30 Part I: Introducing NLP
your brain communicates with the rest of your body. Each thought you think
reaches out to the farthest, miniscule cell in your body via neurotransmitters.
In addition, further research discovered that the same neurotransmitters
that are found in the brain can also be produced by your internal organs. So
the idea that messages are initiated and transmitted in straight lines along
the neurons is no longer true; these messages can be initiated and trans-
mitted by your organs as well. Dr Candace Pert, of the National Institute of
Mental Health, refers to the ‘bodymind’ – the mind and body working as an
integrated whole, because at the level of the neurotransmitter no separation
exists between the mind and the body.
To get a better understanding of this connection and see it in action, follow
these steps:
- Make a circle with the left finger and thumb.
- Now link your right finger and thumb through the first circle.
The circles are interlinked and come apart only by you pulling on one or
other of your hands.
- Think of someone you really like and pull hard to break the circles.
Pretty tough, huh?
- Think of someone you really dislike and pull hard to break the circles.
Was it a bit easier?
Many people find that they require less effort to separate the circles when
thinking of someone they don’t like. If a simple thought can affect the pres-
sure that your muscles can exert, what do you think happens to your body
when you subject it to constant stress?
Having choice is better than not having choice
NLP promotes choice for an individual as a healthy way of life. Sometimes
you may feel that you don’t have the choice to change jobs, shift to another
country, or get out of an unhappy relationship. You may find yourself saying,
‘I have no choice’ or ‘I must do this’.
You can be held back from making much needed change through fear of
change, lack of confidence in your abilities, or even unawareness of what
your strengths are. To combat this problem, NLP says ‘what if things were
different?’, and aims to open up your horizons by making you conscious of all
the resources you already have and can acquire.
