Joseph Butler Professor Rieger English 345 Sec.

21 19 April 2008

Mind Talk: Language That Changes Throughout time, people have attributed a certain power to words or language. The ancient Indians believed Sanskrit represented the universe directly in the structure of its sound (Hamilton 23). According to the Bible, the expression of thought was the beginning of all things and that expression, or thought, was God (John 1.1). Language continues to hold a position of power in our modern world, although it is often taken for granted. In our subjective world of thought, the same world we project outward, it is all-powerful. Language is what makes us human and defines our experience as humans; however, knowing and understanding this does nothing more than give us a representation of a reality, but learning to use this knowledge gives us the power to change that reality. This is the claim of a relatively new form of psychotherapy called Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP (Bandler, The Structure 2). NLP may be a relatively new model for therapy but the ideas it is based on are not. The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, compared the symbolic nature of dreams with language in several ways (Freud 347). The primary similarity between Freuds work with dreams and NLP is in how the mind deals with contradictions. In

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dreams, contraries are disregarded. The concept No or Not is nonexistent in dreams (Freud 353). NLP teaches that the subconscious mind does not understand negatives. Telling yourself that you are not going to smoke only forces the subconscious to focus on smoking. The subconscious misses the not, and the person eventually fails. Instead, NLP suggest telling yourself something positive (Taylor). Freud also found that some ancient languages behave in ways similar to that of dreams in this respect (Freud 353). Poetry analysis is another aspect of language Freud compared to dream analysis (Freud 375-76). There are two main systems of the unconscious, according to Freud, condensation and displacement. Both of which are essentially linguistic phenomena. (Klages) After Freud there was Jacques Lacan, another psychoanalysis who investigated the relationship of language and psychology. He took the concept a step farther by stating that the unconscious mind was structured the same as language and controlled every aspect of existence. The true nature of reality could not be seen through language, according to Lacan, only a representation of it. Once a person entered the realm of the symbolic, the true nature of reality was lost forever. His theory of psychoanalysis was based on ideas found in structural linguistics and anthropology (Klages). Freud may be credited with birthing psychoanalysis, but the link between language and thought is a concept that was studied long before psychoanalysis was born. The difference is that the focus flowed from language to mind instead of mind to language. It came from a branch of study called philosophical grammar, around three hundred years before Freud (Chomsky 15). The intent of philosophical grammar was to develop a psychological theory. (Chomsky 18) It is this tradition that is responsible for

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the concepts of surface structure and deep structure, which are still used in the study of language today (Chomsky 18-19). However, the tradition died out because of its abstract nature, which did not lend itself well to study (Chomsky 20-21). There were even earlier ideas about language and thought that are reflected in current theories. Juan Huarte, in the late sixteenth century, discussed three levels of intelligence. The first level, he claimed, is common to all beast and plants, including humans. The second is of a generative or creative nature, stemming from language and restricted to humans. The third is one of true creativity, where something is thought that has never been thought before (Chomsky 9-10). A current model, by Derek Bickerton, is practically identical except the levels are levels of consciousness instead of intelligence. The first level includes all living organisms that can react to the outside world. It deals only with the here and now. The second level is consciousness of consciousness, which can only come from having a part of the brain that is not directly connected to the motor cortex, a part that represents ideas or thoughts with symbols. Bickerton believes it is this part of the brain that was developed by and for language. (Bickerton 96) It has the ability to observe the first level of consciousness while being disconnected from it. This is the magical consciousness that only we as humans experience (Bickerton 128-130). The third level is a type of meta-consciousness that is completely linguistic in nature. This level is where we can talk about and represent with symbols what it is like to be conscious of consciousness (Bickerton 132-135). It is also one of the principle concepts of NLP (Hall 23).

