The Next Step in Perceptual Positions

Have you ever felt like, even though you understand and have practiced perceptual positions, sometimes they don’t make changes by themselves?  Like sometimes you need something else, another bucket than the three standard positions?

Perceptual positions are a core distinction in NLP, one that is used in multiple processes and techniques. Our perceptual positions guide our experiences. It is through this key distinction that we form memories, experiences, and reactions.

But what if our perceptual positions aren’t clear? What if we aren’t fully “in” only one position, but are instead straddling them? What if our different representational systems are in different perceptual positions?

So often, when working with clients, I’m asked if they are normal. If what they are experiencing or how they look at things is weird or broken.

The answer is always NO. The beauty of NLP is that when we say People Work Perfectly (one of our presuppositions) we mean it.

So, while everyone is different, no one is wrong in the way they are perceiving things.

That is not to say there isn’t an easier way—a way of perceiving an experience that will leave you more resourceful at the moment and afterward.

The gift of NLP is learning how we work so that we can work “better,” right? So we can experience less pain, more happiness, and live a life without limits.

And part of that comes from understanding how we work and working to improve where we can.

Steve and Connirae Andreas have done precisely that. They have taken Perceptual Positions to the next level and done some amazing work around Aligning Perceptual Positions.

This is a potent process that will help you not only become more aligned in your relationships with others but will also help you be more clear about your own experiences and interactions.

You can read more about it here.

Give it a try. The process is not only fascinating, but it can also truly be illuminating, alerting you to challenges you may have been having in your communications and not even been aware of.

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