The online NLP submodality project will guide people through an online process to quantify the impact of sub modality changes on emotional experience. The plan is for the first online submodalities experiment to commence in the coming month. The submodality project reflects the NLP Research & Recognition Project mission to learn more about NLP by objectively measuring the NLP elements that have been in practical use for over thirty years. This specific project is also part of the larger effort to use new technologies to research components of NLP.

The project was initiated in September. Dr. Frank Bourke’s, Executive Director of the NLP Research and Recognition Project, discussions with Wayne Perry led Frank to suggest that a working group be convened to examine ideas regarding how this technology could be useful and meet the goals of the Research and Recognition Project, including to gain data on neuro-linguistic processes. Wayne Perry is a NLP Master Practitioner and expert in computer programming. He has combined his knowledge and passion for both software development and NLP to create an on-line tool to deliver NLP over the Web (NLP on-line, www.nlpol.com). NLP Online is an automated neuro-linguistic programming assistant. The online processes utilize NLP procedures in order to lead people through NLP processes. This service is still in early development and Wayne’s plan is to add new processes and functions on a regular basis. Discussions highlighted the fit between the goals of the Research & Recognition Project and the potential use of online NLP processes to research various aspects of NLP and provide rich data for analysis and further hypothesis generation.

Since September the project team has been made a great deal of progress through regular web meetings, conference calls, emails, and Wiki discussions. Steve Andreas is providing oversight and he has the final word on research design decisions. This role has been critical to helping the group pair down the numerous experimental possibilities to a manageable pieces and a practical starting point. The first design will focus on examining the impact of changing the visual submodalities of associated versus dissociated perspective on the experience of a pleasant memory. Others on this team include, Wayne Perry, Richard Gray, Frank Bourke, Yan Tsirkin, Richard Liotta, Gina Pickersgill, and Scott Weiner. The team members bring various skills to the project, including research acumen, software and web expertise, and extensive experience with NLP. Further information about about these team members is available in the “About Us” area on this site.

Based on the data collected and how the process flows in this initial experiment, other experiments will follow. This online research methodology facilitates the gathering of a great deal of data. Inherent in following these online processes are choice points reflective of the person’s personal processes. The direction the process takes for the individual going through it can vary depending on their choices. Data could be collected regarding individual characteristics, various cognitive and emotional variables, and their response to changes in variables such as submodality qualities. Data pertaining to the utility of processes and variables this covaries with could also be examined. Clearly the potential for testing various hypotheses relevant to fundamental NLP concepts and the outcomes achieved through NLP processes is high.

We are very excited about the Online Submodalities Project! It is a project reflective of the greater goal of broadening the scientific base of neuro-linguistic programming. It is an example of utilizing new technologies and new research methodologies to empirically examine neuro-linguistic processes. Progress updates will be posted here, stay tuned!