Sensory Acuity in the NLP training
In this post we are going to be talking about sensory acuity in the NLP training.
From moment to moment we can notice minute changes a client makes. These are simply a few things we can notice from the many different changes one could notice. We are not saying that any of the things we notice has a specific meaning, rather that within the context in which we notice this shift, we may be able to consider it to have a certain meaning. However as we are all individuals and very different, please don’t think that each person would do the same thing in the same context. This post is not about discussing body language, but simply to talk about sensory acuity in the NLP training. So it is about how somebody may make these slight changes from moment to moment.
Examples of sensory acuity in the NLP training
• Firstly we can look at the client’s eyes. Are the pupils dilated or un-dilated, are they focused or de-focused.
• Next we’ll talk about skin tone. As we look at the skin tone we can notice little micro muscle movements in the face. We also want to notice whether the face is symmetrical or asymmetrical. Meaning does the left side and the right side of the face look the same or not. There’s an example of a famous actor who when he talks, the one side of his face the lip is a little lower than the other side. So the faces not symmetrical. A real example of this could be somebody wincing with pain. They might pull the face slightly to one side. That’s just an example so we can notice that there is a change that we can notice.
• Next we have skin colour and when we talk about skin colour, we want to look at light to dark. Often people think it is white to red, which it is not. You could imagine that if you worked with somebody who had a very fair complexion then yes, you would notice that the skin might show redness. However if you were working with a client that had a very dark complexion, then you probably not going to see any redness. As the blood vessels in the face fill with more blood, then the skin is going to go from light to dark.
• Next we can look for lower lip size. Imagine taking a deflated balloon out of its packet, the balloon would normally be creased and crumpled up. As you blow air into the balloon, the balloon expands and then the creases fill out until the whole balloon is blown up and taught. You don’t notice any creases in the balloon anymore. The same thing happens with a lower lips. The more blood that fills the lower, so these little lines in the lip actually start to become less visible, or even disappear.
• Then finally we look at the clients breathing, where we can notice both the rate and location of the breathing. Is the client breathing fast or slow? How does the breathing shift in speed. Also the location of the breathing. Does the client breath up high in their chest, or low in their belly. Notice if the location shifts.
Another example of notice sensory acuity.
Please note that these are simply some examples of utilizing sensory acuity and that by no means are they the only things that one can notice in the client. There is a story of when they asked Dr. Milton Erickson, “How did you know that that lady went into a trance?” His response, “I noticed she went into trance because the pulse on her left ankle slowed down.” That is a wonderful example of sensory acuity. So you can notice whatever it is that you notice as a change in the client.
Remember we are not saying what the shift means, but rather considering that within the context we find ourselves in, that it may give us an indication of what it could mean.
So that is a brief overview of sensory acuity. I hope you found it useful and interesting and again as always please share and like this post so that other people can benefit from it is well.
If there is any other NLP technique that you would like to see described or demonstrated, please let me know. If you would like to find out more about the NLP training courses, please feel free to contact us.
Have a wonderful day and keep being amazing.
