NLP and "seeing pictures"

I Can't see pictures?

When I was assisting on Dr Richard Bandler’s London seminars, I could guarantee that during some of the NLP exercises at least five delegates would voice the immortal phrase, “I can’t see pictures!”

The use of semantics and the power of suggestion

On one occasion I worked with a delegate during a seminar who insisted that although he couldn’t see pictures, he could effortlessly describe the position of all his furniture and décor throughout his home! He described this process as his ability to obtain “visual representations!” We therefore proceeded to complete the exercises from that part of the seminar as I rephrased my questions to instead ask him about his “visual representations”

When someone makes the statement “I can’t see pictures”, this is of course a generalisation, which they are feeding back from their own unique perspective (no pun intended!). Often they will have some sense of visual location, but their pictures may “not yet” be in focus.

Many people will indicate that they can “imagine” seeing something as opposed to “seeing something”, if you ask them to! The use of language therefore plays a key part in how our attention is directed and when working with someone it’s useful to listen to their own language patterns and phrasing to facilitate easy communication.

Turning down the volume!

Many people will be so preoccupied in talking to themselves that they are literally too distracted by their own thoughts to really notice what is occurring in their visual medium. I remember once suggesting that a delegate turn down the volume of their internal dialogue to notice how this affected their ability to see their own pictures. In just a few seconds he began to notice how his pictures began to be more in focus, by this one simple adjustment. Of course as previously mentioned the phrasing of any questioning can be crucial as some people would consider “hearing voices” as being a sign of insanity, whereas thinking to themselves or talking to themselves could be seen in an entirely different way.

On another occasion by muting the internal dialogue, a delegate discovered that their visual representations became more noticeable. Previously they had been so “distracted” by their own self-talk that they were not still and composed enough to see what was there.

Check the breathing and begin to relax…

Another factor in improving the ability to see pictures is to explore a person’s breathing patterns. One of the most effective ways to change a person’s states is to change these patterns. The rate that people breathe is a major factor in determining the manner and rate in how they think. I have noticed from 25 years of teaching meditative systems, that even the simplest of meditations where a person pays more attention to their rate of breathing, will produce an increased sense of relaxation. As people relax more, they develop a greater ability to see pictures. More advanced systems of meditation can develop extraordinary sensory acuity both in the visual and auditory cortex’s.

Using geometrical shapes to improve concentration and noticing

Another technique that can help in accessing pictures is to begin to develop an ability to differentiate between different colours in different geometrical shapes. I have already outlined some of these exercises in the article on colour on this site. By focussing on a red triangle externally and then practising representing the same image internally, visual acuity can be developed. A more advanced way of doing this is in using correctly constructed mandalas that are designed to use the science of colour and geometry to generate specific altered states.


Diet, what diet?

A deficiency of minerals or vitamins can affect concentration and the ability to access pictures. For example a deficiency of manganese will severely inhibit the ability to visualise and fully use the visual representation system. Also particular stimulants will produce their own “altered states” although perhaps not in a manner that is useful to generate this greater ability to see pictures!

I remember dealing with a client on a Paul McKenna seminar, who anxiously commented that, he couldn’t see pictures and who seemed to me to be quite hyperactive. I subsequently discovered that by 10am that morning, he had already drunk three espresso coffees and smoked four cigarettes, creating a wonderful state of being completely “wired!” As he began to relax more and drink some water, (introducing some much needed oxygen into his system), he began to see his pictures more clearly.

Pick a picture, any picture, but make it a memorable one!

We know from NLP that people unconsciously delete, generalise and distort information. For many (except perhaps some accountants) the image of completing a tax return will produce a very different dynamic to recalling the time when you first kissed your first girlfriend or boyfriend. If I am working with someone in improving visual acuity I will always ask him or her to pick an event or person that has a strong positive association! I remember Dr Bandler asking a delegate who commented that he couldn’t see pictures to “imagine sucking on his girlfriend’s tit” (his phrasing, not mine!) which certainly produced a noticeable change of state both in the subject and those watching!

If all else fails, its time to go into deep trance…

Sometimes if other approaches don’t produce the appropriate result, its easier to take the person into a deep trance and ask their unconscious what would be needed in order for them to make whatever changes seem most appropriate to improve visual acuity. This can be done directly or through metaphor with careful attention to voice tone, and mirroring the person’s own representative visual language.

Finally in my experience its not that people “can’t see pictures,” it’s just that they are more used to using other representational systems! Now, do you “see my point?”

The audio version of this can be found at www.nlpmp3.com