My INLPTA Diploma in Neuro Linguistic Programming - What Is It?

Neuro Linguistic Programming is the study of Human behaviour and thought processes through observing body language and eye movements. Approximately eighty percent of our communication is done through body language*. This means that I am able extract unsaid information from other people's movements and gestures, and to manipulate my body language to reach positive outcomes when interacting with people.

For example, mirroring the other person's body language is a great way to immediately connect with another person psychologically making them feel comfortable with being in my company. In essence, when I mirror somebody else's movements or positions, they are actually subconsciously recognising my approval of their movements. This then forms a basis of similarity which we both can psychologically relate. Ergo, it makes conversation easier to progress and to extract more detailed information from the other person. Of course, this is only one element of NLP which is used to create rapport. This has an advantage of assessing the best route of communication with the other person reducing the risk of causing any stress or embarrassment for them.

Since graduating from the course, I have been more aware of the wording I use, my body language, and the tone of my voice whilst building rapport and negotiating with other people. This has really been useful whilst I was producing and directing my documentary for my major final project

Unsaid information in conversations can also be easily read, not only by observing movements and gestures (i.e. hand rubbing the back of the neck usually indicates stress or embarrassment), but also watching the eye movements of the person who you are having the conversation with. Our brains have two halves - there is the logical half (the left-hand-side) which processes number, language, and other factual information - and the creative half (the right-hand-side) which processes more holistic information, such as patterns and imaginative thoughts**. As a rule, although not true in every person, the eye movements of a person generally show which side of the brain the person is using. For example, if I asked a person to remember the colour of their toothbrush, they would be using the left-hand-side of their brain, and therefore they would probably look up and to the left. Whereas, if I asked them to imagine what they would look like if they wore a pink wig and sunglasses, then they would have to use the right-hand-side of their brain to create that image, therefore they would probably look up and to the right. However, as I stated earlier, this is certainly not the same for every single person and there are a lot more cues, which I will not talk about here, meaning different things (depending on the person and context at the time of the interpretation).

NLP has also given me the tools to change my state of mind enabling me to control my stress-levels and see situations from different perspectives. Reading eye cues from other people gives me a better ability to make more accurate guesses at what other people are thinking. 

How can I relate this to programme-making, I hear you ask! The concept of making new, fresh, and exciting programming is to provide 'the audience' with new, fresh, and exciting perspectives of life. In order to do this, different feelings and emotions need to be represented by being emphasised on screen - I have found the knowledge of NLP invaluable in doing this. Also, when performing my research for productions, NLP enables me to ascertain information more effectively (as described above).

This page only gives a very brief outline of some of the elements I know about NLP. I am naturally very interested in the behaviours and interactions of people. I learn new ways of applying this knowledge to real situations everyuday and I do improve my techniques by reading more NLP literature as well. I am really pleased that I had the opportunity to do this diploma as it has further opened my mind.

References

* Understanding The Basics - The Definitive Book of Body Language by Barbara Pease, Allan Pease at http://www.enotalone.com/article/6021.html, accessed: 10/04/2008

** The Brain Explorer: Creativity and our Brain at http://library.thinkquest.org/C0110299/mind/creativity.php?page=creativity1, accessed: 10/04/2008