• Anchoring - Creating an association between a stimulus and either a sound, touch, smell, taste or picture. It is a form of operant conditioning. Example: A person smelling leaves thinks of fall and going to school as a child. A handshake is an anchor of a symbol of a friendly greeting. Anything symbolic is an established anchor. Advertisers use anchors constantly with slogans, jingles and logos.

• Associated State - When you step into a memory and experience the same sensory influx as when the event occurred. For example, you may remember and experience a feeling (how you felt at the time), and/or get a picture of the event, and/or remember what was said etc. We use this state to anchor positive feelings and access certain memories.

• Calibration - Assessing where the client is emotionally. For example: We will ask the client what the feeling is about a particular memory and ask him/her to gage it on a level between –10 and +10. We feel it’s important to always leave the client on a +10 level.

• Congruence - “State of being unified, and completely sincere, with all aspects of a person working together toward an outcome” (O’Connor, 230). “When goals, thoughts and behavior are in agreement” (Andreas, 332).

• Conscious Mind - What you are aware of at the present moment.

• Dissociated State - Seeing the event (memory) in a manner that separates the event from the emotions felt. It would be like seeing a movie of the event, only you are a member of the audience and feel distant (emotionally) from the incident. We use this method in most processes to enable the client to work without having to re-experience painful or uncomfortable memories.

• Double Dissociated State - A further removal of the person from the event. It would be like being only able to see the person watching the movie, not the movie itself. This state is highly used when dealing with trauma victims or those with strong phobias. The reason this state is used is to keep the person dissociated from the memory so that they can do some work on the memory without re-experiencing the feelings.

• Journey Line - A path which contains a past, future and present point. In individuals the journey line varies in position. In NLP we position the Journey line in a specific place to do work and then return it, if desired, to the client’s original position. The standard position for Practitioners to work from is Future on Right, Past on the Left and the path is positioned in a straight line in front of the person (horizontally).

Position of the Journey line is relevant and by changing the position of the JL, a person may be better able to plan the future, remember past events, organize his or her life, be on time instead of always late and so forth.

• Lead System - Dominant Representational System or VAKO in an individual.

• Rapport - Being in sync with another person on an unconscious level through a variety of methods. Rapport can occur naturally and is common amongst those who are getting along with each other or enjoying each other at a particular time. Rapport can be established with a similar body movement, tone of voice, breathing rate, gesture and so forth.

• Representational System (VAKO) - Using one or a combination of our senses to process information. V = Visual, A = Auditory (hearing, self talk), K = Kinesthetic (feelings), O = Olfactory, Gustatory (smell & taste - can be classed in with K), AD = Auditory Digital (can be classed with A. It’s main feature is self-dialogue).

We interpret the world and all communication through our Rep System. Even though each of us uses each of the VAKO senses at one time or another, we tend to have a lead system and gravitate towards those whose systems are similar to ours for a particular occasion. For example, two people who are highly Kinesthetic may enjoy doing physical things together such as going for a walk or enjoying a sport. Two people whose lead system is Auditory, may enjoy going to a concert, or enjoy talking on the phone. Two Visuals will enjoy going for a drive and looking at the scenery, going to a movie etc. Even though we may enjoy a variety of things, you can ask your self - what is my first choice of leisure activity? (The answer to this question will not tell you your “lead” system, but it will tell you what your Rep preference is for leisure activities).

Rep System knowledge is useful and can be applied in a variety of areas including understanding & enhancing relationships & general communication, sales, resolving human resources issues, interviewing, job design and so forth.

Cited Works & References

Andreas, Steve & Charles Faulkner (Ed.), NLP: The New Technology of Achievement, (New York: Quill William Morrow), 1994.

O’Connor Joseph & John Seymour, NLP: Psychological Skills for Understanding and Influencing People, (San Francisco: Thorsons), 1990