Here is one good hint for the NLP trained people (NLP trainers, Master Practitioners as well as Practitioners). as well as for the beginners in the field.
Just when you thought you’d learned everything there was to learn about how to do a Swish Pattern, the very-useful quick fix NLP technique, new questions arise from people who do not get the desired results.
In answer to some of your questions about how to make it work all the time and dispel confusion about visual or auditory Swish, here are some answers which hopefully will assist you in the correct understanding.
It May Have an Auditory Trigger, but Swish Pattern Is a Visual Process.
Swish is a pattern belonging to the broad Submodalities category in NLP. It’s a quick fix, meaning that you don’t have to inquire a lot about the client’s personal history or have a lot of content-data in order to assist the client.
This does not diminish its usefulness. However there are a few key points the NLPCoach needs to keep in mind when attempting to do it with a client and also when an NLP trainer teaches it to his or her students.
It’s important to remember that Swish pattern is most useful for a minor state or an unwanted behavior. Does that mean it will not work for a major state? Not necessarily. It depends on the intensity and complexity of the major state, but in our school of NLP we’re using Time Line Therapy® techniques to let go of major negative emotions like anger, sadness, fear, hurt and guilt.
Hence, a Swish Pattern should contain the following essential elements: a trigger point which establishes the behavior, a Present State or PS (actual state or behavior) and a Desired State or DS (what would you like to do instead).
One of The Issues Is Precision
Swish Pattern is an obvious pattern interrupt and as most of you already know, a pattern interrupt presupposes the interruption of that behavior early on, as close as possible to its onset in order for the new pattern to become integrated in or part of the new behavior. Using this as an overall frame work for the whole thinking, first you need to establish clearly what sets off the behavior.
When you bite your cuticles, or peel the dry skin off your lips, or bite your nails, or do Facebook ad nauseam instead of doing your work in the office (these are examples of little annoying behaviors for which you can use Swish), there is something that makes you begin the behavior. Your iPhone does not jump in your hand automatically or by accident. There is something that makes you reach for your phone and post something on the web. And that “something” is called the trigger. The trigger is either a visual element (for most people) or an auditory element (in rarer cases). The trigger is gotten to by asking the question How do you know is time to “X”?
At this point, we suggest that it is wise not to proceed unless you can find out what that picture is. You can do Swish on all sorts of pictures, but unless the picture represents the beginning of the behavior, the trigger that sets it off, the pattern interrupt may not work since it interrupts the behavior too late (once the behavior is already established).
In addition, the clear determining of the PS (Present State) and DS (Desired State) will also cause you to succeed with this little NLP pattern.
Did You Know That Swish Needs to Be Very Specific and Highly Contextualized?
Unfortunately there seems to be still confusion around in the field of NLP about what to use Swish for. The widespread methods of teaching NLP trainings are different, and this is because NLP is considered to be an art and a science. The art makes these differences possible.
Recently we received an email with the following question: “What precisely is the stuck state I can use Swish for”?
Clearly NLP techniques always work. But not every NLP technique works in the same way for everybody. It is more difficult to produce results with a visual technique for somebody who does not make pictures inside their head.
Accordingly, it is difficult to do anchoring for somebody who does not access internal states (I.E. it is by nature more dissociated).
In fact, the simplest way to be successful with your clients is to be a minimalist. In other words, to apply the right technique to get the desired results with the least effort. Accordingly, when we’re talking about stuck states the easiest way to get to rid of them is to do chaining anchors. This is probably the easiest and most convenient technique to use in these kinds of instances.
Sure, can we do Time Line Therapy® techniques? Absolutely. Can we get rid of the beliefs or the decisions that that lead to the stuck state? Without any doubt. Can we change the strategy that leads to the stuck state? Certainly. Can we take out all the other elements that prevent a client for “going for it”? Of course. The answer is a definitive yes to all of the above. But the question remains – what is the simplest and most effective way to get to the desired result?
If you’re not familiar with the NLP Jargon and you don’t know what anchoring is, go to the NLP Glossary and scroll down the page to find the explanation.
So, a stuck state is not the ideal presenting problem solved by a Swish pattern. Does that mean that it will not work? Not necessarily – it depends on what specifically are we talking about. Remember, there are many ways and many techniques to get to the same result. Ideally thought, is to keep it simple and efficient, and to apply the technique that will give you the most results with the most economy of effort.
There Is Still Some Confusion about the Sound “Swishhhhh”
The “Swishhh” sound does not make your pattern work. There is no magic inherent in this sound. It is not because of this auditory anchor that the Swish pattern will work. In fact, if you complete the whole pattern and you never utter the “swishhhh” sound, but all the other necessary requirements are in place, you will succeed.
Some people insist that there is “power” attributed to the “swishhhh”sound. This is rather a misconception.Granted, there is a reason for the sound and it has to do with the speed with which the Swish should be done. But again, watching people doing Swish videos on the web it makes me wonder when has the art of NLP become a brainless circus? It is one to be creative and a completely different thing to explain something against all logic.
The paradox is that most of these alternatives could still produce some results depending of course of how suggestible the client is. Anything could produce change in certain conditions.
Apart from that, hopefully these little tips will provide some effective guidelines in your Swish pattern success whether you’re doing it in a one-on-one setting as an NLP Coaching work or in your teaching NLP trainings. For a client whose problem disappears in ten minutes, this can be priceless.