NLP Submodalities HTML for the Brain

[wpseo_breadcrumb]NLP Submodalities are “HTML for the brain”. It’s how the brain codes data so we know what we like and what we don’t like… what ‘s good for us and what’s not…what’s real and what’s imagined.

The term “modalities” describe our modes of taking in sensory data. These are our sensory input channels; visual, auditory, kinesthetic (touch), olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste). These sensory modalities are referred to as representational systems in NLP terms.

Submodalities are the fine distinctions we can notice in each modality or “rep system”. Along the lines of the movie analogy, they are often referred to as cinematic features.

Types of NLP Submodalities

Some visual NLP submodalities to look for are… is it in B&W or color… is it a snapshot or moving picture… sharp or blurry… big or small… where is it located, front and center or up and to the left?

Some examples of auditory submodalities to listen for are… is it loud or soft…what’s the tone… pitch… is it close or far away…muffled or clear?

Some Kinesthetic (touch) NLP submodalities to grasp might be… rough or smooth…heavy or light…what texture is it… are there any physical sensations attached…sharp or dull.. does it seem to have a temperature?

In a live theater, they create an experience for us with the use of cinematic features such as zooming in or zooming out, using certain music to create a mood or accentuate a feeling, fading out of one point in time and back into another (flashbacks).

Movie directors can take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with the use of NLP submodalities suddenly changing frames to something totally unexpected…like two people leisurely riding in a car who suddenly get crushed by a truck running a light as they are passing through an intersection.

Shifting NLP Submodalities

Sudden submodality shifts can do the same thing in the theater of your mind. These submodality shifts can create experiences of varying intensity… If the shift is intense enough it can code in another choice of reaction (or network) for the subconscious mind.

This process doesn’t get rid of the unwanted network of behavior, belief or other cognition…it simply provides the brain another choice. The subconscious mind then chooses the best option.

Click on the following link to download a PDF file of various submodality distinctions.

Download NLP submodalities-worksheet