Neuro-linguistic programming facts for kids
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a way of thinking about communication and personal growth. It first appeared in a book in 1975 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
People who support NLP believe there's a link between how our brains work, the language we use, and our learned behaviors. They claim that by understanding these links, we can change them to reach specific goals. Bandler and Grinder even said that NLP could help with problems like phobias (strong fears), feeling sad (depression), tics, and even common illnesses like the common cold. They claimed this could often happen very quickly, sometimes in just one meeting.
Bandler and Grinder also suggested that if NLP was used with a special kind of hypnosis, a person could not only get rid of a problem but also forget they ever had it. For example, they claimed a smoker might forget they ever smoked, even if their family and friends remembered it clearly. They also said that NLP could help people "copy" the skills of very successful individuals, so anyone could learn them.
Some hypnotherapists use NLP. Companies also offer seminars based on NLP, marketing them as leadership training for businesses and government groups.
Is NLP Scientific?
It's important to know that there is no scientific evidence to support the claims made by people who use NLP. Scientists call NLP a pseudoscience. This means it looks like science but doesn't follow scientific rules or isn't proven by real research.
Scientists have looked closely at NLP. They found that its ideas about how the brain works are old and don't match what we know about the brain today. They also found many mistakes in the facts NLP uses. Studies that seemed to support NLP often had big problems in how they were done. On the other hand, many more high-quality studies have tried to test NLP's claims and found that they are not true.
People Connected to NLP
- Steve Andreas
- Richard Bandler
- John Grinder
- Paul McKenna
See Also
- Emotional freedom technique
- List of unproven and disproven cancer treatments
- Milton H. Erickson
- Family systems therapy
- Frank Farrelly
- Avatar Course
