A Pragmatic Guide To Communication & Change.pdf - NLP Info Centre

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One of the ways that Sharon was able to be such a good reader was her ability to keep
noises and external visual stimuli from distracting her. She had learned to systematically
delete from her awareness anything that would detract from her ability to concentrate on
the book she was reading. This can be a very productive utilization of the process of
deletion.
In the years following her traumatic encounter, Sharon also systematically deleted from
her awareness the positive, normal responses of men who became genuinely interested in
her. Her "selective attention" only allowed her to be aware of the things they did to "take
advantage" of her. Because her model of the world did not include the possibility of
warm, kind, and honest attention between men and women, she was not aware of these
qualities when they were present in a male admirer. Without this awareness, no healthy
relationship could develop.
Again, operating without conscious awareness, deletion can assist us by focusing our
attention when necessary, as in the example of Sharon's reading. However, the same
process can often be the major source of a person's emotional distress. It can create
limitations on our models of the world that prevent us from being able to perceive what
we need in order to achieve our goals.
Selective Attention Is Deletion
R Distortion
The third universal human modeling process forms the basis for most acts of creativity.
Distortion is the process by which we alter our perceptions, changing our experience of
sensory input. Using this process we both create and enjoy works of art, music and
literature. It also makes possible our ability to dream, fantasize, and plan for the future.
By allowing us to manipulate our perceptions of reality, of the word as we sense it or
remember it to be, distortion enables us to create totally unique variables. Some of our
"creations" may even be outside the realm of possibility defined by our model of reality.
But whether it results in a "quantum leap" in our thinking or simply enables us to
"interpret" a Picasso, distortion is an important process in our modeling of the world.
The figure above represents a "visual paradox." Because it presents conflicting
information, the observer finds himself attempting to make sense of an apparent
irrational figure. This distortion occurs because of the capacity of the brain to take
in certain kinds of information, in this case a two-dimensional set of lines, and
transform it into something that is nonexistent: a three-dimensional form.
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These remarkable model-building processes of generalization, deletion, and distortion,
however, are double-edged. As important as they are to our abilities to learn, think, and
create, these same processes can also create pain and suffering in an individual. How do
these indispensable tools create pain? How do they limit perception and disallow
behavior? How do they become counter-productive to a person's normal living and
growing? They do these things by performing their functions just as they are designed.
The following examples will demonstrate how these processes can work both for and
against the best interests of an individual.
Case Study