Articles

Here is Dave Dobson in an excerpt from the 2 DVD set The Beach Trip with David R. Dobson, Ph.D, available in our store.

For the first time ever, Barbara Stepp teaches NLP Master Practitioner…in a CD program!

Find out more about this new product in our online store.

Some people as they get older or busier, have trouble remembering names, among other things. Ever wonder why? Age is not a good reason. Here’s why: when we are younger we link or associate names to a small amount of sensory input, for instance, visual.  That’s good enough for us.  

But the longer we live, have many experiences and meet many people, that is no longer good enough for us. Because of this fact, there aren’t enough unique visual characteristics, which make the association between the visual and names a little more challenging.

It becomes necessary for remembering a name to associate the quality of their voice, feel of their hand, maybe even a unique scent. The more senses you can associate to the name, the easier it is to recall. The multi-sensory associations have always been available to us, but as we live longer and acquire more experience, we tend to get into familiar routines.

Just imagine an infant or toddler for a moment. He sees a toy in his crib. He examines it, touches it, shakes it, puts it in his mouth. This is how his growing brain learns and associates—develops many sensations that will become his memory of the particular toy.

We adults would probably look at it and say, “It’s a car, stuffed animal”, etc. That is partly because with our vast experience, we have developed patterns or routines.  That’s not a bad thing, but if we want to improve our brain function and memories, we can add a little unpredictability and adventure into our lives.  Our brains like the unexpected or the novel. So are we saying be more childlike? You bet! Children are so curious and adventurous. As adults we can be boring to our own brains.  I often say that the brain is consistently saying, “Next!”

Do some experiments. We have five senses, right? Close your eyes and walk around a room, get ready for work with your eyes closed, or close your eyes, wear earplugs and smell the fragrances around you. Use your non-dominant hand to do every tasks like brushing your teeth, shaving putting on your socks. You can make up any brain exercise. There is no limit to ways you can exercise your brain. Your brain likes exercise, so exercise it and improve memory and brain function at any age.

Here is one more experiment or resource: It is my personal experience that the Mind Spa helps improve brain function.  I know stroke victims who have used it with excellent results, including myself.

Sometimes people expect Sleight of Mouth to be magic, that once you know SOM you will essentially be master of the universe. That you’ll be able to persuade anybody of anything at anytime, all the time. Then they get disappointed when they find out it isn’t magic. Well, it’s true, Sleight of Mouth is not magic. But then, Magic ain’t magic either. It just seems that way.

Magic works with illusion and misdirection. When watching a magic act, you believe (or at least you sort-of believe) that that rabbit came out of that empty hat because the magician waved his wand and said “abracadabra.” The reality is, of course, different. The magician’s hat is carefully constructed to hide the false bottom and uses forced perspective to make it look normal. Or he had you focus on the wand and it’s being waved three times while intoning the magic words, while, if you’d been looking at what his left hand was doing you’d see he was opening that secret compartment and releasing the bunny.

Magic’s central operating principle is that people will jump to conclusions that are, in fact, inaccurate even though they may seem totally logical. A magician will utilize this tendency and get people to believe false conclusions. It’s like the trick when the woman in the box is sawed in half, and we know it’s true because we saw her feet sticking out the end of the box and saw her wiggling them.

Effective Sleight of Mouth has the effect of showing the audience how the trick really worked. It’d be like the audience all thinking, “Wow! That woman really was sawed in half!” and then having the box turned around to reveal its false sides and the contortions his assistant performed to fit in half the box while the second, hidden assistant stuck her feet out the other end. The audience’s response is, of course, “Oh, I see! I get it now. This is the real truth.”

A classic Sleight of Mouth example that Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein came up with that was reportedly inspired by some people’s reactions to Richard Bandler’s famous outrageousness and intensity. People would sometimes jump to the conclusion that because Richard was loud, confrontative and outrageous, that he was being mean to people. They expressed their belief that “saying mean things means you’re a bad person.” This seemed as true to them as the “fact” that the assistant was sawed in half did to the gasping audience of the magic show.

However, when Dilts and Epstein used Sleight of Mouth and revealed the truth about Richard’s intentions and his unorthodox NLP techniques, people would see the truth (“Oh, I see! I get it now. This is the real truth.”)—that he was only saying those things to help them, that he really was helping them, and then they’d realize he wasn’t really mean at all. He was just a man willing to do what was needed to really help this person.

Maybe it is like magic, after all.

Take care, take risks,
Doug

Doug O’Brien & Associates
Center for NLP & Hypnosis—www.ericksonian.com
NLP Practitioner Certification NLP•Master Practitioner Certification•Ericksonian Hypnosis Training

Doug's Sleight of Mouth tape set and workbook are available in our online store.

NLP is not a model of repair…it is a model of acquisition…a generative model. We know that any behavior is adaptive given the circumstances under which it was learned. All external behavior is the result of neurological processes.

