Guest author: Ethical uses of NLP

Since some people have ethical concerns about NLP, we are going to attempt to address some of those concerns in this article. Neuro linguistic programming gives the NLP practitioner great power, and as Spiderman himself has so eloquently taught us, with great power comes great responsiblity. This power needs to be used responsibly both in informal and clinical settings. Fortunately, there is no shortage of responsible uses, and the dangers of abuse are very minimal. The reasons the dangers of abuse are so minimal is that even the subconscious mind is governed by one’s personal senses of morality and self preservation.

Entertainment is clearly an ethical use of NLP, even though we are using the term “use” a bit loosely here. Some would dispute the usefulness of entertainment, but wholesome entertainment helps people reduce their stress level which has other health benefits, both physically and emotionally. Chief among those benefits is lowered blood pressure. Plus, it’s fun. A demonstration of neuro linguistic programming fits in very well with the existing repertoire of any stage or street hypnotist, even though there are some significant differences between those two disciplines. Such a demonstration can be both entertaining and educational, as one viewing of this type of performance should make clear.

You can also use NLP to help people make healthy behavioral adjustments which their subconscious mind wants to make anyway. In fact, you will probably have even more effectiveness in this role than a hypnotist would, because not everyone can be hypnotized. Since people who are being helped by neuro linguistic programming don’t even realize the technique is being used, it often a lot easier to use (once you’ve learned it) than hypnosis, which must be surrendered to by the subject. One might argue against altering someone’s behavior without their consent, but if it is used in only what are universally agreed to be healthy ways, we see no problem.

Besides addictions, one particularly useful area in which the use of NLP to assist someone (even without their awareness) in making healthy behavioral adjustments is that of their relationships. Even if they think they aren’t doing anything wrong, if their behavior is obviously (to everyone else) making life harder for them in their relationships, then they are making themselves miserable without even realizing it. You can help them with that, and you will be helping the other people involved in those relationships in the process.