Monthly Archives: March 2014

Sensory-Based Description is information that is directly observable and verifiable by the senses. It is the difference between “The lips are removed taut, some parts of her teeth are showing and the edges of her mouth are higher than the main line of her mouth” and “She’s happy” – that is an interpretation.x

Sensory Acuity is the process of learning to make finer and more useful distinctions about the sensory information we experience. It focuses on the realization that there is much more going on around us than we are normally aware of.

Secondary Gain is where an apparently negative or problematic behavior actually provides a positive or beneficial end result in some way. For example, smoking may help a person to relax or interact socially with a particular group of people. A Secondary Gain makes the problematic or unwanted behavior more likely to continue, unless specifically addressed.

Resourceful State is the neurological and physiological experience when a person feels resourceful or confident in their capabilities. 

Requisite Variety is the flexibility of thought and behavior. It signifies that whoever has the greatest flexibility in behavior will have the greatest influence over any situation they are in.  This term originates from the Law of Requisite Variety, which originated in cybernetics and systems thinking.

Representational System Primacy is the systematic use of one sense over the others to process and organize in a given context. Primary representational system will determine many personality traits as well as learning capabilities. See also Primary or Preferred Representational System.

Reframing is a process where new choices or behaviors are established to replace undesired ones while satisfying the same positive intention yet without the problematic by-products. Reframing applies the understanding that the response to a sensory experience is not based on what is going on in sensory experience – it is based on the meaning that the person […]

Rapport is the presence of trust, harmony, and co-operation between people. A relationship or state of having trust and mutual responsiveness with others. Rapport often occurs naturally, and one of the focuses of NLP is learning how to consciously develop it with someone, quickly and easily. Breaking rapport can also be useful in some circumstances. Rapport can be easily […]

Process is about how it is done whereas Content is what is done. What you say is content and how you say it is process. For example the Swish Pattern works with smoking, over-eating, nail-biting, and many other habits, because it works not with the behavior itself but with the way in that an individual is compelled […]

Primary System (Preferred System) is the representational system that an individual uses most to think consciously and organize his or her experience.