The map is not the territory. Humans create maps or models of the world to make sense of their experience, maintain coherency and guide their behavior. So, we operate on our sensory representations of the world, primarily visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Being aware of this can assist us in recognizing other’s models of the world and improves our ability to communicate more effectively.

In interactions among people, the individual with the greater flexibility and variability in thinking patterns and behaviors can influence and typically does, the direction of the outcome of that interaction. In Cybernetics, this is referred to as the “Law of Requisite Variety.” The mind and body are part of the same cybernetic system.

What is Cybernetics? According to the New Encyclopedia Britannica, “control theory as it is applied to complex systems.” To quote Margaret Mead, “The set of cross-disciplinary ideas which we first called feed-back and then called theological mechanisms and then called…cybernetics-a form of cross-disciplinary thought which made it possible for a members of many disciplines to communicate with each other easily in a language which all could understand.”

Gregory Bateson said it is the study of form and pattern and “the biggest bite of fruit of the Tree of Knowledge that mankind has taken in the last 2000 years.” Also, “There is latent in Cybernetics the means of achieving a new and perhaps more human outlook, a means of changing our philosophy of control, and a means of seeing our own follies in wider perspective.”

There is difficulty in defining Cybernetics according to Stafford Beer. The following is an illustration, “it concerns three men who are about to be executed. The prison governor calls them to his office, and explains that each will be granted a last request. The first one confesses that he has led a sinful life, and would like to see a priest. The governor says he thinks he can arrange that. And the second man? The second man explains that he is a professor of cybernetics. His last request is to deliver a final and definitive answer to the question: what is cybernetics? The governor accedes to this request also. And the third man? Well, he is a doctoral student of the professor—his request is to be executed second.”

“Use the word, cybernetics, Norbert, because nobody knows what it means. This will always put you at an advantage in arguments”
        —Claude Shannon in a letter to Norbert Wiener in the 1940’s. 

And now, for more presuppositions of NLP…Behavioral flexibility results in more choices. More choices are better than limited choices.

Individuals communicate on two levels: conscious and unconscious or other-than-conscious.

The highest quality of information in an interaction is behavioral information, which is more frequently than not, unconscious or other-than-conscious.

There are no failures in communication – only results. Mistakes are feedback without which flexibility and variability would be impossible. Mistakes are an essential part of the learning process. The NLP attitude views each and every experience as a rare and unprecedented opportunity to learn.

Medical research has linked the stuff in your mouth with systemic diseases. We know for a fact that gum disease can cause heart problems, stroke, diabetes and low pre term birth weight in newborns.  But did you know that 70-80% of the adult population has some form of gum disease?  Bleeding on brushing can be an indicator.  But gum disease can be very silent.  Gum disease can be treated successfully but once you have it you must maintain a very strict regime to make sure it does not come back…. because like any chronic condition, it can.  Treatment for this disease can be very conservative where we numb you up and remove the biofilm, bacteria, and toxins that are living in the gums.  This may take several visits.  For more significant disease stages, there is a new treatment involving laser therapy called the LANAP procedure.  There is no cutting, no stitches, and virtually no discomfort afterwards.  This laser is a new technology that only a few dentists in the country have obtained.  It takes special training to be certified in this procedure.

And did you know that those big black fillings in your mouth contain at lease 50% mercury?  Don’t let any dentist fool you.  Mercury is an extremely potent poison only second to arsenic.  Mercury is a neurotoxin, that is, it affects your nerves and can affect your brain too.  Medical research is a little sketchier on this subject but if you look more at the scientific and toxicology research (which is different) it is a no-brainer.  Why do the normal dentist and the American Dental Association refuse to recognize this?  Your guess is as good as mine. Could it be politically motivated?  Why is mercury regulated in fish, air and water but not in our mouths?  There is another reason to have your silver mercury fillings replaced.  My clinical experience finds that there is decay under 60% -70% of these old fillings. I also find there is silver mercury left underneath molar crowns or caps.  That is not good.  When you have dissimilar metals in your mouth, they may cause an unwanted electrical current that may also affect you.

Dr. Rothchild is a General Dentist in the Chicago land area who has been practicing holistic dentistry for over 25 years.  He is an international speaker on the subject and is on the faculty of two medical schools. You can contact him at (847) 884-1220.  Visit his web site.

As we approach 2007, many minds wonder to new years resolutions, setting goals/directions for ourselves. NLP is about setting directions in a way that assists us to create the life we desire. We can utilize this resource to write down our goals/outcomes/desires and us a process to manifest them.

For many years, I have taken New Year’s Eve to do that. It’s much better to make my life a party than to go to one.

