Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is a communication and interpersonal skills training model developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Popularized by their 1975 book, “The Structure of Magic,” NLP has become fairly well known around the world.
In a nutshell, NLP suggests that changing unhelpful thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and communication patterns can:
- help shift your worldview for the better
- improve your relationships
- make it possible to influence others
- help you achieve goals
- boost self-awareness
- improve physical and mental well-being
- Practitioners also say NLP can help address mental health conditions like anxiety and depression as well as physical symptoms like pain, allergies, and vision problems.
A single approach that offers such a wide range of benefits might sound pretty great, and NLP has received plenty of positive attention and acclaim.
But the approach has also received plenty of scrutiny and criticism from experienced mental health professionals because almost no evidence supports any of its purported benefits.
Interested in learning more? Below, we’ll unpack NLP theory and principles, explain key techniques and how they’re used, and explore what research says about its suggested benefits
The basics
The creators break down the name as follows:
Neuro– refers to the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of your neurology.
linguistic – refers to the language and communication patterns you use with yourself and others.
Programming – refers to the impact your emotions, thoughts, and life experiences have on your present life.
According to NLP theory, the approach can help you improve communication with your unconscious mind and modify your mental “programs,” or the models guiding your interactions.
Clearly expressing conscious needs and desires to your unconscious mind makes it possible for your mind to “get” those things for you.
Learning the language of your own mind, then, can help you break unwanted habits, control unwanted emotions, and achieve goals.
The preferred representational system (PRS)
Where do you start learning the language of your own mind?
Well, you might begin by exploring your preferred representational system (PRS), or your preferred mode of sensory input.
According to NLP’s creators, everyone has a personal map, or view, of the world that guides their choices and behavior. You create this “map” with the sensory input you receive as you go about your life:
- visual (things you see)
- auditory (things you hear)
- kinaesthetic (things you feel or sense)
- olfactory (things you smell)
- gustatory (things you taste)
According to NLP theory, you’ll likely find yourself using one of these more often than the others. That’s your PRS. You can recognize the dominant PRS in two key ways.
The first is your language. A tendency to say:
- “This looks…” or “I see what…” would suggest a visual PRS.
- “I feel that…” would suggest a kinaesthetic PRS.
- “I hear you” or “I’m hearing that…” would suggest an auditory PRS.
Another way to identify your PRS relates to your eye movements:
- Visual involves upward movements to either side.
- Auditory involves horizontal movements to either side, or downward movements to the left.
- Kinaesthetic involves downward movement to the right.
NLP practitioners aim to identify your PRS to better understand your personal experiences and worldview. This insight can guide them toward the techniques best suited to your needs.
Of course, learning your own language isn’t the only aspect of NLP. Understanding how other people perceive the world through their own PRS can increase your awareness of their experiences and improve your communication.