Before we get into the nuts and bolts of NLP, we would like to clarify some common NLP terms .

Belief
Something that we hold true based on feelings rather than facts.

Values
A map that helps us evaluate incoming information. Values are typically tied to our beliefs.

Chunk
A group of related information that a person can process as a single entity.

Context
Also known as a frame, this is the lens through which you perceive things. This lens can be distorted by many different factors. NLP can help you identify the context and respond appropriately.

Conscious
The part of the mind that you’re aware of and that is accessible to you. This is the part that might be thinking about what you’re learning, or it might be running through your grocery list. The conscious mind can hold five to nine chunks of information (called the 7±2 rule).

Unconscious
This simply refers to any area of the brain that we aren’t aware of at any given moment, such as the part that controls your breathing, or the part controlling your language centers that are interpreting these words. This doesn’t mean you can’t be aware of these areas; when I mentioned breath control, you probably became aware of how you’re currently breathing.

NLP's definition of unconscious does not include Freud’s ideas, or the concept of a subconscious as something other than the brain (for example, the soul or neuron memory).

Reality
Everything that exists outside an individual. Since this is based on perception (their internal reality), knowledge of external reality is always limited and never completely true.

Mental Map
An individual’s representation of any given thing. All mental maps are, by definition, not completely accurate, out of date, and subjective. However, they are the best information that we have to go on. It is important to remember that the map is not the territory! Maps can be re-drawn and re-created.

State
Your emotional, physical, and/or mental condition at any given time.

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Session 3: The NLP Presuppositions