Brain Software Podcast 28: What’s Happening in the World of NLP (with Hugh Comerford)

Brain Software hypnosis podcastWe’re back with the utterly amazing 28th episode of Brain Software with Mike Mandel!. This time we have our special guest, Hugh Comferford from NLP Works, who is Canada’s foremost NLP trainer and the man that Mike Mandel refers to as “The best NLP trainer I’ve ever seen”.

NLP, for those not aware, stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming.

Here’s the quick version of discussion topics that we went through:

  • Mike asks Hugh to explain what happened to the world of NLP. Hugh’s answer provides some nice insight into just how distorted this field has become. Don’t fall for the garbage, guys. Train with real pros like Hugh.
  • Hugh explains 3 different definitions of NLP. They are about: 1) Modeling; 2) Process; 3) Distortion of tools to “control” people, and sometimes this gets used in a degenerative context, and often goes off the rails.
  • Guess what? If someone offers you a $99 weekend NLP practitioner training certification – it’s not going to teach you enough NLP to be considered a practitioner.
  • Chris brings up the concept that NLP is not a science. It’s a model. Mike refines this by saying it’s a “model about models”.
  • Hugh talks about using NLP to help clients disconnect from fear, build rapport, and many other examples that give people measurable results. Mike points out that everything Hugh says falls perfectly into line with the Mandel Model of Therapy (discussed on other podcasts). This model says that a therapist can’t go into the labyrinth, kill the minotaur and drag the subject out. He can only shine the light on the path and guide the subject.
  • The importance of asking good questions – Hugh often asks his clients to teach him how to do what they do. For example, “How do you get so scared?” Once you understand how to create a state, you can then, as Hugh puts it, “mess things up” so they can’t get back to their old (negative) state.
  • Mike and Hugh discuss the neuroscience that is now proving exactly how NLP works. Remember NLP was never introduced as a science. Richard Bandler and John Grinder didn’t care about science being able to prove that something works. They cared about observing results. But now that neuroscience is advancing, it’s becoming more clear as to how it works.
  • Hugh goes through a discussion of eye accessing cues, and how the brain accesses certain senses by moving the eyes in a particular direction. This is a model, not reality for everyone. But you can calibrate each person and use their particular behavior to use this model effectively. It’s fascinating stuff!
  • We progress to a discussion of where NLP is today, and how perceptual positions and movement was brought into the model.
  • Mike points out that it is simply appalling how some NLP “trainers” are performing NLP training events and even certifying other trainers, when they’ve never done proper training themselves. Lesson for you: Find out what the credentials are of YOUR trainer before you sign up for an NLP course. Find out who trained your trainer.
  • Chris asks Hugh to explain just how complicated NLP is to learn. Hugh jokes about “NLP Geeks”, who are the folks nobody else can understand (and make NLP sound weird). Hugh’s job is to demystify NLP and explain it in plain English. As he says, it is NOT complicated or difficult. Mike points out that great instructors are teaching principles. They are not teaching techniques. Don’t use scrips in NLP. As Hugh points out, scripts simply allow you to read. Nothing more.

Hugh Comerford’s organization NLP Works can be found by clicking this link.

Final reminders: Mike Mandel’s MINDSCAPING class in February is filling up. There is now less than 2 weeks to register.

The April training of The Architecture of Hypnosis is a little further out, but is filling up in record time, so if you want a spot make sure to sign up before it’s sold out.

Closing metaphor: The master clockmaker. Pay attention to this one, folks.

Please leave a rating for this podcast in iTunes!  Go leave a rating in iTunes, and send in your questions by emailing questions (at) MikeMandelHypnosis (dot) com.

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