NLP is an abbreviation for Neuro-Linguistic Programming .

Neuro: The definition of the human nervous system

Linguistic: Verbal as well as non-verbal communication

Programming: The ability to alter the meaning of the context to achieve the desired outcome.

Therefore, NLP could be described as: the alteration of any stimulus of the human mind by using verbal and non-verbal communication to achieve a desired outcome.

NLP was first developed in the early 70′s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, through studying the thinking and behavioural skills of successful  therapeutic experts such as Virginia Satir (mother of Family Therapy), Fritz Perls (founder of Gestalt Therapy ) and Milton H. Erickson (Father of modern Hypnotherapy).

“It’s an attitude that has to do with curiosity, with wanting to know about things, wanting to be able to influence things, and wanting to be able to influence them in a way that’s worthwhile.”  –  Richard Bandler

“Nlp is an explicit and powerful model of human experience and conditioning. Using the principles of NLP it is possible to describe any human activity in a detailed way that allows you to make many deep and lasting changes, quickly and easily.”  –  Steve Andreas

The main concept of NLP is referred to as “Modelling”. Bandler and Grinder believed that when the techniques, patterns and methods used by experts are copied in detail, then the same results can be achieved of that of the experts.  It was with this idea that NLP first began to take form in the 70’s and techniques such as anchoring, re-framing, sensory acuity, calibration & representational systems (to name but a few) came into being through different communication and language patterns.  These language patterns became known as the “Meta Model”.

From the Meta Model stemmed “Pre-Suppositions” or mental states that Practitioners of NLP are expected to have. A few pre-suppositions include:

• There is no such thing as “failure”, only feedback
• The meaning of any communication is the response you receive, irrespective of intention
• The element in with the most flexibility will maintain the greatest  influence
• People are not broken, they work perfectly well
• People have all the resources within them to achieve their individual goals
• If someone can achieve greatness, then it remains a human possibility
• People are more than what they do
• Energy flows where attention goes
• If you get serious, you get stupid

These are but a few pre-suppositions within NLP. The main idea behind pre-suppositions is to have a mind-set that is outside of prejudice.  To take any new challenge on as something exciting and to look forward to the personal growth that is achievable through overcoming that challenge.

Today NLP is used across the globe by millions of people in many different walks of life, from management to sales and marketing, education and therapy to military and government.  NLP is often referred to as “the best methods of self-development and personal change known to man”.
NLP has in the past and continues to change the lives of millions of people worldwide in a positive manner.