Internal Representations

What is the nature of thought? How do we think?

In NLP, we say that all distinctions we can usefully make about our experience can be made using our senses, our vision, hearing, feelings, sense of smell and taste.

So when we think about the world around us, we think using our senses. We see pictures inside our minds, we hear sounds, we talk to ourselves, and we feel feelings. We may remember smells or tastes.

In NLP we call such thoughts "internal representations", meaning that we represent some sensory experience by creating or imagining it within our minds.

Using Internal Representations

How does this knowledge help us to make our lives better?

If our thoughts are made up of internal representations, pictures, sounds, self-talk, and feelings (let's put smells and tastes aside for now) then we can begin to think the thoughts we want by learning to control the pictures, sounds, self-talk and feelings we have.

Let's try a few examples:

• Think of a memory that you have of a pleasant time.
• Notice what picture comes to mind.
• Now, make the picture bigger. Make it brighter. Bring it closer.
• Notice how you feel as you change the size, brightness and location of the picture.
• Move the picture back to the location, size and brightness that it was (unless you prefer the new picture better!)

Inner Dialogue and Negative Self Talk

One type of thought or internal representation that we have, and one which can be particularly powerful either in anegative or positive way, is our internal dialogue or self-talk. What words are we saying to ourselves, day after day? If we are constantly telling ourselves that we are a failure then there is a good chance we will fail. If we keep reminding ourselves about the many things we have to do, we can make ourselves anxious and stressed.

By being aware of our self-talk internal representation we can begin to change it for the better. Try the simple exercise below:

• As you go about your daily life, listen to the self-talk that is happening in your mind. What are you saying to yourself?
• Whose voice is it? Is it yours? Or someone else's?
• Where does the voice come from? Is it on the left or the right? Higher or lower? In front or behind?
• What is the tone of the voice?

Stopping Negative Self-Talk

Now we are aware of our self-talk, what the voice is saying, where the voice is coming from, its tone etc. Now that we have this information, how can we begin to change the voice to something better.

• Notice your negative inner voice or inner critic, and it's location. Move it down so it is talking from the floor. Notice how it is different from there.
• Notice the tone. Change it to be a mickey mouse voice, or elmer fudd. How des that change your reaction to the voice?
• Pick a voice you want to hear. Pick a nice soothing tone, or maybe an excited tone. Pick the location you want. Have the voice begin to give you positive ideas and suggestions. How does that feel? At first you may have to work a little to maintain the positive voice, but after a while it will become automatic.