Pseudoscience and Manipulation

A simple internet or AI search for the term ‘NLP’ will quickly throw you into chasms of confusion! A great deal has been written and said about NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), some of it is accurate and helpful, conversely, there is also an element which is full of misconceptions, written by those who have no clear and developed understanding of what NLP actually represents. The three primary misconceptions which are often levelled at NLP are: It is a pseudoscience, it is used for manipulation, it has no academic grounding.

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I would love to begin today’s article by exploring these misconceptions about NLP.

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Pseudoscience – Pseudoscience refers to ideas or practices that present themselves as scientific without meeting the standards of scientific investigation. This might include making claims that cannot be tested, ignoring evidence that contradicts a theory, or presenting assumptions as established scientific facts. There is a legitimate scientific debate surrounding NLP.

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Let’s begin with how NLP is presented into the world. Do those who know NLP in great depth and are well trained and practiced in its use, claim that it is a purely scientific approach? No. NLP has never claimed that it is a pure science.

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NLP is best presented to the world as both an art and a science. NLP is grounded in elements of Neuroscience and Psychology and at the same time has origins in Transformational Grammar, Linguistics and General Semantics. This heady blend is the source of the undeniable power of NLP and provides a rounded and complete approach to personal development, problem solving and change.  

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NLP is also supremely well tested. Over 50 years, NLP has been tested across multiple life contexts by thousands of Practitioners from all over our wonderful globe. At the University of Santa Cruz, California, research and testing were completed over the span of a whole decade, both within the confines of the University with undergraduate and post graduate groups who met to test the theories multiple times a week and externally within mental health clinics, working with patients with whom traditional methods of the day had produced minimal results, the so called ‘impossible’ patients. The success the creators of NLP had with the ‘impossible’ patients confounded the psychologists and psychiatrists under whose care these patients failed to progress. The most interesting aspect of that success was undoubtedly the speed at which the patients began to demonstrate positive results.

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NLP is manipulative – Perhaps this is the accusation that deserves the greatest consideration.

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Let us begin with the dictionary definition of ‘manipulative’. ‘Influencing or attempting to influence the behaviour or emotions of others for one’s own purposes.’

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Manipulation involves influencing another person in a way that serves the manipulator's interests, often by exploiting vulnerabilities, withholding information or bypassing someone's ability to make an informed choice.

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NLP certainly explores influence and communication. It examines how language, physiology, attention and emotional states affect the way we interact with ourselves and others.

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Influence is not the automatic complex equivalence of manipulation.

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A teacher influences a student, a coach influences a client, a parent influences a child, a speaker influences an audience. Influence is an unavoidable part of human communication.

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The important distinction is the intention behind that influence and the respect shown for the other person's autonomy.

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Used ethically, NLP can help someone communicate more clearly, develop greater self-awareness, challenge unhelpful beliefs, overcome fears and recognise choices they may previously have overlooked. It can also help professionals become more attentive communicators, understanding that the words they use and the way they deliver them can have a profound effect on another person's experience. None of this requires deception, coercion or control.

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Of course, in reality, NLP can be used manipulatively. So can psychology, sales techniques, advertising and the everyday language you hear across social media channels and the news. No methodology is immune to misuse simply because it has useful applications.

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There is a truth here, erroneously connected to a huge misconception. NLP is about positively influencing the behaviour and emotional content of people who are seeking assistance to change. NLP Practitioners who have been well trained and properly accredited by an established and respected NLP Board (like the ANLP and ABNLP) have an indelible ethical code of practice and are entirely outwardly focussed.

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No academic grounding – Anyone who has bothered to research the origins of NLP and read the many accounts of its genesis will know that the study harked from post-graduate University studies, initiated by Richard Bandler and Frank Pucelik and initially peer reviewed by Professor John Grinder. Many texts and papers were produced and published prior to the discipline of NLP being opened up to others in the form of a structured training. Ten years of research and peer review passed by before NLP left the confines of the University halls.  

So, the misconceptions addressed, what IS NLP?

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Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the study of what successful people, from all walks of life, do in their minds when they create their success. It’s a model of human behaviour and contains techniques for changing behaviour easily and effortlessly, in a very natural way. For over 50 years, the art and science of NLP has evolved into the magnificent model of learning, communication and change that we are so lucky to have in our lives today. Whilst other personal development ‘fads’ have been forgotten and lost after their 15 minutes of fame, NLP remains strong and is still growing in popularity. This fact tells you everything you need to know about the power of NLP when you embroider it into your life. Your personal tapestry suddenly lights up and the picture of your life is yours to paint, however you want it, right now.

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NLP facilitates the development of deeply rooted personal empowerment. You learn to change your thinking so that you can create success in your life, for the rest of your life. NLP thinking is something that you install in your neurology, you make success a habit. If you think learning NLP will mean getting a manual, learning some new stuff and then putting the manual on a shelf to gather dust, then please reconsider. Once you have this new, positive, empowered thinking, you have it for the rest of your life, it becomes part of who you are and supports your identity.

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Once you possess a new, more productive way of thinking, you will want to share it with others. Many of our graduates have gone on the build their own businesses in their specific areas of interest. Some have taken NLP into the business arena, some into personal coaching and therapy, others have taken NLP into education and many others into sport. The possibilities for you are endless and the return on investment is massive because what you gain remains useful for life. How many other investments do you make that last a lifetime?

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So, as you think about beginning a new life era, what is it that you really want for yourself and for everything and everyone within your sphere of influence? The greater question is, what are you willing to do and to change to get it?

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