A lot of NLP looks at language and how we use it to convey our messages. Importantly, it recognises the power of language, and how our choice of words can change the message. The same applies to images and sounds, how things feel, and how they taste and smell. Indeed, our whole world is made up of our sensory experiences. There are no surprises there. Critically, though, by picking our words, adjusting what we see and hear, we can seriously change the meaning. Essentially, it’s all about transforming language for the best expert results.
Basically, it’s all about adjusting the sub-modalities. The modalities are very simply the five senses. The sub-modalities are the fine-tuning of the senses.
With what we see, we can change the images from colour to black and white. Images can be still or moving, big of small, close or far away. In focus or blurred. The list goes on.
Sounds can be loud or quiet, upbeat or downbeat. Warm or cold. Obviously, the pattern continues for the kinaesthetic, the gustatory and the olfactory.
Crucially, if we understand the sub-modalities we can do two things. Firstly, we can change our own perceptions of the world that we experience. Tweak the sub-modalities and change our perception of bad memories. Alternatively, adjust the sub-modalities to make a challenging task seem more appealing. Playing around with the sub-modalities, and suddenly the scary monster is less scary, and the bold plan is even more appealing.
Secondly, if we understand sub-modalities, we get to see how others are presenting information in different ways, possibly reinforcing a message that they want to convey.
Advertisers, for example, play around with the sub-modalities all of the time. Bright, colourful images with cheerful sounds to sell you a holiday. Promotions of comfort and luxury to sell you a new sofa. Campaigns of subtle lighting and sleek reflections to promote a car. They get the best expert results. You get the idea.
Just notice how those sub-modalities are used the next time you see an advert. It really will change your perception of what is happening.
Politics is another area where sub-modalities are stretched to the limit. Scenes are amended and changed, colours shifted, features altered. Add a little music or background sound, and suddenly it’s a very different experience.
So, check out the four images. All the same yet all different. Which one would you use to promote the town to tourists? And, which one would you use to highlight social problems or a town in decline?
Now look at the pictures with the different music playing. What happens?
The power of all of this is incredible. It’s the subject of my latest podcast, which you listen to here (or on your usual podcast provider – find me on Spotify, Amazon, YouTube and Apple Podcasts).
So, if all of this makes sense and you know what to do next, make it happen. Alternatively, if you’re not sure, book an initial consultation here, and then take the next step. You know that you can do it, and you know that it makes sense, don’t you?They get
