NLP Communication Model is a means to understand how we communicate with ourselves and others. The model describes how the mind works. The major functions of the mind. How the mind influences our decisions and actions. It also provides us insight into our default habits and how habits can be changed.
Communication is an important skill for success in life and therefore it is important that we make an effort to understand why we communicate the way we do.
NLP Communication Model
Overview of the NLP Communication Model
We have taken liberties to develop this model based on our understanding of the functions of the mind.
Benefits of the Model
NLP techniques are like practical psychology skills that immediately enhance your communication ability.
This model helps us to understand how we process the information received from the outside of our body. Once we understand the model, we can understand how our filters of perception, influence us and why we perceive our world differently from others.
We would like to understand the communication model in NLP terminology so that we can apply the NLP techniques to improve our communication. By acquiring NLP skills, we learn to overcome these limitations (NLP filters of perceptions) in situations where they hamper our progress.
Once you are able to achieve the desired outcomes in various situations of life, you get a feeling of empowerment. With such empowerment, your satisfaction level, and happiness improve.
Internal and External Components
Most of our thinking and actions depend on the needs of our body and mind. Most of us are interested in knowing how we can attain what we want with the least amount of effort.
However, in this quest to achieve our outcomes, we face internal and external challenges. Do we have control over these challenges? We do control our external environment and minimize the challenges that we have to face. Can we have more control over the internal challenges? If we can learn to deal with these internal feelings and thinking-related challenges we can definitely be happier than we already are.
Before diving deep into this model, let’s understand the internal and external components of this model. Our body and mind are our internal organs or the internal components of the NLP communication model. The stimulus we receive from the world around us and our behavior or response are the external components of this model.
NLP Communication Model Illustration
This model is helpful for you to understand what is different within us, and why we feel, think, and behave differently from others around us. If you can change your internal levers so that your feelings, thinking, and ultimately behavior change. Your behavior changes, in turn, influence your outcomes.
The quality of our behavior affects the quality of our relationships with ourselves and others. If you can improve your relationships, you can improve your happiness levels. Is it not what you are looking for?
The diagram below illustrates the various functions of the NLP Communication Model.
We will now get into understanding the components of this model as illustrated herein.
Body, Mind, Events, and Behavior
We perceive using our body and mind. The NLP communication model breaks up the “body and mind” internal system into functional components so that we can understand the model of perception and communication.
We perceive sensations at the level of the body which is labeled as Physiology. We may not ordinarily perceive the sensations, but with some attention and practice, we can become aware of our physiological sensations on a consistent basis.
There is a continuous flow of stimulus coming from outside the body and mind system. The stimuli that affect us most, are the ones we consider as positive or negative trigger events. These known triggers are labeled in the diagram as Events.
Our reactions/responses to these events are observable behavior patterns labeled as Behavior.
Repetitive events that need improvement in behavior can be observed so that you can find the solutions for these challenges.
Our mind’s functions can be classified into functional categories for the purpose of the model. The bidirectional arrows in the model are to show the interdependence of these four functions and that the Mind is essentially one system.
Understanding the Four Powerful Functions of the Mind
The functions of the mind can be classified into two primary categories; the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The choices we have, the decisions we make, or using our willpower are some of the conscious mind functions. Our automatic reactions to situations are based on our internal representations, filters of perception, our mental state, and associated Physiological state are a result of our subconscious mind functions. Our self-awareness connects our conscious mind with our subconscious mind. We can develop our overall self-awareness through meditation or other similar practices.
In the context of situational behavior, we can use NLP to develop the required insights to give us the behavior flexibility we need to succeed.
Subconscious Mind Functions
1. Filters of Perception
There is too so much sensory information that we receive from the world around us. For immediate decision-making, we only need what is the relevant scope of information, and accuracy to the extent required. Our mind is this super-efficient and effective instrument to selectively provide us with the information we need. When we analyze this function of the mind, we come across various types of filtration that the mind does. Hence the first function of the mind is referred to in this model as the “Filters of Perception”.
2. Internal Representation
These habits are the automatic reactions/responses to stimuli/events. They are very speedy in nature. These automatic responses are super-efficient and consistent in nature. To be efficient in response our mind generalizes the information it receives, and stores this internal representation for quick referencing. Overgeneralized internal representation for example may lead to inappropriate responses in some situations which may be hampering our progress. The function that manages the information received by the mind and creates the referencing mechanism for quick retrieval of information is what we call “Internal Representation”. This second function of the mind is the one that directs our habits.
3. Manage State
We, humans, are social beings. The social connection of our being can be observed through our feelings. The feelings provide the motive power to our thoughts and trigger various actions. Based on sensory information received, the internal representation, and our intentions, the feelings are automatically generated. This third function of the mind which energizes us through feelings is labeled as a system of internal states or simply called “State“.
Conscious Mind Functions
4. Change Thinking
Like animals, we do behave in an automatic manner to stimulus to a large extent. But we have the willpower to control our emotions and reactions. We plan our life and have goals in our lives. To achieve these goals, we like to exercise our freedom to choose from the available alternatives. We feel happy to exercise our choice or when we get what we like or prefer. This fourth function of the mind related to thinking, the use of willpower, the ability to choose, analyze, etc is called herein the “conscious mind“.
Personality Development Takeaways
There could be many more models for personal growth, but NLP is one of the effective models which can help you get what you want. There are some models based on spirituality which can help you become a better person. You may like to know to compare NLP with other spirituality-based mind models.
Whether we react based on our existing conditioning or we are able to choose a new response depends on a number of factors. How and why the mind responds in a fixed manner and how we can change the behavior can be understood. We can understand our behavior with the NLP communication model.
A complex behavior problem can be solved if it is broken down into smaller manageable chunks. We can use our understanding of the functions of the mind and learn to transform our mind by learning to make changes to the mind’s functions; our filters of perception, our internal representation system, our state, or our thinking.
The external events or situations that we face may be similar. Yet our perspective or opinion about the situations may be different. Our perception of external events depends on our sensory experience. How we related to the external world is mainly determined by what goes on in our heads or our perspective. There is a difference between perception and perspective. Both influence each other and are dependent on our existing conditioning.
Understanding the NLP Filters of Communication such as Neurological Filters, Language Filters, and sensory filters can give us a deeper understanding of why our mind works the way it does, and how we can influence it.
