The User's Manual for the Brain Volume I

by Bob G Bodenhamer

  Beliefs act as major neurological filters that determine how we perceive external reality. Our beliefs about what we value as important or not important powerfully shape our perceptions.

  Beliefs act as major neurological filters that determine how we perceive external reality. Our beliefs about what we value as important or not important powerfully shape our perceptions, as do other unconscious neurological filters (the Meta-programs of introversion/extroversion, motivated by wants oravoidances, gestalt versus detail thinking, etc. See Hall & Bodenhamer, 1997c).

  If you use a computer, whether you know it or not, your computer has some kind of operating system by which it runs. We have written this text on IBM compatible computers that utilize the Windows operating system. In a similar way, NLP also has an Operating System by which it runs—these “NLP Presuppositions.” They enable the system of processes, technologies, insights and skills to function.

  Mental Processing Presuppositions:

  1. “The ‘map’ is not the ‘territory’” (“the menu is not the meal”).

  2. People respond according to their internal maps.

  3. Meaning operates context-dependently.

  4. Mind-and-body inevitably and inescapably affect each other.

  5. Individual skills function by developing and sequencing of rep systems.

  6. We respect each person’s model of the world.

  Presuppositions about Human Behavior/Responses:

  7. Person and behavior describe different phenomena. We “are” more than our behavior.

  8. Every behavior has utility and usefulness—in some context.

  9. We evaluate behavior & change in terms of context and ecology.

  Communicative Presuppositions:

  10. We cannot not communicate.

  11. The way we communicate affects perception & reception.

  12. The meaning of communication lies in the response you get.

  13. The one who sets the frame for the communication controls the action.

  14. “There is no failure, only feedback.”

  15. The person with the most flexibility exercises the most influence in the system.

  16. Resistance indicates the lack of rapport.

  Learning—Choice—Change Presuppositions:

  17. People have the internal resources they need to succeed.

  18. Humans have the ability to experience one-trial learning.

  19. All communication should increase choice.

  20. People make the best choices open to them when they act.

  21. As response-able persons, we can run our own brain and control our results.

  Figure 4:1 The NLP Communication Model

  5.5 The Operating System Of Presuppositions

  5.6 Mental Processing Presuppositions

  5.6.0.9 1. “The ‘map’ is not the ‘territory’” or “The menu is not the meal”

  Just as a “map” does not actually consist of the “territory” it represents, the words we use do not comprise the event or item they represent. Territory exists as the reality—out there, beyond our skins, made up of billions of stimuli per second—an ever-changing world of dancing electrons, ultimately energy. “Map” describes what exists in our bodies (neurological reception of those energy manifestations) and what exists in our heads (“mental,” conceptual understandings about the territory). So we have two levels of phenomena here—external reality and internal, subjective reality.

  What goes on inside our head concerning an event does not comprise the event, it only comprises our perception of that event.

  What goes on inside our head concerning an event does not comprise the event, it only comprises our perception of that event. This understanding critically impacts everything about us! Why? Because when we experience an external event, we try to make sense of it. In our attempt to make sense of that event, we construct internal representations (IR) in our minds of it. These internal representations include information received through all of our senses. In other words, our IR have the VAKOG components as their constituent makeup, plus language.

  Based upon this General Semantic foundational fact, NLP makes wonderful use of the fact that internal representations do not exist at the same logical level as the event itself. This distinction explains why we can only relate to the world out there via our neuro-linguistic processing. God gave us numerous portals (senses, sense receptors) to the world—and yet we exist “apart” from it while still within it.

  The next conclusion this leads to involves the neurological impossibility—we can never represent an external event exactly as it exists out there. Consider: I see an apple. I make an internal picture of it. The rods and cones of my eyes give me the internal sense of “color.” My other senses enrich this picture. But regardless of how rich, varied, or complete, my picture of it functions only as a “map” of it. If you look at the same apple, you will not entertain exactly the same picture—because your nervous system, neural pathways, etc., do not work exactly and precisely the same way as mine. Two individuals see an accident from a very similar position (never the “same”) but when they report it, differences between their reports arise. Why? Because of the differences in their perception arising from differences in their individual neuro-linguistic processing and internal representations.

  The basis of the difference? Each represented the accident using slightly different nervous systems and minds! “The ‘map’ is not the ‘territory’.” Or, in other words, “The menu is not the meal.” We do not operate directly on the world, but on our individual perceptions of the world. Regardless of the external event, as subjects, we each construct our own internal subjective reality of it and that internal construct determines us—our thoughts, emotions, response.

  We can never represent an external event exactly as it “exists out there.” Therefore, “The menu is not the meal.”

