The User's Manual for the Brain Volume I

by Bob G Bodenhamer

  14.11.0.88 VI. In-time Self Anchor

  You may have need to go inside an experience yourself. An important person in history encouraged this. Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”17 Jesus says that loving ourselves provides a prerequisite to loving others. You can’t love your neighbor until you have a healthy love for yourself. Establishing an in-time anchor will assist you in loving yourself. You can also use this procedure with your favorite spiritual imagery to develop your prayer and meditational life. As with the uptime anchor, do this exercise alone.

  Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can sit or lie down alone for a while.

  Begin to allow your attention to turn inward. Do this until you are no longer aware of any surrounding noises, feelings or sights around you. You may wish to close your eyes. If you process mainly auditorily, earplugs may prove helpful. Begin to notice each of your internal rep systems and:

  a. Notice your internal feelings. Notice the difference between the feelings of the location of your internal organs. Notice what emotions you experience. Remember how things feel with your hands—smooth, rough, hot, cold. You may fantasize and make up things to feel.

  b. Notice how things look in your mind. Through your mind’s eye, look at details of things you have seen and places you have experienced. Notice the differences between things you have seen and things you have only imagined. Notice how you tell the difference, in your mind, between the things you have really seen and the things you only imagine.

  c. Notice and listen to any internal voices. Remember conversations and music. Make up more conversations. Make up sounds you have never heard.

  d. Imagine smells and tastes. Remember odors you have experienced and tastes you have enjoyed. Now imagine some you have never experienced.

  3. As you become more fully aware of what you notice, set a self-anchor. Set the anchor on the back of your right hand with the finger(s) of your left hand. As you more fully access each rep system of perception, more firmly plant the anchor. Put the anchor for internal seeing right on top of the one for feeling, and the one for hearing right on top of those.

  4. Begin to access all internal systems at the same time by firing off the anchor.

  a. Remember an experience and access what you felt, saw, heard, etc., from that one situation.

  -OR-

  b. Within each rep system choose a different experience to pay attention to. For example, see one thing, hear another, feel something else, and smell/taste something that has nothing to do with the others. You may have a wild experience doing this.

  5. Repeat the process until all you have to do to focus internally (fully and automatically without any conscious effort) involves reaching over and touching the spot on the back of your right hand. We call this “in-time” or “downtime.”

  With these two anchors, you now have the means to both quickly, cleanly, almost automatically, either get outside yourself to more effectively notice the world around you, or go inside to monitor those things going on within you.

  14.11.0.89 VII. Circle Of Excellence Exercise

  This exercise uses the technology of anchoring to increase your state of resourcefulness in problem situations. The procedure as given uses primarily the visual rep system and secondarily the auditory rep system. The exercise requires at least two people. This version is for three. You may also do this procedure on yourself. “A” serves as the operator. “B” role plays the client and “C” serves as the observer.

  “B” selects a situation or context where the current behavior does not provide the desired outcome. “B” makes a snapshot (single frame) of the problematic situation or context. “A” coordinates the above and observes “B’s” physical shift in and out of the experience.

  “A” has “B” break state by clearing the screen and changing breathing patterns.

  “A” asks “B” what resources they have available and have used in the past, which could adequately overcome the Problem State or situation if applied. “A” discovers from “B” the resources “B” possesses which when “B” applies to the problem situation or context, the situation would reflect their full potential. “A” calibrates “B” closely, noting specific physical shifts associated with each resource presented. “A” facilitates “B” in selecting those resources “B” thinks would have allowed them to have met their objective in the problematic situation were they present and available to them.

  “A” has “B” pick an identified area on the floor on which “B” looks at. “A” helps “B” to see themselves demonstrating each of the resources (from specific past reference experiences) one at a time, until “B” has seen all of them on the spot selected. “A” overlaps each experience to add the auditory and kinesthetic components of each resource for “B” to insure full representation of the experience.

  “A” has “B” step into the circle (identified area on the floor) to experience fully those resources in their “Circle of Excellence.” Do one resource at a time. You visually stack a resource anchor.

  “C” monitors the exercise format, insuring that “A” and “B” remain on track. Also, “C” observes to insure “B” has a complete set of Resource States. “C” demands excellence of the exercise at all times.

  After “B” programs the “Circle of Excellence,” “A” takes “B” back to the chair or original standing position. “A” then instructs “B” that upon hearing their handclap, “B” will immediately move to the “Circle of Excellence.” If “B” hesitates into their “Circle of Excellence” move, “A” will nudge “B’s” arm to move them into their “Circle of Excellence.” Once “B” experiences their “Circle of Excellence,” they step out of the circle.

