NLP Anchoring Techniques

NLP Anchoring Techniques

         The term technique is a general term used in the science and technology and it usually represents the practical methods and process to complete a task easily and economically. A person who knows the technique is a technician! In NLP also we use the term to represent the practical methods and systematic process, easy and simple, to make changes in the thinking process and therefore attitude, behaviour and habits of a person to change his life. These techniques either can practice as a self help method or through the intervention of another person. I don’t want to waste your valuable time in explaining such things in detail now.         

       

          In fact I wanted to explain the techniques precisely with short texts but neither you get trained in that way nor you can make use of the technique without understand it correctly. I know that ‘fast food’ and ‘easy cook’ culture is widely acceptable now a days. People are impatient and not ready to read anything other than something titillating. Instead of expressing our emotions directly we all prefer to use emoticons now a day! We are living in a world of emoticons. Sustainable personal changes can be achieved only by learning the change process carefully and implementing it systematically and vigilantly.

          There is a common question as ‘why only very little people are gets changed even though multimillion copies of most inspiring and motivating books are sold out worldwide’.  The answer is that ‘no fast food’ or ‘easy cook’ items included in the book packs! Even a person spoiled fifty years of his valuable life want to change it in an hour! Then what about teenagers and youth?

          Under session “Change Your Mood with NLP Techniques” you have seen how to change your mood using NLP techniques. There you have noticed that we use such techniques in our life very commonly but we never call it as a technique.  From the ancient time itself fishermen and sailors were fixing their boats and ships with the shore to stop it for loading and unloading. However nobody purposely termed the process of such tying up as ‘anchoring’ at that time but when the science and technology developed the experts termed it as anchoring! ‘Anchor’ is the equipment used to tie the ship or vessel with the shore or land.

          Now anchoring is a technical term commonly used in civil and marine engineering. Its meaning is to fix firmly and stably. The term ‘anchoring a ship’ is very familiar to us now. What is the meaning of anchoring in NLP? In NLP Anchoring is a naturally occurring process that associates a unique stimulus to an intense emotional state either positive or negative. Tad James says that “any time a person is in associated intense state and if at the peak of that experience a specific stimulus is applied then the two will get linked neurologically”. When this happen the state (happy, sad, relaxed, aroused etc) is anchored to the stimulus. Anchor acts as a trigger or switch for a state.

          Each of us has personal history that is rich in different emotional states. To experience them we need to trigger some association (mental feelings of actively taking part in the event) in the present to elicit original experiences. Our minds naturally link experiences either very enjoyable or very unpleasant. Thus anchor is a representation (of an experience) internally or externally generated that triggers another representation. A particular smell, taste, sound or picture might trigger a memory or experience. National anthem triggers patriotism and church or temple bells triggers a divine feelings and remind us to prayer. Many anchors originate in the childhood.

          Have you seen how the moms make a child to sleep? They touch or massage rhythmically on a particular place (shoulder, thighs, back etc) on the body of child and sing a melody. When they repeat it daily the baby falls into sleep experiencing the kinesthetic (touch) and auditory (song) sensations. Until and unless these anchors are getting established, mom should work hard with the child! Once the anchor is established it is very easy for her to make the child to sleep. Just touch the child with the same rhythm and sing the same melody. This is technically known as ‘firing the anchor’.

          Have you ever noticed that when your spouse or lover looks you with a particular facial expression you get aroused with sexual emotions? When your boss looks at you with inner meanings, you definitely know what does he means! When a father raises his eyebrow the children understand its meaning. When you reach your dog’s cage on that particular time with that particular communicative signs your dog responds to it.

          Many of you have experiences that when you remember particular events that happened in your life, you feel very happy (say for example, first time you met your wife) or with some other event very sad (say for example, death of your beloved). And now you know how some people looks always sad or depressed. And then definitely you know how to get the people out of sad moods or depression. So anchors have a very important role in creating and changing moods or states of a person.

Exercising the Technique:

1.      Look at various things around you while you stay where you are now.

2.     Gently close your eyes.

3.     Take deep breath and exhale, repeat three times and relax.

4.     Remember the most important and happiest event that happened in your life.

5.     Think that it is happening now and feel all the motions you have experienced at that time.

6.     Slightly increase the wonderful feelings.

7.     At the peak of the feelings just fold your fingers and say ‘wonderful’.

8.     Slightly decrease the feelings until you get completely out of the feelings.

9.     Look at various things around you again.

10.                        Relax for three minutes.

11.                        Repeat step 2 to 10 five times carefully.

How do you feel now? Are you getting relaxed and feeling happy? ‘Concentration’ is a villain here, but don’t worry, we will practice ‘concentration techniques’ also. This is a simple exercise giving you a clue of what the anchoring is. I can give you rigorous training on anchoring techniques, but be patient!

Basic steps to set an Anchor:

1.     Elicit a powerful desired state.

2.     At the peak provide a stimulus as an anchor.

3.     Go back to the normal state.

4.     Break state.

5.     Fire the anchor to test the effectiveness.

Examples of Anchors:

Visual: logos, signals, gestures, facial expressions, symbols. . .

Auditory: tonality, familiar sounds, music, bells. . .

Kinesthetic: specific touch, temperature, emotions, feelings. . .

Olfactory: smell of fruits, flowers, coffee, gas, fast food. . .

Gustatory: taste of coffee, tea, chocolate, food. . .        

Benefits of Anchoring:

-         It improves or changes a person’s state.

-         It helps in obtaining confidence in your abilities.

-         It intensifies positive and resourceful state.

-         It enables you to control your actions.

-         It helps you to feel at your best whenever you want.

Next Session: Setting and Utilizing Anchors to Change a State (mood)