  5.6.0.10 2. People respond according to their “maps”

  We do not operate directly on the world, but on our individual perceptions of the world.

  With the map/territory distinction, our “map”, as our perception of the territory, determines or controls both our perceptions and our responses. We respond to the world, not as the world exists—but according to our “map” of it. This underscores the ultimate importance of addressing our human “maps” of the world.

  These neuro-linguistic “maps” consist of our beliefs, values, attitudes, language, memories, and other psychological filters. Within our consciousness, we experience these internal “maps” as simply our “thoughts” through our rep system (see Figure 4:1). Yet “as we so think—so we are.” In this way our internal representational “maps” interact with our physiology to produce our states. Then our state drives our behavior. This means that our perception operates as our projection. It determines our actions.

  David Seamands (1988) in Healing for Damaged Emotions told about the work of the famous plastic surgeon, Maxwell Maltz. Dr. Maltz began to notice that many patients experienced the same personality problems after surgery as before. Even though his surgery dramatically improved their appearance, they still saw themselves as ugly (p. 58-59).

  How could someone have obvious physiological changes made to their face through plastic surgery and yet act as if blind to the change? Everyone else noted the improvements in their appearance. But the individual insisted that they could see no changes. You know the answer. Though externally their faces had changed, their internal “maps” had not.

  We respond according to our internal “map” of the world. So does everybody else. Everybody uses their model to guide their perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and actions. This includes your spouse, children, friends, parents, authority figures, etc. Before we can expect someone to change their thinking, emoting, responding, etc., their internal “map” must change. To assist someone in changing that, we must develop enough flexibility in communicating that we can assist them in shifting their internal “map.”

  Before we can expe
ct someone to change their thinking, emoting, responding, etc., their internal “map” must change.

  5.6.0.11 3. Meaning operates context-dependently

  All words require some context for meaning.

  This presupposition relates to the first one. It states that all words require some context for meaning. In themselves, words contain no meaning. A statement or an act in one context may mean something entirely different in another context. When I tell my father, “I love you!” that meaning differs from telling my wife, “I love you.” The context of the statement determines or frames the meaning of the statement.

  O’Connor and Seymour (1990), write,

  “Events happen, but until we give them meaning, relate them to the rest of life, and evaluate the possible consequences, they are not important. We learn what things mean from our culture and individual upbringing.” (p. 131)

  To paraphrase the Jewish proverb, “As a person appraises (constructs meaning, calculates, reckons) in his soul, so he is.”

  “There is no content in content worth knowing.”

  Tad James

  Since meaning operates in a context-dependent way, context (frame) primarily controls meaning—the context we accept as given or the Tad James frame that we attribute. stated, “There is no content in content worth knowing.” This emphasizes this fundamental NLP principle—namely, internal experience, and change of that experience, occurs through how we have used our mental processes to code or recode the content. So, change the structure of internal images, etc., and you change the experience.

  This contextual process, or structural point of view, identifies the heart of NLP. When we remain “in content” we live in the “map.” Only when we move from content to process do we rise above a map and understand its structure of the territory.

  When a client says, “I am depressed,” we don’t ask, “What causes your depression?” His answers to that will not heal anything! Finding external cause doesn’t heal the internal pain—it only provides reasons that support that pain! Not wise. An internal problem exists as it does because of its structure. So ask, “How do you do that?”

  This how question enables us to move from the content level of the depression to the process level. Expect confusion. The client will usually respond, “What do you mean? ‘How’ do I do that?” Help the person shift, “Sure. You experience this tremendous skill called ‘depression,’ don’t you?” “Well, yes.” “So how do you get yourself into such a state? If I took your place for a day, what would I have to do to think and feel as you do?” “What do you do inside your mind-body to create the depression?” In this way, we search for the process (the neuro-linguistic process) within the client that enables them to code and then experience depression. Once we discover the structure, we lead the client to change the structure. And that changes the experience.

  The how question enables us to move from the

  content level of the problem to the process level.

  5.6.0.12 4. Mind-and-body inevitably & inescapably affect each other

  Though we talk about “mind” and “body” as if they operate independently of each other—they do not. They can not operate so. In General Semantics we describe this kind of separating of inseparable phenomenon as a “false-to-fact” “elementalism.” Korzybski (1941/1994) argued strenuously that elementalism arises from primitive minds and language forms and works to our detriment. When we put hyphens between terms we can create a more holistic and systemic understanding.

  Today, many in the medical community have also come to understand just how much mind-body function as one. After all, the “mind” occurs within the body (the nervous system) and when we inject psycho-dynamic drugs into it the “mind” becomes greatly affected! Likewise, when we inject thoughts, either pleasant or unpleasant, into the “mind”, the body becomes affected. The mind-body functions as a cybernetic whole.

