I am currently working on a larger post to do with unhelpful trances, but in the meantime I wanted to discuss the “Inner Critic” and its effect on how we do in life.
We can all think thoughts. That much is true. We can think in terms of pictures, or sounds (also, smells and tastes, but they have more to do with feelings than thoughts).
For example: what colour is your front door? Is there a number on the door? By the side of the door? Are there windows in the door? A step leading up to the door? For you to answer these questions accurately, you must picture your front door. This is a form of thought.
Another example: Without speaking, recite the first 10 letters or so of the alphabet in your mind. A, B, C, D, E (etc, I’m sure you hear what mean!*) Hear it loud and clear? Good, now recite it again but in a loud, angry voice. How does that make you feel?
Now, recite those letters again in a calm, gentle and soothing voice; like a mother lulling a baby to sleep. How does that make you feel?
Welcome to the NLP World of “modality”. In this example, modality refers to a method by which human expression can take place (in other words, a “sense”). This example uses sense of sound. By changing the quality of the sound (from neutral to angry to harsh) you have changed, in NLP-Jargon terms the “submodality”.
It can be very, very useful to understand that you have control over the voices in your mind. It is not uncommon for insomniacs to keep themselves awake for hours simply by incessantly talking to themselves (in their own heads) IN A LOUD VOICE. (WHEN AM I GOING TO GOTO SLEEP? WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? HOW LONG ‘TILL I HAVE TO GET UP?) etc!
Not very soothing or relaxing I think you’ll agree.
Now, if the insomniac were to turn the volume down on that voice, and change the tone to a slow, soft husky voice “when… am… I… goooiiinnnggg… toooooo… sssssleeeeeep………”
(Apologies – almost nodded off there).
Changing the “submodalities” of that voice in your head can help in other situations as well. For example, if you are overweight, and you stand in front of a mirror and say to yourself:
“Horrible!”
“I’m a fat cow!”
“Disgusting!”
“I look a mess.”
“I’m fat and ugly… nobody would want me…”
(And understand that these are the edited version; that voice in your head is probably not as polite as mine…)
Well, the effect on your self-esteem (from the Latin ‘estimare’ meaning to estimate) isn’t going to be good. Now – the truth is, you might very well be fat. But, despite the excesses of our image-driven culture might suggest, being skinny does not make you a) a better person or b) happy.
Now, if I were to call you those names you say to yourself in front of the mirror, you’d probably smack me in the chops – and rightly so. Also, if I were to ask you to record those things you say to yourself and, whilst sleeping, listen to them over and over again – common sense would tell you not to do it.
So why listen to those things in your own head?
Here’s a good exercise that Paul McKenna teaches on his weight loss seminars:
1- Stand in front of the mirror.
2- Say some of those horrible nasty things you normally say to yourself.
3- Then, change the tone of the voice so it sounds like Joe Pasquale, or a chipmunk, or a dalek, or anything at all that sounds ridiculous and silly.
4- Realise that those nasty thoughts are just trying to motivate you to change…
That Voice In Your Head is still you; it’s a part of you that wants something better for you. The only problem is the way it is trying to motivate you isn’t working (and isn’t nice) so change it so it sounds stupid. It will soon shut up.
That’s all for now.
Adrian
www.lastingchange.co.uk
* Just a hypnotic suggestion 