I suggest a strategy of

1. Write down specifically and precisely what it is that you desire
2. Why you want it.
3. What it will give you.
4. How do you get it
5. What the necessary specific steps are to make your desire real.
6. Imagine what it will look like and step into the picture fully associated, seeing from your own eyes, hearing or saying to yourself what you say and feeling the great feelings you feel. Your intent is out there!

To summarize, come up with what you desire and drive it with pictures, sounds and feelings or emotions. Remember, we are not wanting green pieces of paper with pictures of dead men on them, etc. That is a means value. Most of us desire to be fulfilled, happy, secure, accomplished, etc. These are the ends goals or values and very general. But how do we precisely get our specific goals?

Now that you consciously know what you desire, rewrite it with the full linguistic representation, so that when you read it, it “wows!” you. Now, turn it over to your other than conscious or unconscious mind. Do this by reading what you have written and ask your OTC or UM to assist you in creating the life you desire. Do this at night before you go to sleep, so your conscious mind is resting and relaxed and your OTC takes the ball and runs with it. Don’t be delightfully surprised when you start getting new ideas and ways to do things that will propel you into the life you desire and deserve.

For extra resources in setting goals and directions, listen to CDs 4, 5, and 6B of 30 Days to Total Energy, available in our store.

Dave Dobson appears on DVD for the first time ever in a special presentation!

This two DVD set was recorded in July, 2006 with a group of attendees. On these enlightening DVDs, Dr. David Dobson discusses your brain, reference, consciousness, other-than-conscious mind and Hypnosis. He introduces his internationally famous Beach Trip and takes you on a delightful Beach Trip with him.

Seize this rare opportunity! You can buy this product at a special price, now, in our store.

Holistic health care, also known as complimentary alternative medicine (CAM), has continued to grow at unprecedented levels as traditional Western dogma is challenged by its own rising costs, the association of side affects, and a burgeoning field of alternative health care methods advocating prevention and treatment through organic food, herbs and traditional Eastern approaches such as acupuncture, reflexology, meditative practices and energy healing. Currently, in the U.S., CAM use has topped 40% with no sign of slowing down. In one study CAM use has even surpassed such time honored practices as the use of prayer (35%) for health related issues.

As someone who has worked in the holistic health field for over 12 years now, I have come to notice a very interesting pattern. The most devout Western medicine practitioners (Specialists, MDs and PhDs of medicine or pharmacology) tend to have a very left brain, “it must be scientifically proven,” approach to medicine and shy away from holistic health practices. Conversely, the most devout Eastern medicine practitioners (acupuncturists, reflexologists, energy healers, homeopaths, kinesiologists, etc.) tend to see traditional Western care and the pharmaceutical industry as more detrimental than beneficial to human health and founded on symptom treatment rather than the etiology of health problems. Interestingly enough, just as science has shown the many benefits provided by various pharmaceuticals, surgeries, and Western approaches, so too has science progressed enough to validate many CAM practices. So why does it seem neither group is willing to embrace the benefits of the other?

In this article I hope to present a method of evaluation and assessment of health concerns that will help the interested individual, the patient, and the health practitioner alike in determining the most effective method for achieving and maintaining optimum health. As many individuals are not willing to utilize one system or the other due to previous teachings, social bias, or a lack of education on the benefits of a system, it seems logical that adhering to the system the individual is comfortable with while gently integrating some of the benefits of the unfamiliar system may be the most effective and acceptable approach. This allows the health practitioner to conform to the beliefs and desires of the individual while doubling the number of modalities he or she may draw on for resolving any health concern.

Both holistic health care/CAM and traditional Western approaches cannot only coexist, but with appropriate attention to patients’ symptoms and the overall state of their health a more affective and truly holistic approach integrating the best of both systems can be implemented. The foundation of this approach is the concept of physiological load.

Physiological load is the sum total of all stressors on the body and is best evaluated by dividing the body into 4 primary systems of systems: musculo-skeletal system (physical structure), visceral system (internal organs), hormonal system, and limbic/emotional system (psychology). These four systems are each essential to our survival and are also intimately related in that they have the ability to reduce excessive stress in any one area by distributing this load into any one or all of the other systems. This protective mechanism insures that no singular system becomes overloaded to the point of total collapse of the whole.

Examples of this system of balancing at work are the Chinese acupuncture meridians and the way they relate organs to muscles and vice versa or the affects of any powerful emotional state on the hormonal system, most aspects of the visceral system (increased heart rate, changes in digestion, etc.) and physiology (posture). The above mentioned affects of emotional states on the rest of the systems will also occur secondary to any traumatic event originating with the structure or organs; such as a car accident or a heart attack. The key in all these examples it the body’s ability to dissipate stress and redistribute it throughout all the systems so that no one system is consumed or overloaded.

