By Marisa Broughton, MNLP, MCHT

The road to self-discovery and spiritual growth is journey of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. While experience provides the playing field, knowledge provides us with information and understanding leads to wisdom. Wisdom is the ultimate sought after prize, because with it – you can acquire everything else.

NLP is an acronym for the words “Neuro-Linguistic Programming”. “Neuro” refers to the brain, and in this case the unconscious mind. “Linguistic” is language. “Programming” is the process our brains use to translate information our senses pick up, and then determines what we do with that information. In short, NLP is the key that allows us to understand and communicate with the unconscious mind. Surprisingly, the smallest portion of our existence occurs on a conscious level.

In certain metaphysical circles, knowledge and communication with the unconscious (which is linked to our higher-self or soul) is known as The Great Work. NLP has been around longer than we can remember, though it has only been known by that name for only the past 25 - 30 years. The ancients referred to the use of this knowledge as magick and today, you’ll find NLP methodologies used in both spiritual and psychological work.

We use NLP as a tool to identify, examine and update our current (unconscious) “programming”. There is a strong link between spiritual and emotional well-being. Who and what we become is strongly tied to our beliefs of what is possible. In Zen, there is a saying, “Be master of mind rather than be mastered by mind.”

Perception, reality and belief are the foundation upon which we base all thought and action. It’s important to know that there can be a difference between what actually happened and our perception of what happened. The reason for this difference is that our minds do not record things objectively. Everything that we see, hear & feel gets translated according to our current beliefs, emotional state, previous experience and knowledge of the subject, before it gets stored in memory. It is for this reason that no two individuals will ever give the exact same description of an incident.

 What is hot to one person is comfortably warm to another. A practical joke to one person, can be a form of torture to another. This is also why misunderstandings are more common than not. Reality is truly subjective to perception. The following sayings provide us with brilliant examples of reality and perception:  Kitty heaven is mousy hell. One man’s floor is another’s ceiling. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. NLP provides the knowledge for us to understand ourselves and in doing so, we also learn to understand others. With this information, we are a step away from wisdom - for what we do with this powerful knowledge determines the reality we choose to live in.

 A majority of the population remain slaves to their unconscious programs (which are created from beliefs, that are formed from perceived experience). They subsequently find themselves mercilessly trapped in the current of external circumstance which randomizes their fate. Everything from their mood to level of success lie within the hands of someone else. They can not conceive the possibility that control of their destiny resides within them. They are truly victims of the world – and sadly, need not be.

 Many find themselves prisoners of their past. Troubled by memories and feelings linked to past incidents, they find it difficult to move ahead. Instead they find themselves caught in a loop always moving towards that which they want to avoid. The good news is that the past need not be a reflection of the future. These loops can be broken and a more positive course laid out for the individual, freeing him or her from the binding thoughts of the past. NLP does provides an avenue to heal troubling memories and change limiting beliefs. We all have within ourselves the power to be successful, happy, productive and enlightened beings.

 Still, there are many good alternative options and paths that can lead to the same place. The key to growth and change lies not in the therapy chosen, but within the person desiring the change. Each of us is an individual and as such, different things will appeal to different people. There is no one right or wrong way and that is one of the reasons why there are so many alternative therapies, religions and spiritual ways to choose from. Each of them obviously produces favorable results for some portion of the population (otherwise they wouldn’t exist). It’s just a matter of finding the method which is a good fit for you. "It is not the gale, but the set of the sail that determines the way you go".