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NLP & Science

I'd like to say that I appreciate the very thoughtful
discussions about NLP and science that have appeared
on this list.  As Rene Duba recently stated, this issue
frequently arises when NLP is discussed in certain circles.
If you are the proponent of NLP in the discussion and do
not have good responses, you get creamed, and the image
of NLP suffers as a result.  I think the discussions on
this list would prepare one well for such situations.

When I was working as a clinician at the mental institution,
I joined a discussion group of PhD psychologists.  (If you've
had any exposure to such a group, you know that they are
extremely biased toward the scientific model, on the whole.)
In this group, I initiated a discussion of NLP and hypnotic
techniques, as I was very encouraged by the very positive
results I was getting with patients.  The immediate response
was extreme skepticism, cynicism, and strong challenges.
All of this negativity was grounded in their main contention
that, without the validation of scientific studies which
demonstrated it's effectiveness, they weren't interested.

My first response was to do a search of literature to find
studies.  I found several studies, but they were very weak
and unconvincing.  Then I recalled some of the NLP classes
I had attended, as well some of my readings of NLP literature
and realized that the originators were not interested in
scientific validation, only pragmatic results.  I shared
this with the group, then went on to describe how NLP
originated and presented some of it's main tenants (the map
is not the territory, etc.).  The ensuing discussions followed
along the lines of those of this group.  Gradually, they
stopped their challenging and became much more receptive to it.
One of them who was actually a closet practicioner of these
methods, began to share his positive experiences.  Over the
course of the next few months, I presented many techniques
and experiences to them which were very well received.
I think even the most hardened among them was positively
effected in some way.

Dave