Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the study of excellence.
It is possible that you will find thousands of definitions of NLP. Some will call it a form of effective communication, some call it the core of all Coaching techniques, some will define it as an extremely powerful therapeutic technique. I remember listening to a trainer who said that it is neither of those but a Model of all models. And what is interesting is that they are all correct.
In simple words, NLP is a popular form of applied psychology that has some serious scientific backing. It is not uncommon to find concepts of NLP and techniques being part of some of the renowned therapeutic techniques. Now whether they came to NLP from those intervention techniques or they were adapted from NLP is difficult to establish, but, what is certain is that Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has evolved over a period of time and is being used in various therapeutic, Coaching, and businesses. It is simple and with its vast application field, you are bound to find different people define it differently.
Technically N, L, and P in NLP mean:
N (Neuro) – Brain, sensory and nervous system, your means to receive information from the external and internal world that helps you form your perception.
L (Linguistic) – Verbal and non-verbal cues that make part of your understanding and means to communicate with the internal and external world.
P (Programming) – Conscious and unconscious programs that are run by us in our mind in response to stimulus and corresponding inference you draw from your experience
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is also defined as process-driven, outcome-oriented psychology which deals with the how of any given situation and the why (motivation/ outcome) and is not concerned so much with the what (content) and the why (excuses for not doing anything) the last two as per NLP principles have no bearing on the problem and working of solution.
It describes the fundamental dynamics and connections between the mind (neuro) and language (linguistic) and how their interplay affects our body and behavior (programming). Neuro refers to the neurological system and is based on the idea that we only experience the world through our senses and translate this sensory information into thought processes, both conscious and unconscious. These thought processes activate the neurological system, which affects our physiology, emotions, and behavior.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is about learning how to manage our neurological system for optimum results or to put it more simply NLP is about state control – controlling the state you are in. Linguistic refers to the way human beings use language to make sense of the world, capture and conceptualize experience, and communicate that experience to others. It is the study of how words mediate and influence human experience. Much of NLP is about learning how to think and communicate more effectively with yourself and others. Not to communicate using a lot of superfluous and often misunderstood additional words.