Last week we explored 3 essentials for coaching, healing & changework. This week, we're going to play with an often misunderstood aspect of NLP. In this article, you're going to learn about anchoring: what it is, why it's important, & how to use it effectively.

When I first started learning NLP, I picked up a very limited idea of anchoring. I was told to think of a time when I felt a specific feeling (Eg. confidence) then see what I saw, hear what I heard & feel what I felt when I had that feeling. I was then told to “anchor” the confidence by squeezing my thumb & forefinger together when the feeling was at its strongest. This particular procedure didn't give me a dramatic result, so I came to the conclusion that anchoring didn't work for me.

Believe it or not, I carried the idea that anchoring didn't work for me for a couple of years, until one day I had a sudden realisation:

Words are super-mega-anchors!

As you read the words on this page, it's likely that you hear them in your head. The symbols on the page are visual anchors that trigger the verbal utterances (sounds) you hear in your mind. But it doesn't stop there. These sounds are auditory anchors that trigger sensory representations (pictures, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings) inside your mind (the words on the page will be anchors for those representations to some extent too).

Read the following words slowly to yourself:
 

·         Lion

·         Lemon

·         Bicycle

·         Thunderstorm

·         Sunset

·         Porcupine

·         Cheesecake

·         Lingerie

Chances are, you noticed images, sounds & other sensory experience as you did so. That's because the words themselves are powerful anchors. When you hear read them or hear them, they activate sensory experience in your bodymind.

The fact that you can read this sentence means that anchoring works very effectively for you. And what is in anchor?

An anchor is created when one set of sensory representations is connected to another. Think “Pavlov's dog” (and if your mouth starts watering, you've just discovered another anchor). There are tons of natural examples of this:
 

·         A favorite song comes on the radio & you suddenly remember a joyful occasion when you first heard it.

·         You catch a whiff of perfume & remember someone special who wore it.

·         You pick up the phone & you recognize who's voice it is & smile.

·         You smell freshly cut grass & are transported to a childhood summer's day.

So what does this have to do with NLP Technique secrets? Well, one of the presuppositions of NLP is that people already have all the resources they need. You can think of an anchor as being almost like a handle that you can attach to a resource so you can carry it to where it's needed.
 

Here are some of the ways I do this when I'm working with groups & individuals:

1)      I use my voice to create tonal anchors

When you listen to me speaking, you'll hear me use a wide variety of voice tones. These are very powerful anchors that people don't often notice consciously, but the unconscious is very alert to voice tone. I use different tones to:
 

·         To create separate communication channels for the conscious & unconscious minds.

·         To create incongruence when I say something “negative” so that the unconscious mind doesn't take it seriously.

·         To create separate tones for different characters in a story.

·         To anchor specific states.
 

2)      I use visual anchors, particularly facial expressions & hand positions

·         To create a “garbage can” for negative states & attitudes

·         To connect two ideas together at different points in time

·         To anchor a person's state
 

3)      I use spatial anchors, getting people to move around the space we're in

The unconscious mind is very alert to territory, so I get a person to move to different points on the floor to:
 

·         Anchor resources

·         Anchor particular events

·         Explore possible futures

·         To “walk through” metaphorical landscapes
 

4)      I use gestural anchors, particularly a person's own gestures
 

Gestures are very powerful symbols. In fact, a person's gesture system comes “on line” even before their spoken language, so it has a deep connection to the unconscious mind. I almost always “borrow” a person's gestures, on the basis that each gesture is connected to specific internal representations for the person, often representation that they're not even consciously aware of!
 

5)      I use a person's keywords

A person's exact keywords are powerful anchors for them, so I use them to access those resources. When a person's talking about something that's important to them, listen for the words they lean on, particularly the “value” words. On the DVD where I'm working with Jill (get yours here), you'll hear me mirroring her exact words, words like “confident”, “successful” and “on my own”.
 

6)      Once in a while, I use touch anchors

Don't get me wrong – I touch people all the time. But I'm not always anchoring. Often, I'm just “making a connection” with them. However, when I see someone experiencing a powerful state that I want to stick a handle on, I'll often reach out & touch them.
 

And the essentials of anchoring?

A)  Elicitation

The more powerful & “clean” the state is that you're anchoring, the better the anchor will be. When I first started learning NLP, the problem wasn't with the anchors I was setting. The problem was that I wasn't eliciting clean, powerful states in the first place.
 

B)  Timing

Set the anchors as the person's state is increasing. All too often, I watch people set anchors after the person's moved out of the state altogether! Timing matters.
 

C)  Precision

If you anchor using a specific voice tone, touch or gesture, use the exact same voice tone, touch or gesture to fire the anchor. Precision counts!
 

You can watch & listen as I demonstrate all these forms of anchoring & more on the NLP Technqiues Masterclass DVDs. Get your copy right away to ensure you give your clients, colleagues & friends the best experiences & results possible. We've only produced 100 PAL & 100 NTSC copies, so order now to ensure you don't have to wait for the next run.

http://www.saladltd.co.uk/catalog/nlp-techniques-masterclass-dvd-set-p-170.html

Have a great week

To your success!

Your friend

Jamie

Jamie Smart

Jamie Smart
CEO
jamie.smart@saladltd.co.uk