Welcome to this free NLP Ezine
Hi everybody, and welcome to "NLP: The Secret Science of Self- Empowerment." This Ezine is designed to bring to you techniques, theories and exercises from the fascinating field of Neurolinguistic Programming.

NLP offers concepts that can help you develop better relationships with others and yourself - and focuses on bringing forth the unlimited powers of genius that lie withing each one of us.

About This Issue
To finish the miniseries on representational systems (the last 3 issues of this Ezine) we are going to look at one of the techniques NLP is most known for: The Swish Pattern. The Swish Pattern was developed by Richard Bandler in the early days of NLP (1980s) and is a very fast way to overcome unwanted behaviors, utilizing representational systems.



This Issues Article:

The Swish Pattern: Overcoming Unwanted Behavior - FAST!

The Swish Pattern is based on the idea that most unwanted behaviors, be it smoking, overeating, getting angry, or being late for appointments, have a visual cue that occurs just before the behavior happens. In other words: There is a picture in the mind that acts as a start button for the unwanted behavior. For example, one individual sees his hand pull a cigarette out of the pack of cigarettes, just before he feels a craving for a smoke.

This visual cue that starts the unwanted behavior is the starting point for the swish pattern. The second step is to identify the picture of "the you who no longer feels compelled to do the unwanted behavior." Once both pictures have been identified and you can bring them before your mind's eye at will, you can start the swish pattern.

Before I explain more details, take a look at the Swish Pattern steps:

  1. Identify the visual cue (trigger) of your unwanted behavior.
  2. Create a visual representation of your desired behavior.
  3. Visualize the picture associated with your unwanted behavior as large and bright, filling your entire field of vision. Simultaneously, visualize the picture associated with your desired behavior as small and dim, somewhere on top of the large picture.
  4. Rapidly (less than a second) decrease the size and brightness of the large image, while increasing the size and brightness of the second.
  5. Break State: Open your eyes and look around, ending the swish cycle.
  6. Repeat step 1-5 at least 5 times, increasing the speed each time.

Things to keep in mind to make the Swish Pattern work:

Chose powerful pictures. Spend some time on both your cue picture that triggers your unwanted behavior and the picture of the you who is free of the compulsion to do the behavior. Change the submodalities in order to find the version of the picture that has the most power to compel you to do your unwanted behavior (in case of the cue picture) and attract you to a non-compelled state (in case of the picture of the desired you).

Choose the right submodalities. For most people the submodalities of size and brightness work best to intensify and weaken the power of their pictures, but any other pair is fine, too, as long as it works for you (More on submodalities here). However, make sure you stick with the same pair for the cue picture and the "desired you" picture.

Some finer points: Your cue for the unwanted behavior typically is associated, i.e. you are looking out through your own eyes (as the guy who saw a picture of his hand pulling a cigarette out of the pack). The picture of the you that is free of any compulsion should be disassociated, i.e. it should be a picture in which you see yourself from outside your body. Like somebody took your photo. Also, it should be showing what you look like as that new person, rather than show you doing a new behavior. The focus is on who you are as that new person, rather than on what you do. Experiments have show that this way the picture is more attractive and produces better results.

The Swish should be carried out at least 5 times, initially. The more powerful the pictures you chose move you, the more powerful the swish will be. If the swish is done right, it will start to occur automatically, every time your cue for the unwanted behavior pops up. Think of it as a call forwarding system. As soon as telephone A (your unwanted behavior) starts ringing, a software (your Swish) forwards the call to telephone B (the you who is free of the behavior).

Make it faster each time and interrupt after each cycle. Speed is important. By the time you have done the swish five times you should be doing it in a blink of an eye. Make sure you open your eyes and look around after each swish, to interrupt the pattern. Otherwise it becomes a cycle, going from the desired you back to the cue for the unwanted behavior.

Swishes can be done in other representational systems (e.g. audio, kinesthetic, etc.) as well. The structure is the same as with the visual swish. Instead of pictures, you will be working with sounds and sensations of touch, temperature, etc.

Final Tip: The swish pattern looks very easy, however, it can be challenging to find the right pictures to make it effective. Spend some time finding a cue picture that really compels you to do your unwanted behavior and an attractive picture that shows you as a new person without that compulsion. The better you pictures, the better your results with the swish.

References:

Change your mind and keep the change, Andreas, S. and C., 1988.

Using Your Braini, Bandler, R., 1985.

All the best,

Christoph Schertler
NLP Trainer/Coach - Founder PEC, LLC


Latest News:

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About the Author

Christoph Schertler is a certified NLP Trainer and NLP Coach with a passion for helping others to empower themselves and bring forth their power and genius from within. He has trained with some of the biggest names in the field and is a firm believer in the transformational powers of NLP.


More NLP Articles
More information on Christoph Schertler
More information on Neuro-Linguistic Programming
A selection of NLP Books



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DISCLAIMER
The contents herein are solely the opinions of the editors, and should not be considered as a form of therapy nor advice. There is no guarantee of validity or accuracy. Personal Empowerment Coaching, LLC assumes no responsibility for injury and specifically disclaims any warranty, express or implied for any products or services mentioned. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, services of a competent professional should be sought. Copyright (C) 2006 by Personal Empwerment Coaching, LLC. Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged.