Changing Your Internal Dialogue with NLP & Self Hypnosis

When it comes to change work, many self help approaches work with content. For example a person may say they have a nagging inner voice that makes them feel like crap and the 'Content Orientated Change-Worker' might say, "And what does it say? Why do you think it says that? Is it your parent? How does that make you feel? When did this first start?" "How far back in your childhood?"

So as you can imagine this approach has a real risk of meandering into people's 'personal history.' The risk with working with content is that you can get lost in the never-ending pit of a person's past!

"Well it's because mummy took my spoon away when I was four years old..."

We could call it; The Insight Approach. The idea being that gaining insight and understanding will change the problem.

It often doesn't though. It's a common falacy. It can, but often times it does not. Ask a bunch of people suffering from so-called mental illness and most of them can tell you WHY. Has the insight helped them? Nope!

What you're going to learn here is about making changes to the internal process or structure.

You could have an internal voice that says, "Your such a bad person!"

Now this could make you feel bad or feel good depending on the structure of the internal voice.

Is it a critical voice, shouting at you with harsh tonality?

Or is it someone you really fancy speaking to you in a 'bed room voice?'

So what it really comes down to is:

What's the difference, IN STRUCTURE, that makes the difference?

Thinking about things in this way, you can probably begin to understand how making changes at the level of structure can be quicker and more effective than working with content.

Making changes to the STRUCTURE keeps you in the present.

What specifically are you doing in your mind, NOW, that can be optimised to something more useful by changing it STRUCTURALLY?

You may have some doubts come up such as, "Can change be this simple?" Well yes it most definitely can be, but as with any genera-LIE-sations you hear, don't take their/my word for it, test the ideas out in your own EXPERIENCE!

If you were to think of one of your annoying internal voices now, just become aware of where it is located in space. You know, is it behind your head, to the left or to the right?

And just become aware of how it speaks to you. How does it sound? What are the qualities of the voice? Is it fast speech or slow? Is it a deep voice? How loud is it?

By becoming aware of these qualities you discover the structure. In the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) these qualities are known as Sub-modalities.

You have 5 sensory modalities, Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (Feelings), Olfactory (Smell) & Gustatory (Taste.)

So each of our sensory modalities have their own Sub-modalities or qualities.

These Sub-modalities are what hold the thought pattern together; the glue. The fun part comes soon when we interrupt the pattern and sabotage it! Melting the glue in essence.

Now imagine someone you really like, possibly a member of the opposite sex, giving you a compliment or asking you to do something. You know, when you imagine hearing their voice it just makes you melt.

Allow yourself to become aware of the Sub-modalities:

Where is it located in space, to the left, to the right, in front or behind?

How loud is it?

How fast or slow does it speak?

Is the voice speaking towards you or away from you?

Become aware of the general rythmn of the sound.

Great, well done! :)

I just want you to do one more little exercise because it will really help you to understand clearly how the structure of your thoughts such as inner voice location etc. powerfully influence how you feel.

So go ahead now and think about that 'annoying voice' you listened to earlier.

And now listen to the 'voice that makes you melt.'

Switch a few times between the two different experiences so you can distinguish clearly the difference in Sub-modalities.

Have you ever wanted to know how to stop a bad habit?

The following techniques will enable you to quickly and easily change your internal dialogue. If you've never practised methods like this before, set aside 15 minutes to allow yourself to learn and check the tools out.

Once you've practised them a few times you will be able to apply the techniques quickly and easily whenever you want!

1. Which situations do you get a critical inner voice that nags you?

2. Become aware of it and notice where it is located in space, along with it's other Sub-modalities.

3. Imagine moving it down into your little finger.

4. Now hear it saying the same things with Micky Mouses voice!

5. Hear it a few times saying those things in Micky's voice or pick one of your own favourite silly cartoon voices.

6. Pick another time in the future when the nagging voice would be likely to occur and go from step 2 again.

This is a great little technique that utilises The Half Second Rule

1. Select one of those annoying internal voices one last time.

2. Now hear it play backwards like the rewind on a cassette.

3. Try it fast and try it slow. And then hear it backwards, really fast, in less than 1/2 a second. Do it three times.

4. Now replace that backwards voice with a new positive message with a nice, sexy, 'bed room voice' tonality.

1. Become aware of one of your irritating inner voices.

2. Notice it's Sub-modalities.

3. Now hear it again from the beginning, only this time slow it down. Put pauses between each word.

Note: It can also be fun to hear the voice in a regional accent.

4. Repeat it's utterance from the begining again and slow it down even more, including stretching the sound of each word out.

5. Repeat from step 4 a few times until you are hearing it REALLY slowed down.

*Note: This technique can be useful for people who have touble getting off to sleep. Insomnia is often due to chattering away to yourself in a fast paced voice, so this technique can help.

With the techniques mentioned above you can quickly and easily change bothersome internal voices.

By becoming more aware of your inner dialogue, with a little practice, you will be able to apply one of the techniques above whenever one of the 'critical' voices arise.

Maybe you start to critise a work collegue inside your head. And this is in your spare time!

Instead of torturing yourself, why not just 'Micky Mouse' it?

The importance of it all will probably become greatly reduced, allowing you to feel more at ease with more space to think clearly...

Yes, it can be that simple.

1. Think of someone that you really, really like, someone that if they asked you to do something you probably would. This could be somebody you know or a desirable film star or a singer for example.

2. Imagine them speaking to you in a pleasant, seductive, persuasive way.

3. Notice the location and qualities of the voice.

4. What do you need to do to make that voice even more compelling? Make it a bit louder? Bring it a little closer? Slow or speed it up? Tweak it so the good feelings increase.

5. Now think of a situation in the near future that you would like to enhance. For example when interacting with others you could enhance your connection with people, have more fun, listen better, enhance your curiosity of others, be more warm, feel increased confidence etc.

6. Now imagine being in your chosen situation and hear the pleasant voice say to you, "And how can you have more fun now?" or "And how can you connect better with others now?"

7. That's it. To really get this programmed in, it's suggested you 'install' the voice into other situations because this helps your unconscious generalise the change. So simply pick another situation and go from step 5 again and look forward to a better future!

As I stated earlier many approaches to change work involve digging around in a someones 'personal history.' If you are still bothered by memories and internal dialogue that come from your past, it's ok, just change the voice now in the present moment. Use the techniques above to CHANGE THE STRUCTURE.

And when you've changed those annoying voices get thinking about your future. One of the great benefits of using 'future orientation,' like the bonus technique above, is that the fact is, the future is packed-full of possibilities.

How many ways can you connect with people?

How many ways can you learn to develop your love for others?

How many ways can you learn to have more fun?

How many ways can you become creative?

Now I don't suggest you get into the habit of installing useful inner dialogue into your future(s) because that could program you to have more optimism.

And that could allow you to feel more healthy, happier and peaceful couldn't it?