From: collene@unisql.UUCP (Collene Pearce)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology
Subject: NLP Questions
Date: 15 Sep 92 18:56:57 GMT
Reply-To: collene@unisql.UUCP (Collene Pearce)
Organization: UniSQL, Inc., Austin, Texas, USA

I really know nothing about NLP.  However, I had heard people discussing it
(therapist friends) and how great it was for helping people to change their
behavior.   So, about 6 months ago, I saw an NLP goal achievement course
advertized on TV and ordered it (not the one you all are thinking of - no
Tony Robbins stuff, but similar) from Nightengale-Connant, Inc.(?).

When it arrived, I opened the package (book and 6 or 8 audio cassettes). 
I promptly sat down, started reading the book & popped a tape in the player.
Somewhere during the first tape, the narrator talked about "positive and
negative reinforcement".  He went on to say that if you are the type of
person who responds better to the negative, then you might want to visualize 
the "negative" thing happening to you (and really get into that and see how
it feels....) and somehow visualizing the negative stuff was supposed to
prompt you to do whatever it was that needed to be done to achieve your goal.  
That was it!  I took the tape out of the player, closed the book and put
the package on the shelf.  It has been there, unopened, for 6 months.
I have no idea if the narrator might have redeemed himself (in my eyes)
in the next couple of sentences or not.  I didn't give him the chance.

Even though I know that (in many areas) I have a more pronounced response to
negative stimulus, than to positive, I simply will not accept negative
visualization as an appropriate way to achieve anything (except negative
results).  One reason for this is that I very often "get" what I have 
visualized (I know several other people who have the same results). 

Since that time, I have have (mentally) put NLP in the same category as sub-
liminal tapes and self hypnosis.  (It might work on a very small percentage 
of the population, but is primarily promoted by the naive and con-artists
looking for a quick buck.)  I have been perfectly content to keep NLP in 
that category until now.  However, it seems the subject has come up again in 
my group of friends and so I would like a second opinion on the subject.  
I'm willing to be open minded, except where the negative reinforcement is 
concerned. ;-)

So - the question is (preferably to those who have actually used NLP), is
this negative visualization a _normal_ part of NLP?  Is this an accepted 
precept of current NLP theory?  Or, did I just get the "wrong" program from 
the "wrong" vendor?  Or, is NLP something that can't effectively be "taught"
via "home courses"?  Are there any non-negative homE courses out there that 
do work for the average person? (Originally, I intended to use the program
I purchased for weight control.)  I can look up the exact title/author of my
"course", if it is needed.  Just let me know.

BTW - The company did have one of those "try it for 30 days and return it 
if not satisfied...." programs, but I just didn't take advantage of it.
Even at the time I put the course on the shelf, I thought there might be 
some redeeming aspect to it, that I might be able to "dig out" of it someday. 
Ah, the eternal, impatient optimist.  :-)

Now, between the flames (about subliminals/self-hypnosis/etc., above) I 
really would appreciate some legitimate response(s) to my questions.  :-)

-- 

********************* #include <std_disclaimer.h> **********************
* A. Collene Pearce (512-343-7372, x114) * Organization: UniSQL, Inc.  *
*                                        * Austin, TX                  *
* unisql!collene@cs.utexas.edu           * 512-343-7297 or 7383(fax)   *
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