Collapsing anchors

Anchoring is the process in NLP of attaching a stimulus to a response, a sort of kindly Pavlovian conditioning.

So for example, we ask a client to imagine a positive experience then touch their arm or hand as that experience reaches a peak of intensity.

Collapsing anchors is a process whereby we anchor a negative experience to one stimulus, say our client is in a negative state:

• we touch the knuckle on the index finger on their right hand to anchor the negative state.
•  We then ask them to think of a positive experience and when that experience peaks we touch the knuckle on the middle finger on their right hand.
  
• We then fire both anchors at the same time. The positive and negative states both seek to be present in the client's physiology at the same time.
• Typically we will see the client go through a state of confusion.
• If the positive state is large enough, the client will end up in a positive state.

Collapsing anchors is a principle that is used in the NLP coaching model, and the NLP Meta pattern.

Shawn Carson

NLP Training New York

We then fire both

Anchors

Anchors are a staple of all NLP techniques.

An anchor is the association of a specific stimulus with a specific state. For example we put our hand into flame and we feel pain. Anchors are used as rapid learning techniques. They are therefore a powerful survival tool.

Pavlovian conditioning is an example of anchoring.

However anchors are much wider in application than simply pain/survival.

Other examples are:

National anthem anchored to feeling proud

A song anchored to a product via advertising

Anchors can be used in many ways in NLP techniques or in life! Anchors are used extensively in NLP training, in fact in most NLP techniques, such as the Phobia Cure.