Meta State “Release Set Back/Flash-Back” Pattern

Introduction:

The outcome of Neuro Semantic NLP is the empowerment of the individual to increase the quality of his or her meanings and representations, unleash potential and produce the needed strategies to generate the resourceful states and behaviors that actualized the individuals desired Meta Outcome.

While the above is the “intended outcome” as well as the “process”, the “real life” journey inevitable involves experiencing old disempowering Meta State “flash backs”: the return of old frames of thought “packaged” as experiences or memories.

A “flash-back” literally means a transition to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the present OR an unexpected but vivid recurrence of a past experience, belief, understanding, meaning etc. that seems to be happening again and which influences the current primary states.

This is an absolutely normal phenomenon as “flash- backs” act like an “echo” of our old negative patterns of thinking and feeling that have become bad cognitive habits. Habits can be useful, they put our brains on “auto pilot”, meaning that it become so efficient that it become an unconscious pattern; leaving our conscious mind “free” to focus else where. Habits, however, can be “bad news” when it comes to our old negative patterns of thinking and feeling: holding in place old disempowering Meta Stating Habits.

While “normal”, such “flash- backs” can be quite disturbing if no strategy is available to interrupt the “flash-back” and to restore as well as “flash forward” the needed empowering desired state. Why so? Simply because of the nature of a Meta state which is self recursive; it tends to loop and move in spirals. In the case of a disempowering Meta State “flash-back”, it can spiral downward and “trap” a person in “a closed in” loop that’s energy draining; one that can further install the old Meta State!

The Meta State “Pattern Disrupt” serves two outcomes:

1) Disrupt the old disempowering Meta State “flash-back”, experience and

2) Replace it with a resourceful Meta State that empowers the individual to attain his particular desired outcome.

A pattern is only effective to the extent it accesses and applies the resources which are appropriate to address the individuals’ particular contextual needs (outcome) in a congruent and ecological way. Consequently, this pattern is set to function as a “resourceful partner” to any other pattern or combination of patterns that assists an individual to form a clear, tangible, congruent and ecological outcome and sets out the steps for it to be attained.

Example: The Well Formed Outcome Pattern coupled with the Meta Alignment and Genius State Pattern can equip an individual with the needed focus, direction and Meta State resources to actualize the “well formed” outcome. Along the way when Meta State “flash-back” occurs, this pattern can serve to restore equilibrium and the needed resourceful state, serving as a “gentle replug”. Hence the issue of “congruence and ecological balance” is already established.

Caveat:

This pattern is best used after an individual has completed his Neuro Semantic NLP Practitioner Certification and the APG which provide the fundamental psychological primes for unleashing potential. With this backdrop, this pattern would be easily understood and used with much reward.

Priming:

As mentioned above, experiencing “flash-backs” is a normal phenomenon.

Nonetheless, being able “to be aware” of them, not labeling the “flash-back” experience or oneself and remaining centered in ones core frame of self value and worth: “operating with high self esteem even in the face of dignity–denying or threatening experiences” (The APG, Meta- Stating Self: L. Michael Hall. PhD) is crucial. This serves as a credible buffer that prevents the “flash-back” from trigger a disempowering Meta State a downward spiral.

The Three Primes:

1) Develop a high level of consciousness.

Consciousness is not “thinking” or “thinking about our thinking”. It is a state of awareness, of being “awake” and observing our mental thoughts in the present: being in the “now”. It is the ability to take a “mental step back”, observe and witness our thoughts and emotions in a non judgmental or self recriminating way: to observe our old maps that creep up on us as “flash-backs” or when triggered by an anchor; much like a old “photo” from your childhood days that have little relevance to the adult you now.

Our mental maps are not the territory (reality); it is but a map, a symbolic representation of the territory. Much like a road map which is certainly not the road itself, developing consciousness helps us discern the difference between our mental maps and the territory out there: our maps automatically delete, distort and generalize information and our brains will use whatever maps we give them!

Developing consciousness gives us choicer; it is the choice of the “blue pill” that we make.

2) Avoid “labeling” yourself or the “flash-back experience”

The problem is never the “flash-back” but the way we have interpreted the experience and/or labeled ourselves, that makes it a “problem”. Once we say to ourselves, “I such a hopeless person…..I just hate it when this happens…I must get my self out of this stupid state or I am a certified Mater Meta NLP Practitioner and should not be experiencing such flash-backs.”, we are providing the “muddle” with more mental energy to perpetuate itself. Why and how? Simply because doing the above will trigger our minds to reference these old maps again; remember that we think, reason, evaluate, understand, value, conclude, feel or emote etc. with our mental maps, our mental references!

Simply learn to get curious about them while holding yourself with the utmost respect; accept them as just “old snap shot” from the past.

Energy flows where attention goes as directed by intention. This means that whenever we set an “outcome” with the power of focus (through labeling, self judgment or criticism), that very “outcome” will get the energy of attention and put us into a state as well as trigger our Meta States through self reflexive consciousness!

3) Develop and maintain a high sense of self acceptance, self appreciation and esteem.

