A: (Squeezes S's left shoulder) … Now many of you may have noticed that I'm using the same anchor that I used for the other resource, that wasn't effective when we collapsed the anchors before. What I'm doing is what we call "stacking" anchors in NLP. That is, I'm making this anchor an anchor for more than one resource. I'm really building up the resources on this side by collapsing two positive experiences together … You can, of course, stack as many positive anchors as you need in one place … You can also anchor the same experiences in as many places or through as many systems as you need … In fact, Jan, I'd like you to help me out with this as we go on. And what I would like you to do, as you access the information I'm requesting of you, is to squeeze your left hand into a fist only as tight as you are able to access the state and the information fully and completely. So, the more you are squeezing your hand, the more you are accessing the resources. Okay?
S: Squeeze my hand like this? (Squeezes left hand into a fist.)
A: Yes … that'll be fine. But remember, only as intensely as you access the experience … Now I just have a couple more questions … Do you have any internal dialogue when you're 'bluing'?
S: (Eyes down and left) … Umm, Yes … but it's real different than when I'm 'yellow' … It comments more on what's going on around me when I'm 'blue', rather than trying to tell me what to do all the time like it does when I'm yellow … And it's going a lot less of the time. (As S talks she squeezes her fist tighter.)
A: (Squeezes S's shoulder) … Very good … How about external body awareness. Are you aware of how your body feels?
S: (Eyes down and right. Breathing shifts to abdomen.) Yes … I'm generally very relaxed … not tense … and my body feels very centered. (Squeezes her fist.)
A: (Squeezes S's left shoulder.) … All right. Are you aware of internal feelings when you 'blue'?
S: (Eyes remaining down and right, smiles.) Oh yes … I feel really confident and excited. (Squeezes fist.)
A: (Squeezes S's left shoulder.) Where in your body do you feel this?
S: Right in here. (Indicates midline area.)
A: (Squeezes S's shoulder.) Okay, do you smell anything, or taste anything?
S: (Eyes straight right, down left then up.) … Ahh … no, I don't think so.
A: (Squeezes S's left shoulder.) Okay … how about internally. Are you remembering any smells or tastes?
S: Not that I am aware of… (Squeezes fist.)
A: (Squeezes S's left shoulder.) … Fine. (To audience) As you've noticed, this 'blue' is a very different state than the 'yellow'.
(Agreement from audience).
A: Let's look at some of the differences. (Writes on blackboard.)
A: 'Blue' has a lot of resources that tend to get screened out in 'yellow' … (S laughs) … What?
S: I've been trying out my anchor (Squeezes fist)… I like this one.
A: (Laughs.) Well good … Now we can give you a chance to use it … I'd like to offer you a context in which to make use of that anchor. You have a particular situation or state that we have called 'yellow' that you'd like to have more choices about. Your present experience of 'yellow' is a very valuable resource for you because it lets you know that you need to 'blue'. And what I'd like you to do right now is to go back to the last time you experienced 'yellow' and put yourself back into that situation until you see, hear and feel what you were experiencing then. (Squeezes right shoulder.) I want you to imagine how it would have been different if you had been able to bring some 'blue' into that circumstance. (Squeezes left shoulder.) And as you do this I'd like you to squeeze your fist together as much as you need to be able to make whatever changes you need to.
S: (Squeezes her fist. Adjusts posture to sit upright. Takes a deep breath. Eyes shift from down left to up left to down right and then up right. Skin flushes slightly. Smiles and begins to nod her head up and down) … Oh yes … It's a lot clearer now … (Eyes return to straight ahead position but remain defocused)… . (S's eyes become damp) … That's very powerful.
A: Satisfied?
S: Oh yes … (Nods) … I keep flashing (eyes move up & left) on more and more things that I can do.
A: Good. I'm satisfied that she hit all representational systems. I was watching for her cues. How about everybody else? Does your sensory experience check out? (Agreement from the audience.)
A: Every good engineer, of course, will make a set of blueprints before he initiates a project. What we have done here by reprogramming Jan's experience of yellow is a form, a simple form, of behavioral engineering. So what I'd like to do now is have Jan make a detailed blueprint for herself of how her experience will change the next time she encounters yellow. How her specific actions will be different. This is called "future pacing" in NLP … Now if you have lots of time and you aren't doing covert work, you can go over specifics with your client. This can be done through discussion, role playing, guided fantasy … any number of ways are available to you. I'm just going to have Jan fill in the details on her own through her own imagination, using my sensory experience of her nonverbal behavior to make sure, at the formal level, that all of the pieces are there. Remember that, because your internal representations share the same neurology as those that come from external sources, this kind of blueprinting can be as profound as the real thing … Jan, can you think of a time in the near future when you might come up against 'yellow' again?
S: (Lips tightening, nodding.) Oh yes … Really soon in fact.
A: Okay … what I'd like you to do is to imagine, in as much detail as possible, (Squeezes S's right shoulder) what those circumstances might be … and how you will be able to behave differently (Squeezes left shoulder) in this upcoming situation … Squeeze your fist as much as you need to.
S: (Takes a deep breath, squeezes fist) adjusts posture. Eyes shift from down left to up left, to down right, to up right. Smiles and nods.) Umm Hmmm … Yes.
A: Good … Now do you think you can do this on your own— repeat this process whenever you need to and use your resource anchor?
S: (Smiles and nods.) Yes.
A: Great … By the way some of you may have noticed that I did something a little bit tricky when I established Jan's resource anchor. How many of you noticed that when Jan was talking about her frustrating feelings during 'yellow' that she squeezed her left hand into a fist? (Audience agreement.)
A: By incorporating this naturally occurring gesture as a resource anchor, I built in a powerful backup anchor as well. So if for some reason Jan's future pacing isn't successful, and she begins to loop in the 'yellow' again, at some point she'll probably begin to clench her fist naturally and unconsciously. But since it has now become programmed as an anchor for resources it will automatically begin the process of accessing resources … Are there any questions before we move on?
Woman: Yes … What happens to the anchors now?
A: That's a good question … When you collapse two anchors, they, and the experiences they elicit, essentially become anchors for one another. They are "integrated." So Jan will still know what experience I'm referring to when I lower my voice (Lowers voice) and touch her on the right shoulder. But the 4–tuple has changed … Just what does happen, Jan, when I do this? (Squeezes her right shoulder.)
S: (Eyes shift down and left, to down and right to up and right.) Well … I think of the yellow experience, but I also think of how it's different now … It's a lot more comfortable now. I don't have to feel bad about it anymore.
A: A metaphor that I like to use to explain the process, that is probably actually the physical basis for integration, is the response of single brain cells to stimuli presented simultaneously. Let me map this out visually first so it'll be a little easier to follow … (Draws on blackboard):