NLP Subjectivity Structure

Introduction

Neuro-linguistic Programming consists of three essential and vital components that form an experience. They are neurology, language and programming. Neuro-linguistic Programming therefore provides a description for the dynamics between the mind and the body and how the two interact as a system to generate our Neuro-linguistic model of the world.

Neurology describes the fundamental concept of formation of a state through the body, and how the states determine the consequent behavior. Linguistics tells us how we represent the external world within ourselves inside the mind-body using different symbolic systems such as sentences, words, gestures, metaphors, art, music and mathematics. Programming entails the various processes, formats, paradigms and technologies that we use to arrange our Neuro-linguistics in a comprehensible format.

The NLP Model

The Neuro-linguistic Programming model contains the various aspects of subjectivity. These aspects form the fundamental nature of our intellect within the model of Neuro-linguistics.

The Neuro-linguistic Programming model is a model of models. That means it was derived from several other working models as an experiment in modeling paradigms of human excellence. It was developed by the linguist John Grinder and the computer programmer Richard Bandler, by collating their own resources and assimilating therapeutic techniques from Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls for demonstrating communication skills. Using this original model, Bandler and Grinder created another explicit model in 1975, using the implicit models of Satir and Perls as Neuro-linguistic training on responses, language and behavior. This model was called a model about a model, namely Meta model of language in therapy, triggering further advances in Neuro-linguistic programming.

Both Bandler and Grinder had a similar mindset of breaking down huge chunks of complex information into sizable bits. They adopted this principle while developing the Neuro-linguistic courses. The Neuro-linguistic problems with complex behaviors and linguistic patterns are broken down into smaller portions. These pieces of subjectivity can then be found in sensory representational systems. The building blocks of subjectivity are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory sensory modes of awareness.

The basic elements of subjectivity are then analyzed in our day-to-day life. For example when we get up in the morning to go to work, what gives us the motivation and the therapeutic communication to get out of bed and stay in a positive resourceful mood. What gives us the positive attitude and drive even when we are facing an adversity? What is the order of the thinking happening in our mind? The cofounders developed a Neuro-linguistic model of the brain in the form of a bio-computer. Further, they realized that it is possible to program this Neuro-linguistic bio-computer with specific instructions to program its information processing system. The cofounder started to understand the internal structure of subjectivity and its sequence using the representational sensory systems. Upon understanding the sequence of the Neuro-linguistic processes, a high quality behavior could be obtained. This study resulted in the development of the strategy model, which can be learned through Neuro-linguistic courses.

Epistemology and Philosophy of NLP

Neuro-linguistic Programming is termed as a “constructivist epistemology” which has been derived from the ideas of Immanuel Kent, later on expanded into General Semantics or GS. Epistemology is the study of knowledge by identifying what is true knowledge. That means it tries to understand what it is that we know, how we came to know what we know, and how do we know that we know it. The Neuro-linguistic courses use a part of this epistemology that states that the map is not the territory. That means what we know about ourselves and experience inside us differs significantly from what exists on the outside. That means our internal map of human subjectivity differs considerably from the outside territory. Our knowledge and experience of a territory forms our internal map. This map is in someway related to the territory through representation, reflection or symbolization; however, the map cannot be said to be the same as territory. Therefore, the map and the territory are two distinct phenomena that exist at two different levels. The map is said to exist at the subjective level. The territory exists at the objective level of experience.

As per Neuro-linguistic courses, we operate on the map of the world. In 1980, the cofounders Bandler, Grinder along with Dilts and DeLozier, stated that we do not operate directly on the world. Instead, we use respond to the coded interpretations of the environment, such as the sights, sounds, smell, taste and feeling that we receive and experience through our sensory representation system. This forms the information within the internal universe, which is then received, organized and transmitted to the brain via the neural pathways. This central Neuro-linguistic bio-computer also takes in information about the internal states and then processes all this information using internal strategies.

According to Neuro-linguistic training, we build the internal model or map of the world using two basic things, a set of structural elements, and a syntax. The structural elements form the building blocks of the system, and the syntax is a set of directions and rules that must be followed while putting together the building blocks.

The Neuro-linguistic courses explore how the brain operates by creating the internal representations and generating our state of consciousness. The individual elements such as mind-body, language and culture form a complete and complex system, where no part can exist in isolation from the other parts. The concept of constructivism states that we constantly operate as per the internal reality that our minds perceive, and not the actual first-level reality or territory.