This is the ultimate source of our personal power, equilibrium and unlimited possibility. Personal power here is in reference to our “inner sense of strength” that cannot be taken away, that’s inherent in us and which flows form our inalienable and inexhaustible self esteem as being created with all the resources to be successful.

Owning this core enables us to hold our “own” during a “flash-back” no matter how “bad or horrible” we may feel.

People have all the resources they need: they just need to access, strengthen and sequence them. There’s an abundance of personal resources, plenty for all.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” -The Universal Deceleration of Human Rights.

“CONSCIOUNESS – STEPPING BACK, NOT LABELLING & WITNESSING – HOLDING ONESELF IN HIGH REGARD” – is a “THREE STEP DANCE” THAT PRIMES US TO RELEASE SET BACKS/ FLASH-BACKS.

Distinctions:

• The power to respond to “flash-backs” that have the potential to send us into a disempowering Meta State downward spiral.
• The power to “interrupt” and “replug” ourselves back into the needed resourceful Meta State and behavior(s) that will keep us pursuing our desired outcomes.

Elicitation Questions:

• Have you ever experienced disturbing “flash-back” from the past?
• Have you had “flash-backs” of old Meta States or habits of Meta Stating that have disrupted your equilibrium, thrown you off track and send your mind and emotions to a direction that you did not want?
• Does it cause you to spiral downward into a negative Meta State, distracting you from what you want to feel, say, think and do?
• Would like to have the ability and agility to effortlessly “interrupt” these “flash- backs” and “replug” yourself into your desired resourceful state and eliminate the feeling if being a victim of such “flash-backs”?

The Pattern:

1. Invite a disempowering “flash-back” that occurs frequently, one that interrupts your resourcefulness and/or lowers your productivity in attaining your desired outcome.

When does this usually happen? Does it occur on the way to an important meeting or business presentation? When you have prepared well for an outcome but suddenly experience a “flash-back” of negative emotions, beliefs and thoughts? How do you normally represent this “flash-back”? How does it throw you off balance?

2) Accept what you are feeling. Gently step back and simply witness these thought and feeling. They are just feelings and emotions; a “snap short” from the past.

Yes, it may seem scary but they just your old patterns of thoughts, understandings, doubts, fears and emotions: JUST OLD MAPS THAT HAVE PASSED THEIR “EXPIRY DATE” even though they may seem “real”.

Allow it to just slide pass. Remember, they can only “hurt” when you give “into” them and label or judge them; giving them the power of your attention and intention.

What if this step does not work?

If this happens, it may be due to how a person has coded the “flash-back”; the frame that holds it in place. For most of the time, this frame is the frame of learned helplessness, hopelessness and powerlessness; framing the flash-back as personal, permanent and pervasive.

The solution is to create a Meta State mental map “disrupt strategy” which has THREE KEYS.

When we access the “flash-back” as in step one, we then enter the first key:

THE “CANCLE” KEY: Imagine pressing a huge “Cancel” key, much like the key on your lap top. When you press this “key” imagine shouting to yourself on a high pitch voice "AAAAALRIGHTY THEN!!!!!!"

Then enter the second key: THE “DELETE” KEY: Again, much like the “delete” key on your lap top, imagine pressing a huge “Delete” key which says “THIS was THEN, THERE and at THAT time. It’s over.” Distance and Delete.

Then enter the third key: THE “ENTER” KEY: Much like the “enter” key on your lap top, imagine pressing a huge “enter” key which immediately accesses “THIS HERE NOW” connecting you to “now time” where you are in a safe and secure cocoon.

Then proceed to the next step, step 3.

3) Turn your attention to the power within you, reclaiming and owning your powers to think, feel, say and do: your power zone.

Accept, appreciate and esteem yourself, your greatest gift and source of real power. Own your powers of esteem: to freely choose what to think, feel, say and do.

4). Access your vision of your life as you really want it – LOOK AT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE – and the empowering beliefs, understandings, meanings, imaginations and positive emotions that come with them.

What is it that you have decided you want passionately? How does this fill you with rich meanings, purpose and beliefs?

What further rich meanings do these meaning give you? What states do they create in you? How would you represent this in your movie mind?

5) Access these positive emotions, amplify them and step into them NOW.

Being these “to experience” in a powerful way: seeing what you are seeing, feeling what you are feeling and hearing what you hearing. Fully step into them NOW and allow it to spread through your whole body.

6) Take action that supports these meanings and beliefs of WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, NOW.

Stay present in your own personal power and anchor this state.

Laugh out loud, smile, throw a fist pump, beat your chest or create any “crazy disruptive” action, word or sound that anchors this empowered state. Remain fully empowered in the NOW, “repluged” into your desired state!

7) Future Pace, Quality Control and Install.

Imagine moving into tomorrow, the days, weeks and months ahead with this powerful Meta State “disrupt and reinstalling” anchor, empowering you with the needed resources to remain congruent and aligned to your best intention.

Do you have any objection to letting this to operate? Are you ready to make this yours? Will you keep this? How will you remember it?

Complete original pattern (PDF)