//NLP Milton Model


What is the NLP Milton Model?

The nlp milton model is based on the work of Milton Erickson, a reknowned hypnotherapist.  As the founders of NLP discovered, Erickson's style and approach to helping people resolve their problems was the opposite to Virginia Satir and the nlp meta model.  He would talk in very vague language, often with no direct reference to the problem but in layers of metaphor.  And he got fantastic results. 

 

Milton Model Patterns

Here is an overview of the main language patterns used in the nlp milton model:  

 

Mind Read

Claiming to know the thoughts or feelings of another without specifying the process by which you came to know the information.

Example: 'I know that you are wondering...” 

 

Lost Performative

Value judgments (which may include an unspecified comparison) where the performer of the value judgment is left out.

Example:  “And it’s a good thing to wonder...” 

 

Cause & Effect

Where it is implied that one thing causes another.  (Including attribution of cause outside of self.)

Implied Causatives include: C>E makes (the verb to make)

                                         If... then...

                                         As you... then you...

                                        “Because...” 

 

Complex Equivalence

Where two things are equated – as in their meanings being equivalent.

Example:  “That means...” 

 

Presupposition

The linguistic equivalent of assumptions.

Example: “You are learning many things...” 

 

Universal Quantifier

A set of words which has a universal generalisation and no referential index

Example:  “And all the things, all the things...” 

 

Modal Operator

Words, which imply possibility or necessity, which often form our rules in life.

Example: “That you can learn...” 

 

Nominalisation

Process words (including verbs), which have been frozen in time by making them into nouns.

Example: “Provide you with new insights, and new understandings.”

 

Unspecificed Verb

Where an adjective or adverb modifier does not specify the verb.

Example: "And you can”

 

Tag Question

A question added after a statement, designed to displace resistance.

Example: “Can you not?”

 

Lack of Referential Index

A phrase, which does not pick out a specific portion of the listener’s experience.

Example:  “One can, you know...”

 

Comparative Deletion (Unspecified Comparison)

Where the comparison is made and it is not specified as to what or whom it was made.

Example:  “And it’s more or less the right thing.”

More or less, clearly, best, worst, least, obviously.  

 

Pace Current Experience

Where client’s verifiable, external experience is described in a way that is undeniable.

Example: “You are sitting here, listening to me, looking at me, (etc.)...” 

 

Double Bind

Where the client is given two choices (both of which are preferable or desired) separated by an “or”.

Example: “And that means that your unconscious mind is also here, and can hear (phonological ambiguity) what I say.  And since that’s the case, you are probably learning about this and already know more at an unconscious level than you think you do. So, it’s not right for me to tell you, learn this or learn that, learn in any way you want, in any order.” 

 

Conversational Postulate

The communication has the form of a question – a question to which the response is either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.  If I want you to do something, what else must be present so that you will do it, and out of your awareness?  It allows you to choose to respond or not and avoids authoritarianism.

Example: “Do you feel this... (punctuation ambiguity) is something you understand?” 

 

Extended Quotes

Quotes which are extended beyond what is normally used to displace resistance.

Example: “Last week I was talking to one of my Master Practitioners who said that she remembered a discussion on her training last year with John about a conversation he had had with one of his clients who said  ...”

  

Selectional Restriction Violation

A sentence that is not well formed in that only humans and animals can have feelings.

Example: “A chair can have feelings...”“Remember, the walls have ears.” 

 

Ambiguity:

   a)  Phonological: Where two words with different meanings sound the same.

        Example: “Hear”, “Here”

   b) Syntactic: Where the function (syntactic) of a word cannot be immediately determined from the immediate context.

        Example: “They are visiting relatives”, “I am really over managing managers.”

   c) Scope: Where it cannot be determined by linguistic context how much is applied to that sentence by some other portion of the sentence.

        Example: “Speaking to you as a child...”, “The old men & women...”, “The weight of your hands & feet...”

   d) Punctuation: Either the punctuation is eliminated as in a run on sentence or pauses occur in the wrong place. 

       Example: “I want you to notice your hand me the glass.”

   e) Not finish the … 

 

Utilisation

Remember to utilise all that happens or is said.  Client says: “I am not sold.”  Response: “That’s right you are not sold, yet, because you haven’t asked the one question that will have you totally and completely sold.” 

 

Putting it all together:

“I know that you are wondering... and it’s a good thing to wonder... because... that means... you are learning many things... and all the things, all the things... that you can learn... provide you with new insights, and new understandings.  And you can, can you not?  One can, you know.  And it’s more or less the right thing.  You are sitting here, listening to me, looking at me, and that means that your unconscious mind is also here, and can hear what I say.  And since that’s the case, you are probably learning about this and already know more at an unconscious level than you think you do, and it’s not right for me to tell him, learn this or learn that, let him learn in any way he wants, in any order.  Do you feel this...  is something you understand?  Because, last week I was with Stephen who told me about his training in Chesham when he talked to someone who said, “A chair can have feelings...” 

 

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