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The theory of levels by Bickerton gives rise to the question of whether language is an invention of human intelligence, a defining trait, or something more profound. Humans share some of the same behaviors as animals. We eat, protect territory, and mate; but, in addition, we build buildings, do math, and a host of other things animals do not do. Most theories cite our intelligence as the source of these differences from animals. Bickerton argues that language is the key difference and the one factor that distinguishes us from animals. Plus, language provided the cause for the intelligence that others point to as being the key difference. He also believes that, like intelligence, consciousness as we know it may arise from an identical source. (Bickerton 6) Daniel Dennett echoes this concept when he says the size and complexity of our brain is not responsible for our advancements; the size and complexity of our brain made it possible to develop the software, or language, which is responsible for our major advancements (Dennett 190). Its not that all human behavior and acts are represented in language but that all human behavior and acts are represented in the neural workspace that was originally created by and for language. (Bickerton 96) It is this workspace that provides a place for mental rehearsal, a place in which behavior and acts are represented with symbols so that the corresponding motor functions are not activated (Bickerton 9697). For example, we can think about climbing a tree without our legs and arms being activated while thinking it. If this was not the case, we could be driving down the road, think about climbing a tree, and find our arms and legs doing other than what is necessary for driving. Also, we can rehearse the movements of climbing a tree without having to

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have a tree present (in case we wanted to become proficient at climbing trees). This is made possible through language. The reason it is possible is that language provides a mental representation of our world, and there are a large number of concepts that simply cannot be thought without language, like trust and tomorrow for example (Bickerton 20). Language provides our perception of the world. We think and communicate this perception through language (Bickerton 23). It gives us the ability to create the virtual reality, or maps of reality, that would not be possible otherwise (Dennett 22). None of these characteristics of language were decided on. Language is the way it is because that is the only way the brain can do it. (Bickerton 36) What can be deduced from this is that if thought operates through language, and language has structure, then the structure of thought can be directly correlated with the structure of language (Bandler, The Structure 23). In other words, language reflects properties of the mind that can be examined in order to determine how human beliefs and knowledge are organized (Chomsky 6). Chomsky also noted, there are striking similarities between the seventeenth-century climate of opinion and that of contemporary cognitive psychology and linguistics. (15) It would, of course, be silly to predict the future of research Nevertheless, it is fair to suppose that the major contribution of the study of language will lie in the understanding it can provide as to the character of mental processes and the structures they form and manipulate (Chomsky 66).

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It should be noted that the work Chomsky is quoted from was published in 1968 (Chomsky VII), just a few years before John Grinder, assistant professor of linguistics at the University of California during that time, and Richard Bandler, a psychology student at the same university, published their first work on NLP (Walter). According to Hall, it was Chomskys work on grammar (deletion, generalization, and distortion specifically) that was used when they developed their theories of NLP (Hall 28). NLP takes the concept of thought mirroring language to another level by not only recognizing the processes in the mind but by finding ways in which language can be used to change the processes. They reason that if language can create the software, or process, then language can be used to change it as well (Bandler, Frogs 6-10). Another aspect of the mind NLP looks at is how human experience is stored. NLP operates on the premise that human experience is stored in the mind in the form of representations (Walter). The cinematic experience developed through the senses is coded and a map of our experience is programmed with words (Hall 21,27). We then operate in the world according to the representation, or map, we have created in our mind. Our experience of reality comes from this representation (Hall 27). In other words, we create our reality through our perception. When we change our neuro-linguistic structure (how we use our language of the mind and our physiology), we change our reality and our experience. (Hall 28) This is where the motif of magic used in presenting NLP change patterns comes from (Hall 22). The practical applications of NLPs theories are manifested in multiple ways. A person can view a past experience within the cinema of their mind. The experience can

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then be edited, or reframed using language, or more specifically, NLP change patterns. The purpose is to take an experience that is manifesting itself in a way that is not benefiting the individual and change it into an experience that becomes a resource the individual can use in ways that enrich their current experience. The persons worldview changes in a way that, when viewed from the standpoint of an observer, gives the appearance of magic. (Hall 19-22) The only problem with having a science based on the concept that reality is as we perceive it, is that it cannot be considered scientific, or true. It cannot be proven because the experiment decided upon will decide the outcome. Bandler and Grinder do not argue against this. They claim they are only interested in what works, not what can be proven scientifically (Bandler, Frogs 18). This is not unlike the abstract qualities of philosophical grammar. But they are not alone in this view. James Deese says that introspection and experimentation are extremely limited as tools for discovering what happens in the mind. What is important, according to Deese, is what the mind does, not how it does it; and this is what can be discovered through the study of language (Deese 13). Consider an example given by Bickerton that compares two sentences. The first: The horse raced past the barn fell. The Second: The planet discovered by the astronomer disappeared. Both are identical grammatically, but the first is not correct while the second is. How we know why the first one is wrong cannot be explained, yet most any native speaker of English knows that it does not work and the second one does (Bickerton 36).

