In the first three parts of this series dedicated to NLP Values and the Evolution of Consciousness we covered a lot of ground; we also looked at important points to remember about individual values, and we attempted a truncated and brief description of different ways of thinking expressed through different values levels (VL). We covered VL 1 through 5 and with sadness I have to admit that it is impossible for me to do justice to each VL description inside a series of articles. In the NLP Coaching Trainer’s Training we spend hours and hours of DVD teaching trainers how to present this material. In the NLP Master Practitioner it takes us two days to go through it and even them we have far more to say than time allows us.
But this shall suffice for the purposes of illustrating our point – values level are related to the development of consciousness and hopefully at the end of the series you will be clear as to why it is so.
You will remember that the thinking of (VL) 5 is the first where people have the chance to begin to consciously think for themselves as independent entities. Until then, they think what they are told (VL4), they act irrationally, unconsciously, impulsively and aggressively (VL 3) or act completely unconsciously obeying without thinking the family (clan’s, tribe’s) traditions and rules and also according to what the family “chieftain” says (as in VL 2). Look no further than to the sport events mob to see a full display of VL2 (adherence and loyalty to the “team” which is the tribal VL 2), and also VL 3 (aggression – as in hooliganism and other antisocial behavior).
VL 5 is independent, likes freedom and it is also highly entrepreneurial – it is the VL where the individual is tired of working for somebody else and of being at the disposal of a corporation or institution. This individual has the neurological capability, his/her environment allows it, s/he has enough energy available and decides to be his/her own boss. S/he begins to rely on their ability to “think themselves to success”. They trust their own minds and want to be the rulers of their lives. Self-confidence and self-assurance (one mark of VL5) comes with the “territory” – IE material ownership. But like in any other VL, there are also quite a few unpleasant aspects of VL 5, like indifference to others, lack of display of human emotions, cold rationalization, quantitative evaluations and calculations, even if VL 5 is never ruthless like VL 3.
This pragmatic scientific thinking allows VL 5 to discover what is really behind the “myths,” “traditions” and old dogmatic beliefs, and permits progress to – until then – unimaginable heights. If this however is not kept in check, the very successful VL 5 (the elites in the world) can push the envelope so far that we have crony corporatism, geo-political wars for resources, linguistic mind manipulation (remember in VL 5 everything is re-defined) and destruction of all the competition (the small business owner and the middle class). The pie is the world – this is where the real VL 5 competition happens.
Unfortunately the economic downturn in the world has halted and even reverted – in general – the progress of population past VL 5 since a number of middle-class vocations and types of businesses are downsized, and the development in the GRIN technologies – Genetics, Robotics, Information technology and Nanotechnology – are following a curve of exponential change making many of the old type private occupations redundant.
There is one more aspect of this VL 5 and the way it plays in the western society. It is a fake sense of independence: MY selfies on the web, MY profile on Facebook, MY friends, MY LinkedIn, MY pictures on …. You get the idea. It is a false sense of “me” and “my importance” which is supposed to create a sense of self-confidence given by personal attainments in VL 5. But, if you take the Twitter and the Facebook, etc. away, the sense of “I am somebody” disappears in a blink of an eye. This is called “simulacra” – when the public is not given the chance to experience the real thing (VL 5 in our case) but is given a replacement for it, an illusion (or delusion if you wish) which is supposed to fulfill the need for the real thing.
Before we move onto VL 6 description, let’s add three more points to remember to our important list:
- Under stress people revert to the last completed previous VL. This can be one or two or even more values levels backwards – depending on which one was completed fully.
- You cannot progress through VL unless all the concerns related to one VL are fulfilled, and the energy spent on these concerns is freed. In other words you need to walk the walk not only talk the talk of a certain VL to be done with it and progress further.
- People can exhibit different VL in different contexts of life.
Remember these points – it will make your understanding of people and events much easier.
Now let’s see a brief description of what VL 6 is about.
- VL6 is connected to meaningful group relationships, the inner beings of self/others. The person transitioning from VL5 into VL 6 makes a good caring coach, a good trainer, a good teacher who wants everybody else to succeed. Much of the political correctness, the sensitivity expression in language, the gender-neutral respectful talk we experience today is an artificially introduced VL 6 softness in a society which by-and-large is not necessarily there.
Life concerns are connected to spiritual living, consciousness, the search for enlightenment (the New Age proliferation of websites, courses, and publications are a testimony to that extent, but don’t be fooled – most of these New Age groups are actually taking the values of VL6 and putting them inside VL4 thinking. That’s not real VL6. The sign whether you’re dealing with real VL6 is whether or not they have operated an entrepreneurial, sales based, materialistic based business before). In VL 6 mind expanding drugs (if allowed by the VL 4) would be an option for reaching out into the invisible universe.
Unfortunately as any other values level, this one is also fraught with repetitious loops from one mystical “awakening” to another, from one “guru” to another, from one “secret” course to another and the individual remains caught in a perpetual loop without exit. Metaphysics is very important in VL 6 (as opposed to the hard core materialistic science in VL5) because in this type of thinking the search for the consistent consolidation of the soul/spirit is extremely important (but not the in the mystical, “gods/goddesses”, shamanic and superstitious way proposed by VL2). Sharing, appreciation of others, group-think, harmony, diversity and tolerance become life concerns. It is a very egalitarian and humanly warm way of thinking.
You will recognize the words I used above in their mass-media-political-correctness expression, however realize that it is an artificial VL6 imposed upon a population that had no chance of evolving on an individual basis through VL5, and the chances of that happening are getting slimmer by the day. I would like to remind you that most people in the western world are still caught somewhere between VL2-3 and 4. One cannot live VL 6 values until his or her individual (here we go again) neurology as well as his/her environment have been allowed to go completely through VL5. What you have is again an adaptation of VL6 values levied artificially inside a very rigid and dogmatic VL4. Be loving and tolerant or else! This can lead, according to Graves to a situation of where a deceivingly benevolent but rigid and repressive system of VL4-6 is touted as the “nirvana” on earth while the VL5 corporations who by definition can be chameleonic in nature (IE tell me what do you want me to be so I can sell you something!) can continue their VL5 trend without any competition from the population. This is the prognosis as it looks right now in the western world.
There is more to talk about VL 6 and we need to expand through VL 7 and VL 8, even if we’re just scratching the surface in describing each VL. But now let me ask you a question, in the environment we live in on the planet which VL do you think is most beneficial for the growth of consciousness of the individual assuring also a decent life and the fulfillment of all his or her needs?
I don’t know what your answer will be, but my answer will have to wait until Part 5.
Be well