The 14 Presuppositions of NLP

Each one of these NLP presuppositions explains often-unexplainable human behavior and psychology. Taken as stand-alone ideology, they have great power. Used together, they roadmap a way of looking at reality creation that underlies the psychology of success for some of the greatest overachievers in our current society. Know these well, even if they are in your own terms.

The first ten come from NLP: The New Science of Achievement by Andreas and Faulkner. This is seminal, key work on Neuro-linguistic Programming. Examine each presupposition. Each one has great power to help you decipher and enhance human psychology.

The other four come from Tony Robbin’s “Unleash The Power Within” events and his book, Unlimited Power. Taken together, they are the organizing principles that baseline neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

1. The map is not the territory. Our mental maps of the world are not the world. We respond to our maps, rather than directly to the world.

2. Experience has a structure. Our thoughts and memories have patterns to them. When we change the pattern or structure, our experience will automatically change. We can neutralize unpleasant memories and enrich memories in ways that will serve us.

3. If one person can do something, anyone can learn to do it. We can learn an achiever’s mental map and make it our own.

4. The mind and body are parts of the same system. Our thoughts instantly affect our body, feelings, and more, and these in turn affect our thoughts.

5. People already have all the resources they need. Mental images, inner voices, sensations, and feelings are the basic building blocks of all our mental and physical resources. We can use them to build up any thought, feeling, or skill that we want.

6. You cannot NOT communicate. We are always communicating, at least nonverbally, and words are the least important of our communications. Even our thoughts are communications with ours ourselves.

7. The meaning of your communication is the response you get. Others receive what we say and do through their mental map of the world. Noticing how people receive us allows us to adjust it, so the next can be clearer.

8. Underlying every behavior is a positive intention. Every harmful hurtful and even thoughtless behavior had a positive purpose in its original intention.

9. People are always making the best choice(s) available to them. Everyone has his or her own unique personal history.

10. If what you are doing isn’t working , do something else. Do anything else. If you always do what you have done, you will always get what you have always gotten. If you want something new, do something new.

11. Your brain is always asking three questions based on your model of the world:

1. What does this mean?

2. How do I feel?

3. What should I do?

12. The three key beliefs to lasting change:

1. It must change now.

2. I must change it now.

3. I can change it now.

13. Know your outcomes. Know why it is a must. Take massive action.

14. Know what you are getting. Change your approach.