Again, access each system as completely and separately as you can. You may want to try a simple task, like imagining yourself getting up from your place and opening a door, utilizing each system by itself, in succession. That is, first limit yourself to only fantasizing the action visually; then go back and just talk yourself through it, or do it by sound; then go through just the feelings of the action and so on.
Most of you will probably notice, with this exercise and with Part I, that you are able to access particular representational systems with varying degrees of ease — it may be easier for you to get in touch with feelings than to tune in to internal dialogue or to make internal pictures; or vice versa. You can feel free to use this as feedback for which systems you need to develop or enrich, or practice with.
Step 3. Fold your hands. As you judge that you are able to access each representational system as completely as you can, squeeze your hands together — only as tightly as you are able to completely access that system.
Step 4. Begin to access all systems internally at the same time (you may put all of your senses to work on a single experience, or tune each system to a different experience — seeing one thing, talking to yourself about something else, feeling something new, and smelling something that doesn't have anything to do with the others). Squeeze your hands together only as tightly as you are able to do this successfully.
Step 5. Keep repeating the process until all you have to do is sit down and clasp your hands together tightly and your focus of attention automatically turns inward without any conscious effort.
As you do this exercise, pay attention to the cues and distinctions that allow you to access and discriminate between the representational systems you are accessing and the states you are creating. These anchors will be very valuable to you as they will give you quick access to full sensory experiences externally oriented for gathering information (that is, "uptime"); and internally oriented for extended processing of information ("downtime").
You may also wish to establish anchors for yourself in this way for other states or experiences such as relaxation, creativity, motivation, etc. The pattern of this process is that embodied by all biofeedback: A certain state picked and identified. As the individual accesses that state he is given feedback for it by way of a particular stimulus — thehe tightness of the grip in this case (Ke); it is done through tones (Ae), or by intensity or color of light or the position of an arm on a dial (Ve) in other biofeedback processes. After a while the feedback stimulus and the target state become associated (the stimulus becomes an anchor for the state) so that the mere presentation of the feedback stimulus anchors and contributes to to the development of the target state.
You may wish to experiment with internal anchors as well. For instance, if you wish to be able to access a state of relaxation easily you can begin by imaging a color vividly in your mind's eye. Begin to allow your body to relax as much as possible, lowering your breathing and relaxing any tense muscles. As you reach the state you desire, watch the color change to a color that most exemplifies that state for you (from orange to blue for example). You may also wish to allow the color to change configuration (watch it drip down into your stomach as it changes color). Keep practicing until you are able to access the state of relaxation by simply imagining the color. Then, when you notice you are tense or anxious, and you wish to have a choice about the condition, all you need to do is simply close your eyes momentarily, take a deep breath and imagine the color, and it will access the desired state.
Many forms of meditation involve auditory anchors like mantras and chanting to access downtime states or relaxation. The words or sounds are repeated as the individual enters the state. Later, repeating the sounds will readily anchor up the designated state.
Incidentally, if you ever want to reprogram or "get rid of any anchors you have established, all you need to do is collapse the anchor with some other anchor or experience. For example, you could squeeze your wrist at the same time you fire off some other anchor or when you are experiencing some other state. Remember, though, that when you fire off the anchor you wish to reprogram it will influence your ongoing experience, so that when you are reprogramming yourself be sure to pick anchors, states and/or experiences that are of equal intensity and strength to the one you are changing.
If you wish to strengthen an anchor be sure you pick a stimulus that you can keep fairly autonomous and that won't be accidently fired off and integrated with others.
EXERCISE B — Collapsing Anchors With Someone Else.
This exercise will help you to get a feel for consciously using anchoring with someone else.
Step 1. Sit down with someone you can be comfortable with and ask him to tell you about a time when he was particularly resourceful, creative and confident.
Step 2. As the individual remembers and recounts this experience, reach out and kinesthetically anchor it by placing your left hand on his right knee. Use your sensory abilities as feedback to be sure that you are only touching the person's knee when he is accessing the experience he is describing.
Step 3. (Optional). Get a full 4–tuple for the experience by taking the person through each of his sensory systems, focusing both internally and externally, and checking which are operating during the state. For example:
How do you feel inside when you are in this state? (Ki)
Do you have any external body awareness? (Ke)
Where and how fast are you breathing when you are in this state? (Kc)
Do you have any internal dialogue? (Aid)
How well do you hear what's happening around you? (Ae)
What does your own voice sound like when you are in this state? (Aet)
Can you see clearly what is going on around you? (Ve)
Do you see anything in your head? (Vi)
How well can you smell in this state? (Oe)
Are you remembering any smells or tastes? (Oi)
Use your sensory experience to make sure that they are checking each of these systems, and calibrate to make sure all accessing is of the same intensity. As they access each portion of the experience anchor each one on the left knee. You will then have anchored the entire 4–tuple. We can notate this in the following way:
∮1 → <Ae,i1 , Ve,i1 , Ke,i1 , Oe,i1>
This shows that anchor number one, "∮1", elicits state number one.
Step 4. Continue to test and reinforce the anchor until you are satisfied that it has been solidly established. It is not necessary that the individual know consciously what you are doing for the anchor to be effective. Nor will the person's awareness of what you are doing interfere with the process, unless it is keeping him from accessing the information you want. It will be up to you to decide whether to tell the person what you are doing or not. (You may also wish to have the person establish a self controlled anchor as a resource.)
Step 5. Next, ask the individual if there is some situation or task in which he typically find himself inefficient or blocked. As the individual discusses the situation, anchor it by reaching out with your right hand and placing it on the person's left knee. Again, use your sensory experience to make sure you are anchoring at the appropriate times.