  “A” then asks “B” to remember the problematic behavior or situation. As soon as “B” begins to shift physically to what “A” saw before, “A” claps their hands (nudge if necessary) and makes sure “B” goes directly into their “Circle of Excellence.” “A” then instructs “B” to experience fully these added resources in that situation noticing ALL of the changes and effects that “B” experiences, noting what happens. While “B” remains in the circle, “A” requests “B” to review how other people involved respond to “B” with new resources.

  Note: Since most resources will function “Meta” to the problem, I (BB) have found it most useful to utilize the language from the Meta-state model in assisting the client in the integration process. Say to “B” as “B” experiences their Circle of Excellence, “Bring Resource 1 (name the resource) to bear on the problem (name the problem).” Repeat this language with each resource.

  9. “A” has “B” step out of the circle and asks “B” if he or she got what he or she wanted. If yes, proceed to the next step. If no, change, add and delete if necessary the resources by recycling to step three.

  10. “A” then instructs “B” to go from the starting position (chair or standing) to the “Circle of Excellence” again. This time “B” moves into the circle without “A” clapping the hands or giving nudges.

  11. “A” future paces the experience for “B.” “A” has “B” select a situation or context in the next two weeks identical or similar to the problem situation. After selection, “A” facilitates “B’s” experiencing that by moving “B” associated into a future event. Check for satisfaction from “B” that this new experience provides an excellent example of their full new potential.

  12. Do a round robin so each participant has an opportunity to experience their “Circle of Excellence.”

  14.11.0.90 VIII. Collapsing Anchors: Integrating Parts

  During my (BB) practitioner training, I volunteered for a demonstration of an NLP technique called “collapsing anchors.” The trainer, Gene Rooney, wanted a participant who had experienced a negative state and desired help. A few months before the seminar, I had resigned a ten-year pastorate. I experienced much grief. Along with the grief came some strong negative feelings that needed neutralizing. Gene’s
interest seemed not in the content, though I shared some of the content with the group. Most of the participants served as ministers as well. As I accessed the negative state, Gene anchored the state on my left knee. He followed all the proper procedures of anchoring, including testing. Gene then began to ask me to recall a positive resourceful state. Gene anchored that state on my right knee. He had me recall several of these positive states. With each of the positive states, he stacked the positive anchor on my right knee.

  Gene’s purpose involved establishing a positive anchor sufficient in collapsing or overcoming the negative anchor. On a scale from one to ten, he had me rate the strength of the negative state. I said that I had a ten. With each positive state, he had me rate them in relation to the strength of the negative state. As he stacked the positive states on my right knee, I would give each a rating. Gene kept on adding these states until the total exceeded ten. Once he convinced himself that the positive anchor had become stronger than the negative, he fired both anchors simultaneously. My mind went into a state of confusion. I experienced all kinds of weird feelings. My eyes went all over the place. When I settled down, Gene took his finger off the negative anchor. He left his finger on my positive anchor for about five seconds. Then, he lifted his finger from the positive anchor. The procedure left me in a positive state. Interestingly, the pain I had felt when I volunteered had greatly diminished. I could still remember that I had a painful experience. And I am sure that I will suffer such feelings again—but not from that experience. For me, collapsing anchors really worked and gave me new choices.

  14.11.0.91 Exercise

  Suppose you have two opposing states anchored in two different locations and both fire simultaneously. What would happen when you fire both anchors? Imagine each state as being a different psychological part. With both anchored and fired simultaneously, the negative state will collapse into the stronger positive state. And, of course, should you experience the negative state as stronger than the positive state, the positive state will collapse into the negative state. It does not seem possible for the nervous system to engage two mutually incompatible states at the same time. So, the nervous system creates new patterns as old patterns break. To collapse anchors, you anchor an unwanted negative state. Then you anchor in a more powerful positive state (by stacking anchors if necessary) and collapse the negative state into the positive state.

  1. Establish rapport with your client.

  2. Identify the negative state you desire to eliminate.

  3. Identify the positive state(s) necessary to overcome the negative state. You may need to stack several positive states on the same place in order to obtain a powerful enough positive state to overcome the negative state. A good way to do this involves asking the client on a scale of 1 to 10 to rate the power of the negative state. Then, as you stack your positive states, ask the client to rate each state you stack in order to obtain a number at least two numbers higher than the negative state.

  4. Anchor the positive state. Follow the four steps in setting a good anchora:

  a. Have the client recall and associate into the positive state(s).

  b. Provide a specific stimulus at the peak of the client’s experience.

  c. Change the person’s state.

  d. Set off the anchor and test.

  Calibrate the positive state.

  5. Anchor the negative state. Follow the procedure in step # 4. Calibrate the negative state.

  6. Take the person through each state in turn, using the anchors alternatively, saying something like this, “So you will find some times when you feel ‘negative’ (fire the negative anchor) and in these situations you would rather feel ‘positive’ (fire the positive anchor).” Repeat this a number of times without breaking state between them.

  7. Fire both anchors at the same time. Say to “B” as you fire the resource anchor and then fire the Problem State anchor, “What happens when you bring to bear (name the positive state) on the (name the Problem State)?” Hold the two simultaneously. Watch the person’s physiology carefully. You will probably see signs of change and confusion. Usually their eyes will go around and around and from side to side as the brain completes the integration.

  Note: By bringing the positive state to bear on the Problem State, you in effect Meta-state the Problem State with the positive state. Utilizing Meta-state language will enhance integration. Any time you take a higher level thought and merge that thought with a lower level thought, you perform what we refer to as “Meta-stating.” In NLP, we seek to discover resources in order to reframe Problem States into Resource States. Resource States must function at a higher level of abstraction than the problem in order to reframe the Problem State into a resourceful state. Therefore, by definition, all Resource States function as Meta-states or higher level concepts. When we say, “Bring that resource thought to bear on the Problem State” we simply mean to merge those two thoughts together in such away as to reframe the Problem State with the resources of the Resource State. Thus, when we anchor in a Problem State and then we anchor in a Resource State, by firing them both at the same time, we cause the brain to process both concepts at the same time. The two concepts merge and the greater concept will reframe the lesser—we thus Meta-state the lesser concept (hopefully the Problem State) with the greater concept (the Resource State).

  8. Once the client settles down, release the negative anchor first. Hold the positive anchor for approximately five more seconds.

  9. Test your work by either asking the client to access the Problem State or by firing the negative anchor. You should see the person go into a state somewhere between the two different states. Or, if you had an especially strong positive anchor, they will go immediately into the positive state.

  10. Future pace by asking the client to think of some situation in the near future where they probably would have felt negatively before the collapsed anchor. Ask them to run through it in their imagination while you calibrate their state. If you do not have satisfaction with their state or if they appear still unhappy, discover from the client the resources they need in order to overcome that negative state, and then repeat the procedure.

  14.11.0.92 IX. Change Personal History

  This pattern offers you a way to recode your past in such a way that it no longer serves as a reference in your library of understandings for feeling bad, for defining yourself in negative ways, etc. Now you can use such memories as resources, for learnings, and for moving into the future with a positive attitude and faith.

  14.11.0.93 The Pattern

  Access a problematic memory. Access and elicit from a person a problematic, unwanted, or unpleasant feeling. As you do, establish a good anchor for this state. Calibrate to this state in the person.

  Do a Transderivational Search (TDS). Utilize this anchor to assist the person in finding a previous experience when this same feeling occurred. Using the anchor in doing a TDS back to earlier experiences when they first created the state. Whenever you note the person re-experiencing the same negative state, calibrate to it, have the person stop and re-anchor it. Ask, “At what age did you have this experience? How old do you feel with these thoughts-and-feelings?”

  Continue the TDS. Continue using the anchor and have the person go back through their sense of time to find three to six similar experiences of this negative state. Each time request their age.

  Break state. Have them return to the present. “Now what specific resource would you need in that past situation for you to have felt better and coped more effectively?” Elicit and anchor this Resource State.

  Collapse anchor. Now have the person return to the earliest experience as you fire off the negative state anchor while simultaneously firing off the resource anchor. As you do ask, “What would that past memory feel like when you know you have this resource with you back then, now?” “How would this resource make that past different?” Then have the person come up through history, stopping at each past experience with the resource anchor so that thei
r history begins changing, so that each experience becomes satisfying.

  Trouble-shooting. If the person has difficulty changing the past experience, bring them back to the present and elicit and anchor more resources so that their resource anchor becomes stacked with resources.

  Break state. Once they have changed all of the past experiences, have the person break state. After a little bit, have them think about that problematic feeling, or unwanted feeling.

  Test. What happens? Have the memories changed? In what way? Does the person have a sense of having the resource where previously they had the Problem State (# 1)?

  Future pace. Finally, have them think about similar experiences that may occur in the future.

  14.11.0.94 X. Change Personal History––Through The Eyes Of The Meta-state Model

  1. Identify the Problem (Primary State). Think about a time and place in your history that still troubles you.

  a. How do you know it generates a “problem” for you?

  b. When you step into that memory—what emotion arises? What meanings?

  c. Step out of the Problem State.

  2. Take an Observer’s Viewpoint of that Experience (Meta-state).

  a. Float above your Time-Line (dissociate)—go back to the event of the problem and observe and witness the problem from a Meta-position.

  b. See that younger you going through that particular event.

  c. If you have difficulty staying dissociated—put an imaginary screen (like a piece of Plexiglas) at the Meta-level between the dissociated “you” and the “you” in the event.