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NLP bypasses the why of traditional psychology and focuses on the how. It focuses on how the programming works and how it can be used to bring about change in individuals (Hall 309). It is not a hard wired system, or science. It is fluid and versatile like language. One of the primary reasons for the versatility of NLP lies in its concept of modeling. (Bandler, Frogs 5) Originally, Bandler and Grinder studied the techniques of three very successful therapists with the idea that there was something they did that could be accredited with the results they were achieving as opposed to believing the results were connected to them as individuals (Bandler, Frogs 5). The idea was that if they could observe and determine the processes the therapists were using then they could create a model of their technique. They could then mimic those same behaviors (behaviors being the patterns of both their verbal and body language) and elicit the same responses and outcomes as the people they modeled. It worked (Bandler, Frogs 6-8). Some therapist report curing phobias with NLP in as little as thirty minutes (Edelman), but its use is not limited to therapy. It has worked for countless others in other fields (Walter). It is being used in the IT industry to improve the success of teams (Taylor). Other users range from coaches to politicians (Walter). In its simplest form, you simply find someone who is achieving what you wish to achieve and you model that person. It is not necessary to understand why the person being modeled is successful, only how they do it (Bandler, Frogs 6-8). It is not within the scope of this paper to discuss the many facets of NLP or its uses. The purpose of giving details of NLP is to show how the power of language has not only been investigated but also implemented to enrich peoples lives. The real world

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we live in has been altered beyond anything people could have imagined in the seventeenth-century when philosophical grammarians were asking questions about the value of language. Major advancements in science, health care, engineering, and politics all have been made possible because of language, our one, and true defining trait. What can be learned from NLP is that our subjective world, the one each of us live in individually, can be advanced as well. What we tell ourselves on a daily basis impacts us. The language we use is important. The power of language should not be underestimated. Dennett explains it best: When you talk to yourself, you dont have to believe yourself in order for reactions to set in. There are bound to be some reactions, and they are bound to be relevant one way or the other to the meaning of the words with which you are stimulating yourself. Once the reactions start happening, they may lead your mind to places where you find yourself believing yourself after all so be careful what you say to yourself (Dennett 302).

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Works Cited Bandler, Richard and John Grinder. Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming. Ed. John O. Stevens. Moab, Utah: Real People Press, 1979. -------- The Structure of Magic. Palo Alto, California: Science and Behavior Books, 1975. Bickerton, Derek. Language and Human Behavior. Seattle: U of Washington P, 1995. Chomsky, Noam. Language and Mind. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1968. Deese, James. Thought Into Speech: The Psychology of a Language. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1984. Dennett, Daniel C. Consciousness Explained. 1st. New York: Back Bay Books, 1991 Edelman, Michael, and Maralyn Green. "Fighting phobias." New Scientist 182.2446 (May 8, 2004): 31(1). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Lander University Library. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://0-find.galegroup.com.library.lander.edu:80/itx/sta rt.do?prodId=EAIM>. Frued, Sigmund. Sigmund Freud The Interpretation of Dreams. Ed. James Strachey. New York: Avon Books, 1965. Hall, L. Michael. The Sourcebook of Magic: A Comprehensive Guide to NLP Change Patterns. 2nd. Bancyfelin, UK: Crown House, 2004. Hamilton, Sue. Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Holy Bible. King James Text: Authorized King James Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1909.

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Klages, Mary. "Jacques Lacan." 08 Oct. 2001. University of Colorado . 27 Jan 2008 <http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/lacan.html>. Taylor, David. "Playing success mind games." Computer Weekly (April 12, 2001): 70. Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Lander University Library. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://0-find.galegroup.com.library.lander.edu:80/itx/st art.do?prodId=EAIM>. Walter, Joanne, and Ardeshir Bayat. "Neurolinguistic programming: verbal communication. (Life)." Student BMJ (May 2003): 163(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Lander University Library. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://0-find.galegroup.com.library.lander.edu:80/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM>