully bringing the left lens into focus…so that everything you see through the left lens becomes a bit clearer and clearer, closer and closer… Now cover the left barrel and turn the adjustment ring (the rubber ring at the end of the right barrel) clockwise to bring the right lens slowly into focus, so that everything you see through it gradually becomes even CLEARER…..even CLOSER. Clearer and closer. Clearer and closer..
8. (If the client chooses, they can go through the physical motions of adjusting the binoculars. Pause and allow client to bring the image clearly into his/her own focus).
9. (Get confirmation from client that he/she has completed step 7)
10. The binoculars are now perfectly calibrated, and in perfect sync. with your eyes. Everything you see through them now appears close and clear and focused. The image that was so distant and fuzzy before, has now formed into a clear goal, or a change that needs to be made. Perhaps you are now able to give the image a shape, a color, a sound or a name.
(Pause. Ask client if they now have clarity and can recognize the image as either a specific goal, or a change that needs to be made. If YES, ask which it is, a goal or a change.)
As you look at your goal/change through the perfectly focused binoculars, you are now able to easily RECOGNIZE it with great clarity. See your goal/change CLEARLY and EASILY, CLOSE-UP and perfectly in focus. Experience that wonderful feeling of clarity now as you look through the binoculars to view your goal CLOSE-UP, crystal clear and in perfect focus! (VAKO!)
Fire Anchor # 1
11. Now HOLD onto that CLEAR, CLOSE-UP image of your goal.
Fire Anchor # 1
12. And as you hold onto that close-up image of your goal/change, gradually remove the binoculars from your eyes and as you do that, realize that you no longer need the binoculars in order to recognize your goal/change clearly, easily in focus and close-up.
Fire Anchor # 1
Ask client (again) if they are now able to clearly identify a goal, or a change that needs to be made. If answer is YES, the Binoculars technique can be followed with the Logical Levels, New Behavior Generator or another NLP technique.
If the client is still unable to clarify or articulate a specific change, the binoculars technique can be used again with the client in hypnotic trance.