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Guidelines for setting anchors with NLP;
In order to get a ‘strong’ anchor for an experience, it is important to
a) Ensure that you have a powerful example of
experience to work with.
b) Anchor in as many representational systems as possible (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, etc).
c) Set anchor just before experience peaks.
d) When you activate anchor, do it accurately. Be precise!
e) With tactile (kinaesthetic) anchors, pulsing anchor can help to maintain experience
One of people who came on one of my NLP training courses was particularly taken with idea of anchoring. Shortly after NLP training, one morning his wife offered to make him a cup of tea, and as she did so, he gently tapped side of his cup with his ring. He repeated this next few times she made him a cup of tea. After a while, all he had to do was tap side of his cup subtly with his ring & she would spontaneously offer to get him a cup of tea!! Very Naughty use of NLP, Eh?! Just by creating a sensory representation (tapping cup) that coincided with her making tea, he was soon able to use that representation as a trigger for what he wanted. He did eventually share his NLP anchoring experience with his wife and you can be sure he makes a lot more tea than she does now!
Now I know that by now some of you may be thinking “But isn’t that manipulative?!?” One answer is “Yes, so use it for doing good stuff!” Another answer is “no.” It is no more manipulative than making yourself look good and smell nice when you go out. In those situations you are trying to get people to think best of you and have a good response to you, a response that you are attempting to anchor through your choice of clothing, grooming and smelly perfume.
Here are some of sorts of things that I go out of my way to use NLP to anchor whenever I see them or experience them:
- Smiles. - Laughter. - Excitement - Confidence - Good feelings - Good performance (especially by waiters & waitresses!) - Anything that looks good, useful or fun; Achievement and success are especially useful for stopping smoking, reducing weight or growing in confidence. It’s happening all time anyway:
As I said at beginning, anchoring with NLP is a naturally occurring phenomenon anyway. You are exposed to it all time in everything you do. Everyone is doing this stuff all time, often without really knowing it. All I am inviting you to do is to become conscious of anchors that you and others are setting (maybe using NLP), and to start using them purposefully to get good results, rather than randomly to get whatever you get. Use NLP with mindfulness.
Taking this a step further;
Recently, I was working with a team of related staff members with regards to doing some NLP consulting with them. I asked them how they would know that two days had been a great success. One of them said it would have a ‘feel good factor’ and simultaneously made a gesture with both hands towards his tummy. When I repeated words ‘feel good factor’ to him, he nodded in confirmation. Later on, I referred to feel good factor, and simultaneously used his gesture. Instead of a nod of confirmation, I got a full physiological response, including skin colour changes, posture and energy changes…the full works. His words had been a good anchor, but words plus gesture were far more complete. When I used both, I got a full response. I continued to use anchor throughout consultation. At no time was he aware that I was using NLP & his anchors – he just had experience of being really well understood.
You can use NLP anchors to capture and re-use positive experiences for yourself & others. Now have a go at doing this NLP exercise too…
1) Think of an occasion when you had a highly pleasurable, positive or enjoyable experience. See what you saw then (looking out through your own eyes), hear what you heard and feel what you felt. As you feel sensations increase in intensity, squeeze thumb & forefinger of your left hand gently together for a few moments, then release them. Now ‘break your state’ (Eg. by remembering what shoe you put on first today.) Squeeze your thumb & forefinger together again, gently pulsing them. The state will return.
2) Identify something that someone you know already does, and create a subtle anchor. Set anchor while they are doing activity. Later, fire your NLP anchor and see what happens. If they do thing you anchored, then it worked!
3) When you (or someone you are with) are experiencing something you want to have more of, anchor it.
As usual, remember that this stuff is powerful so use your NLP skills wisely. As well, allow yourself to start becoming aware of when it is being used on you. Advertisers, politicians and stand-up comedians all know power of NLP anchors and use them with great cunning (and to great effect.) Awareness with NLP is key – have fun.
