What Is The Spiritual Side Of NLP? [Practices Explained]

Neurolinguistic programming- or NLP- has had a significant impact on all sorts of people from different professional sectors and walks of life from across the world, from education to therapy and even business. 

NLP is a practice that is designed to aid the user define their outlook on life and the world, with a structure intended to change perceptions within our thoughts, feelings, actions, and words. 

Although NLP is a pseudoscientific approach to human development and communication, some elements of spirituality can be applied to the concept as a whole.

But what are these elements, and what practices within NLP can be associated with this spiritual nature? 

We are going to be looking at this in more detail in this article, as well as explaining certain spiritual practices that can be connected to NLP. Let’s get started. 

The Spiritual Side Of NLP 

The spiritual aspect of NLP refers to the idea that individuals can access their inner wisdom and connect with a higher power to achieve personal growth and fulfillment.

This can be achieved through visualization, meditation, affirmations, and other NLP techniques that help to quiet the mind and access a deeper state of consciousness. 

Some practitioners of NLP believe that the techniques used in NLP can help individuals access their spiritual side, with some also believing that NLP can help to remove limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns that may be blocking the individual’s connection to their spiritual side.

By releasing these limiting beliefs and negative thoughts, the individual can access a deeper sense of inner peace, wisdom, and connection to their spiritual side.

Spiritual NLP Practices 

There are several NLP techniques that practitioners may use to help individuals access their spiritual side and connect with their inner wisdom. Some of these techniques include the following:

Visualization 

Visualization is a technique that involves creating mental images of a desired outcome or state of being.

The idea is that by visualizing a desired outcome, individuals can increase their motivation and belief that they can achieve it, and therefore increase the likelihood of it happening.

In the context of spirituality, visualization can be used as a tool to help individuals connect with their inner wisdom and spiritual side.

For example, practitioners may use visualization to help individuals create mental images of a peaceful, spiritual place or state of being. 

To practice visualization, individuals should find a quiet place to sit or lie down and close their eyes. They should then take a few deep breaths and focus on the present moment.

Next, they should begin to create a mental image of a peaceful, spiritual place or state of being. The individual should try to make the mental image as detailed and realistic as possible, and focus on how it feels to be in that place or state.

They should try to hold this mental image in their mind for at least 5 minutes and can repeat the process as often as desired.

Meditation

As with other practices that utilize meditation, NLP meditation is used as a personal development method that involves quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment.

The idea behind meditation is that by quieting the mind, individuals can access a deeper state of consciousness, and in turn, gain greater insight and understanding of themselves and their goals.

There are many different types of meditation, but generally, to practice meditation, individuals should find a quiet place to sit or lie down and close their eyes.

They should then take a few deep breaths and focus on the present moment. They can then focus on their breath, a mantra, a visualization, or a guided meditation.

The goal is to clear the mind and to focus on one thing, without letting the mind wander.

Anchoring

Anchoring involves associating a specific physical sensation with a desired state of being.

The idea behind anchoring is that by associating a specific physical sensation with a desired state of being, individuals can access that state more easily in the future by recalling the physical sensation.

In the context of spirituality, anchoring can be used as a tool to help individuals access a spiritual state of being.

For example, a practitioner may help an individual to associate a specific physical sensation, such as taking a deep breath, with a sense of inner peace and connection to their spiritual side.

This way, the individual can access that state of inner peace and connection to their spiritual side more easily in the future by simply taking a deep breath.

To practice anchoring, individuals should first identify a physical sensation that they would like to associate with a spiritual state of being. This can be something simple like a deep breath, or something more complex like a specific muscle tension.

Next, the individual should focus on the physical sensation and allow themselves to fully experience the spiritual state of being.

The individual should then associate the physical sensation with the spiritual state of being by repeating the process several times.

Time-Line Therapy 

Time-line therapy is a technique used in neurolinguistic programming that involves working with an individual’s personal timeline (the way they remember past, present, and future events) to help them let go of negative emotions and limiting beliefs from the past.

The idea behind time-line therapy is that by releasing negative emotions and limiting beliefs from the past, individuals can move forward in their lives with a greater sense of freedom and possibility.

In the context of spirituality, time-line therapy can be used as a tool to help individuals let go of negative emotions that may be blocking their connection to their spiritual side.

By releasing negative emotions and limiting beliefs from the past, individuals can access a deeper sense of inner peace, wisdom, and connection to their spiritual side.

Time-line therapy can be practiced in several ways, but generally, it involves helping the individual to identify specific negative emotions or limiting beliefs from the past, and then helping them to release those emotions and beliefs by reframing the past event or dissociating from it.

Final Thoughts 

So there you have a few different practices that can be used as part of the neurolinguistic programming concept to incorporate the idea of spirituality.

These techniques can help individuals to quiet the mind, release negative thoughts and limit certain beliefs, therefore accessing a deeper state of consciousness.

Whilst these techniques can be used to help individuals access their spiritual side when engaging with NLP, they are not a replacement for traditional spiritual practices or therapy.

Each person may have a different perspective and experience with the spiritual side of NLP, and it’s important to remember that the spiritual aspect of NLP is a personal interpretation and experience rather than a concrete set of rules and regulations.