So when we refer to kinesthetic submodalities, we are referring to distinctions that can be made about our feelings.
In NLP we do not make a specific distinction between emotional "feelings" and actual feelings in our body, on our skin, etc. This is because we believe that our experience is coded in a sensory manner. What this means is that when we have an emotional feeling, we likely actually feel this somewhere in our body, perhaps in our chest, or stomach.
So what are the specific submodalities of the kinesthetic representational system? These submodalities include:
- Location. Where precisely is the feeling? Is it inside the body or outside the body? Usually we find that feelings are inside the body, perhaps not surprisingly! Assuming it is inside, where precisely is it? Perhaps it is in or around the heart, or the stomach or some other area.
- Size. Does the feeling have a particular size? Is it large or small?
- Shape. What is the shape of the feeling? Is it round? Does it have sharp edges? Does it conform to the shape of the body around it?
- Metaphor. What is the feeling like? Is it like a warm glow? Or maybe like a sharp spike inside us? Or like a heavy weight?
- Texture. Is it rough or smooth?
- Temperature. Is it warm or cool? Hot or cold?
- Color. While color is a visual submodality, sometimes feelings appear to have a certain color associated with them, so we include it here.
- Movement. Does the feeling move? Perhaps it expands or contracts, moves out or in, or spins or rotates in a certain direction?
- Direction. If the feeling moves, what is the direction of the movement?
- Weight. What is the weight of the feeling? Is it heavy or light?
Warmly
Shawn Carson
