Pattern Interruption
Pattern interruption is an effective NLP technique for storing key words
into a listener’s subconscious mind. This can be combined with other
NLP techniques such as anchoring for some excellent party tricks, or to
give someone a message that for reasons unknown to them appears
very heart-felt or significant.
Pattern interruption works by luring the listener’s inner monologue
or even their pure subconscious train of thought into a pattern or
sequence. When that pattern is established, you then jolt them out of
that pattern at a critical moment before the pattern completes. This
leaves the listener’s subconscious mind waiting for the next part of the pattern to occur, while their
conscious mind is distracted.
So What Exactly is Pattern Interruption?
Let’s use an analogy. Say you had an old man who has a pet dog to do all his actions for him. The old
man represents our conscious mind and the dog represents the unconscious mind. The man (conscious)
makes the decisions, and the dog (subconscious) performs various necessary actions for that man.
Step one. We ask the old man for a sandwich. The man then asks his dog to go get some bread, slice
some cheese, put it on a plate, and bring to me.
Follow me so far?
Step two. We ask the old man for another sandwich. The man then gives his dog the same sequence
of commands. The dog gets the bread, slices the cheese, puts it on the plate, and SLAP! We slap the
man in the face and ask him to do a dance. Before the dog has been given the final command for the
sandwich (bring to me) the pattern has been interrupted and new commands given.
The old man (conscious mind) being far less clever than to dog (unconscious mind) has forgotten all
about that final stage of the sandwich pending. But the dog has not forgotten. The dog cannot speak
to the man, but is thinking “what about the command ‘bring it to me’ which I still haven’t done yet?”
The dog will keep thinking of this last command for quite awhile.
Step three. If I’m mean, I can ask the old man to give me his wallet. The man might ask his dog “hey
dog, I’m thinking about giving you a command to bring my wallet to me. I’m not sure, is “bring it to
me” something you would normally do?”