One way to think about physiological load is to envision each of the systems as a sink and all of the sinks being connected by one piping system. A stressful event affecting one or several systems would be like adding water to the appropriate sink or sinks and the piping system would be the body’s way of returning to the most appropriate level of homeostasis for longevity of the whole system. Keeping this analogy in mind, reduction of stress on any one system has the affect of indirectly reducing stress on all other systems. One of the most obvious examples of this at work would be the effectiveness of meditation or meditative type practices like yoga, tai chi, and Qigong as a CAM for most all health maladies. These relaxing and stimulating practices which impact the limbic/emotional system and then overflow benefits onto all of the other systems have been shown to aid in everything from cancer to arthritis. A Western medicine example would be the effects of any medication that alleviates a symptom and improves a person’s quality of life, thus increasing their ability to be active, or improving their psychology and thus having a concomitant affect on the other three systems.

The usefulness of this way of looking at things, for the individual seeking optimum health, the CAM practitioner, or the traditional Western doctor, is in determining where the greatest level of physiological load is BEFORE choosing one’s course of action. Because the weakest link in any system will always be the system’s downfall, identification and correction of the weakest link should ALWAYS be undertaken along with any medical or therapeutic approach. Consider that a person of great athletic skill will accomplish little in their sport if their psychology is counter to their physical prowess; or a person being treated in the traditional Western sense for post menopausal symptoms will not last long if degenerative kidney or liver condition is ignored.  Conversely, a knee or back surgery patient with a properly functioning digestive system and/or ideally aligned structural system will heal faster due to increased nutritional support and reduced structural stressors respectively. Correcting or eliminating any overwhelming stress on any one of the four systems, be it with Western medicine or the CAM approach will yield the most improvement to quality of life and symptom resolution of minor stressors on any of the other systems.

This model is also beneficial as it allows the individual working with others or looking to help one’s self a way of looking at the big picture and developing strategies that reduce load on ALL systems. Consider the enrichment, physiological and psychological benefits of hobbies, quality time spent with family, or other activities that you find not only fun, but truly stimulating! Think of those activities that transport you away from all cares and worries and bring peace not only to the mind but to the body as well. If you were to think back to when you were younger, when fun and relaxation was not something you planned for but rather something you allowed, what did you do? What brought you the most joy and happiness?

Whatever it was, do you still do it? Most will answer “no,” but these activities, that were once so common sense, so taken for granted, and so valuable, can yield the same or greater benefits today that they provided you as a child. Think of the four sinks and what effect rekindling a hobby or really taking time out for those that mean the most to you would have on the amount of stress pouring in to each of them. What effect would drinking more water, resolving long standing family feuds and releasing the emotional burden, or cleaning up your digestion and improving the quality of the food you eat have?

The answer is, it would have a HUGE effect so start now! The biggest lesson I have learned from the physiological load model is to discount nothing, weigh the affects of everything, and do all you can to drain those sinks so that those effects you can’t avoid can easily be distributed. Follow this approach for maximum vitality and longevity, and if you have symptoms, start this approach; the results will be immediately noticed and carry over to more areas of your health and vitality than you can imagine. May you live in health and happiness.

Jae is a graduate of the four-year Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology (CHEK) Program and a certified CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Golf Biomechanic, National Academy of Sports Medicine Trainer, International Sports Sciences Association Trainer, and former Instructor for the National College of Exercise Professionals. Jae has also completed training in Neuromuscular Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Reiki, Hypnosis, Matrix Energetics, Massage Therapy and a host of other holistic practices.

To contact Jae Sabol directly call: (310) 755-4693    
For a full bio please visit: www.resonatehealth.com 

Milton Erickson, the father of modern hypnosis, has said, “You had better be willing to reflect upon the words you use, to wonder what their meanings are, and to seek out and understand their many associations.”

He was speaking in this instance of the use of language in a clinical context. How many of us consider how we use our words in normal everyday life?

Especially, have you considered observing the effects of your own self-talk? Of course, we all know the futility of using the four-letter word “try” (…and fail). Have you ever considered what it would be like if you could follow yourself for a day, and see on your face the effect of your personal language? Did your words make you smile? Did you choose words that make the difficult tasks easier or the boring tasks exciting?

Your other-than-conscious mind is listening.

Sometimes I'll catch myself or somebody else putting themselves down. “I can't do it,” we'll say, “I’m stupid.” And the OTC is listening to this, and it is willing to oblige. “Stupid? I can do stupid. Stupid's easy. One big helping of stupid, coming right up.”

How much better is it to say: “I haven't figured this thing out, yet, and I'm gonna.” Does that bring a curiosity for some insight on the task that hasn't yet been seen? Observe the effects, and if that change of language doesn't improve your outlook, which next one will?

Even in everyday situations, when talking with somebody who is using less-than-helpful language, you can acknowledge their statement using the more-useful language: “I see that you haven't figured that out yet.”

In the coming days, spend a little bit of time considering your use of language in everyday situations.