  The mind-body functions as a cybernetic whole. The mind-body interaction further explains what we call the “placebo effect.”

  The mind-body interaction further explains what we call the “placebo effect.” For years doctors have experimented with inert “sugar pills” (placebos) up against active medicine to see if the effect of a drug occurs because of the chemical effect within the drug or because the person believes that they have received “medicine.” Since we test almost all drugs up against placebos, we have an immense literature of comparison. And to the chagrin of some doctors, many experiments have shown not only a significant reduction in symptoms by placebos, but many have shown as good results, and sometimes placebos will out-perform the active drug! Studies have indicated repeatedly that one’s belief about a particular medication tremendously affects the effectiveness of the medication.

  More recently, Frank (1973) and Kirsch (1990) along with other studies have looked at “the placebo effect” in therapy. Here “the placebo” does not consist of inert pills, but in universals such as (listening, sympathy, giving of hope, encouragement, faith in a client, belief in the therapist or in the intervention, etc.).

  Where do you feel your emotional pain in your body? In what body organ do you now feel your emotions? That place could very well become your next locus of illness. Today we trace many physical illnesses to emotional stress: ulcers, ulcerated colitis, migraine headaches, arthritis, asthma, allergies and even cancer. In therapy we see people who come in with stomach problems, high blood pressure, headaches and skin lesions and leave without such physiological problems once they experience healing in their mind-emotions.

  Modern medical research today about the mind-body connection relates that we have roughly one hundred billion individual nerve cells within our bodies. Most of these nerve cells occur in the brain. Each of our one hundred billion neurons connect to at least one thousand others. Yet these connections between nerve cells do not occur in a direct and mechanical way like we attach electrical wires.

  5.7 Neurophysicist Paul A. Goodwin (1988) explains:

  “…they connect neurochemically, through a device known as a synapse— actually just a very small gap between adjacent neurons, the gap being architecturally supported by other cells, known as glial cells. Within these synaptic connections, different neurochemicals are used to communicate, transmit an electrical nerve impulse from one neuron to another. So far, about sixty different neurochemical transmitters have been identified that serve the purpose of communication between neurons.” (p. 24)

  The nerve cell synapse has receptor molecules that either permit or do not permit the neurotransmitters to enter the nerve cell and communicate information. Goodwin used the analogy of a lock and a key. The receptor molecules function like keyholes that permit or do not permit the neurotransmitter entrance. The pain-killing drug acetaminophen (Tylenol) and other similar drugs work due to this process. Acetaminophen serves to plug up certain receptor molecules (keyholes). This “plugging” prohibits the entrance of the neurotransmitter into the nerve cell. Thus, the nerve cell will fire less than it normally would. As a result of a decrease in the firing of the nerve cell, one feels less pain.

  Neurotransmitters occur primarily in the brain, though we find them throughout the body. Goodwin (1988) made a profound deduction that applies to the mind-body connection:

  “Can it be that the body can be cured of an illness through the medium of the brain just by one’s belief that it can be done? The answer to this question seems to be a qualified ‘Yes’ …”

  Paul Goodwin

  “Exploring the implications of this point further, we find that transmitter molecules normally associated with the brain are also produced by various parts of the body. For example, the adrenal gland produces dopamine-like hormones that can be utilized by the brain. This finding recently led to a potentially effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Other normally brain-related transmitter-receptor molecular complexes have been found to make up the walls of certain cells in the immune system. These findings all tend to establish a strong chemical communication
relationship between the body, the brain and, indeed the mind. Since the immune system is involved, can it be that the body can be cured of an illness through the medium of the brain just by one’s belief that it can be done? The answer to this question seems to be a qualified “Yes,” as is indicated by many documented instances of spiritual healing as well as by clinical evidence regarding the placebo effect.” (p. 33)

  5.7.0.13 5. Individual skills function by developing & sequencing rep systems

  The rep system has two key components in the NLP model: submodalities and strategies.

  How we use our rep systems (VAK) in thinking-emoting and behaving generates our skills. Our mind not only takes in information through the senses, but also processes and stores information. It then uses these pieces of sights, sounds, sensations, smells, etc., to build up skills. In NLP we call strategies the sequencing of these pieces of sights, sounds, sensations, etc., which make it possible for us to take action. Knowing how we receive, store, process and elicit information plays a crucial role for rapport building and assisting someone to renew their mind. The rep system has two key components in the NLP model: submodalities and strategies. We have already looked at an introduction to submodalities. Now let’s look at an introduction to the NLP strategy model: