New Code NLP Games, High performance States and The Alphabet Game

When you are working at the level of state you are working at a significantly higher logical level than behaviour. When working with state, you are operating in a way where a client has access to many more choices than the original NLP notion of consciously programming a new behaviour where an unwanted behaviour once existed. Whilst reprogramming behaviours can be successful it’s akin to turning an unhappy robot into a happy robot.

New Code NLP initiates processes that utilise left right hemispheric processing and have parallel processing activities across the three main representational systems, visual, auditory and kinaesthetic to create a natural high performance state in the player.

Unlike states accessed through classic NLP anchoring, the state accessed through a New Code NLP game, does not have any historic attachment and is this much more generative for change work. We call the highest level state assessed from a New Code NLP game the ‘Know Nothing State’, this is where a player is performing unconsciously at a very high level without conscious interference.

To play a New Code NLP Game, you do so using different spatial locations. We call this the New Code Change format. The games, Alphabet, NASA, Croydon Ball game and Alpha Touch are all played using the New Code Change format.

New Code Change Format

Step 1 – From third position (observer) the player sees and hears the context, where he/she would like more choice. This can be a context where the player has a challenge or it can be context that the player already is successful in, and would like different ways in the said situation

Step 2 – Player, walks into the context, and experiences the visual and auditory elements in first position, and accesses the kinaesthetic

BREAK STATE

Step 3 – In a different space, usually a metre away from step 2, player plays the game and coach calibrates, physiology, performance and state

Step 4 – When the high performance state is reached, the coach manoeuvres the player to location in step 2.

The Alphabet Game

The chart consists of alphabet A ”“ Y with one of three instructions under each letter. The chart ends at Y for symmetry purposes, there are five letters per line. The game can be played in any language.

R = raise right arm
L = raise left arm
T = raise both arms together

Condition one

Player begins at the letter A, saying the name of the alphabet letter aloud and simultaneously raising the hand and arm indicated by the letter written below the alphabet letter.  Repeat several times until both the player and the coach are satisfied that the player is playing with rhythm, following the process correctly and without body tension.

Condition two

As above, but backward beginning with the letter Y and proceeding through to the letter A. The coach is to constantly monitor the physiology of the player to ensure that the game is being played with optimal physiological characteristics, co-ordination, balance, grace, rhythm and minimum effort. The player spends approximately 2 minutes in each of the first two conditions.

Condition three

Is equivalent to condition two with one addition ”“ as the player works his way backward through the chart, saying aloud the names of the alphabet letter while carrying out the movement instructions written below that letter, he/she will simultaneously lift the foot and leg on the opposite side of the body (i.e. moving left arm and right leg simultaneously and vice versa).  When following the‘t’ instruction the player makes a small jump. Time spent on step three is to be 10 minutes.

Once the player has played condition 3 for ten minutes,  the coach manoeuvres the player directly (without hesitation and never with a separator state) into the context established where he or she wants a different set of choices, (step 4 of the New Code Change Format)

The stimuli of the original context will be connected to the high performance state/ know nothing state, so the very stimuli that formerly activated the ‘old state’  in the player will now serve as dynamic anchors to ensure that the next time the player enters that particular context, or one with similar stimuli, the high performance state achieved during play will be automatically re-activated.

Adapted from Whispering in the Wind, Carmen Bostic St Clair and John Grinder (2001)