Zen of NLP
This ZEN-like Approach to NLP is ONLY Available Here…
When I realized the practical connection between Zen and NLP, it solved a huge problem
for me. I’d been studying, teaching and practicing NLP for quite some time. I noticed over
the years that there were times when NLP methods in my work as a mental health
counselor and later as a business executive seemed to work smoothly, while at other times
getting good results was like pulling teeth. I was very consistent, flexible and contextual in
my approach, so it never quite made sense why my results were hit and miss.
Research is consistent with my experience, however. In fact, 60-90% of all efforts to make
personal or professional improvements fail (Sellman, D 2009). So, when I learned the
reason why this is the case and how combining Zen and NLP seems to dramatically
improve results, I was impressed. And my entire approach changed.
I learned that a small but growing body of research on a little-known brain network reveals
a problem that only Zen can solve. Here’s the problem:
Medical science has revealed powerful region in the brain that works against
conscious, focused efforts to do anything intentional.
In other words, your brain has a network on a mission to keep you on
autopilot.
Think about it. How often are you on auto-pilot, allowing your mind to wander and your
body to tense or relax according to the ebb and flow on your automatic mental activity?
Doesn’t it make sense that there is a brain network that is wired for this function?
What happens when this brain network is overactive?
Under these circumstances, creating intentional results in your life is like attempting to
wage war against your brain. This is a war you are most likely to lose!
The brain network in question is called the Default Mode Network (DMN). We’ll be hearing
a lot more about the DMN in years to come. The media is already reporting preliminary
findings, however.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported on research that indicates some psychiatric
conditions, including PTSD, depression and even autism and schizophrenia, are caused by
too much activity in the DMN.
Scientific American has called the DMN the brain's dark energy, affirming that the DMN
holds a key to understanding neurological disorders and even consciousness itself.
InSciences has reported that the brains of depressed people are different than healthy
brains, due to increased activity in the DMN. The overly active DMN raises self-
consciousness and prevents you from “losing yourself” in the activities of life. Rather than
remain free to enjoy the present moment, you are besieged by a continual stream of inner
thoughts and body tension. The DMN is the part of your brain that, when active, grinds
away endlessly and destroys your peace.
ScienceMag suggests that activity in the DMN may reflect the occurrence of mind
wandering, i.e., random thoughts that are unrelated to the present moment that cut you off
from the environment or outside or world.
When the DMN is active, mind wandering, mental clutter and ongoing inner
commotion cut you off from the present moment.
Research suggests that this ocean of unmitigated brain commotion is the root cause of
many psychological conditions, including chronic stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia,
addiction, and more.
Have you ever tried to sit quietly, meditate or sleep when your mind won’t turn off?
Preoccupied in a sea of scattered mental activity, more peaceful, focused states of
awareness are simply out of reach.
The DMN is responsible for more than just mind wandering. It creates a state of mental
activity and body tension that is antithetical to self-acceptance, change or any manner or
focused, intentional self-improvement. With an active DMN, NLP or any change work has a
limited chance of succeeding.
The Solution: Deactivate this Brain Network BEFORE using NLP or any other
Personal Development Modality.
I realize this sounds nuts. How can you casually deactivate a major brain network? I’ll refer
to you Marcus Raichle, MD, who discovered the DMN. In the March 2010 issue of Scientific
American, Dr. Raichle writes:
A series of PET experiments then confirmed that the brain is far from idling when not engaged
in a conscious activity. In fact, the [DMN] remains constantly active until the brain focuses on
some novel task, at which time some areas of intrinsic activity decrease. At first, our studies
met with some skepticism. In 1998 we even had a paper on such findings rejected because one
referee suggested that the reported decrease in activity was an error in our data. The circuits,
the reviewer asserted, were actually being switched on at rest and switched off during the
task.
In other words, certain kinds of cognitive tasks deactivate the DMN. This finding is so
extraordinary that medical journals didn’t believe it at first!
What kinds of cognitive tasks turn off the DMN? You guessed it! Zen-like tasks. So, I put
together the NLP awareness practices that effectively increase Zen awareness and began to
implement them prior to engaging in other interactions and interventions. As I did this, I
discovered two important phenomena:
1. Often, the Zen awareness was all I needed to double my effectiveness, whether in
working with someone else or with myself. NLP awareness practices helped me and others
get to a calm, Zen-like state within seconds. Often this alone solves is enough for solutions
to come, problems to solve and rapport or productivity to increase naturally.
2. Every NLP interaction and intervention suddenly got “traction.” It was as if the rubber
were finally meeting to road!
I’d love to share more with you. This discovery is a singular leap forward for the field of
personal development. You don’t want to miss it!
More information visit NLP and communication skills
.