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FOUIl: Anchoring
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ANCHORING
If at the peak of a state a sensory anchor is applied, the two become linked.
The anchor acts as a stimulus to reproduce the state that is linked to it. NLP
Practitioners use anchoring to capture resource states from a client's personal
history, then linking them to present and future contexts, where the resources
would be needed. The co-creators ofNLP noticed Milton Erickson and
Virginia Satir did this process using tonal anchors. The theory of anchoring is
often explained as stimulus response theory, which grew from Pavlov's work.
The l\ILP Practitioner can also anchor natural states as they arise in a client so
that the Practitioner can enable the client to access these states later in the
session or in later sessions.
Anchoring is very useful for state control and changing clients' conditioned
responses to stimuli that arise in their daily life.
The Practitioner can set anchors in clients visual, auditory and kinesthetic
systems.
Proc:ess
The Four Steps to Anchoring
1. Have the person recall a past vivid experience
2. Provide a specific stimulus at the peak (see chart on page 2)
3. Break state
4. Set off the anchor to test
The Five Keys to Anchoring
1. Purity
2. Uniqueness
3. Replication
4. Intensity
5. Timing
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
FOUR: Anchoring
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APPLICATION OF AN ANCHOR
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Anchor
State
Time
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MiGhael Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
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FOUR: Anchoring
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COLLAPSING ANCHORS
1. Elicit specific real world stimulus for an unresourceful state.
"How do you know it's time to be _____ ?"
2. Have client access context of unresourceful state and identify the real
world stimulus that instigates the stimulus, associate to problem and go
into state.
Break State J
3. Elicit and kinesthetically anchor resource state in one unique place. Check
unconscious signal for congruency.
Unconscious elicitation "you have a lifetime of experiences, with a
range of choices to activate resources now, as your unconscious
mind searches for what you need right now, your conscious mind
can just be present, let your unconscious signal when it has found
the resource for you. (anchor resource)
Conscious elicitation "Can you think of a specific time when you
were ? Go there now, see it out of your eyes, hear it, feel
it. "
Go into state yourself and use your V AK to assist client to find
resource states.
Make sure client is fully associated to the memory.
Anchor at the peak.
~ Break State J
4. Condition and test the anchor
~ Break state J
5. Elicit the stimulus ofunresourceful state #1 as client accesses the state, fire
the resource anchor for 20-45 seconds watch your clients physiology for
indicators of the collapse, let go of resource anchor when the integration is
complete. Repeat until integration is complete.
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
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FOUR: Anchoring
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COLLAPSING ANCHORS
6. Test; Have the client access stimulus for the (previously unwanted state).
Check that the stimulus fires the resource.
Outcome; for the resource state to be neurologically linked with the
old stimulus so when the client is in the real world and the stimulus
is presented, (s )he unconsciously experiences the resource state.
8. Future pace.
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 199912000/2002
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FOUR: Anchoring
CHANGE PERSONAL HISTORY
1. Identify, elicit, calibrate and anchor an unresourceful state that repeatedly
presents itself in the client's life.
~ Break State J
2. Hold anchor and to assist the client, go back in time searching for similar
memories until (s )he finds earliest memory. Release the anchor and bring
them back to the present.
~ Break State J
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3. Have client think of resources he now has that (s )he could have used back
there in the light of what (s)he now knows.
4. Anchor the resource states in one place.
~ Break State J
5. Hold anchor and have client go back to earliest memory of problem state.
Have her see herself disassociated with all the resource
Have her associate and fully experience the event with the new resources
(you are still holding the anchor)
Have the client notice her new history from the perspective of the other
people involved
6. Elicit another memory of same state and test to see if new history has been
created. If not repeat until the. change is generalised.
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
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FOUR: Anchoring
CHAINING ANCHORS
Chaining is a technique that is used when the desired/resource state is
significantly different from the present state.
1. Identify the undesirable present state.
2. Decide on the positive/resource end state.
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C 3. Decide on what intermediate states to lead to the end state.
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4. Design the chain.
Problem
(State#l)
Intennediate
(State#2)
>
Intennediate
(State#3)
- - > ~ I
End
(State#4)
5. Elicit n d ~ each state separately, beginning with the present state
through to the end state. Make sure that the subject is out of previous
state prior to anchoring the next one. Test each state as you go.
6. Chain the resource states together by firing 2, as it peaks add 3 and let go
of2. When 3 peaks add 4 let go of3. When 4 peaks let go of the anchor.
7. Test; Fire #2 and say run the chain. Calibrate that the chain of resource
states runs just by firing #2.
8. Have client associate to problem, fire problem state as problem state arises
lre anchor 2 and say run the chain.
(If the chain does not run for client internally, immediately fire 3 and 4, so you
run the chain with the kinesthetic anchors. Test this has worked).
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 199912000/2002
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FOill{: Anchoring
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CHAINING ANCHORS (CONT.)
9. Ask the client to access original stimulus for the problem state, check chain
runs without anchors.
10. Future Pace: "Can you think of a time in the future which if it had
happened in the past you would have ( eg Procrastinated)
and tell me what happens instead?"
Michae1 Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
FOUR: Anchoring
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ANCHORING
It's easy to anchor naturally occulTing states as the client is more present, with
less interference from the conscious mind, Anchor them as see your clients go
into them. When anchoring past states its good to ensure the states are vivid,
highly associated states. Least preferable are constructed states.
F or conscious elicitation of past states ask:
"Can you relnember a time when you were totally ___ X' d ___ ?"
o "Can you remember a specific time?"
"As you go back to that time now ... go right back to that time, float down into
your body and see what you saw, hear what you heard, and really feel the
feelings of being totally X'd "
S t a t ( ~ s for stacking anchors
To stack anchors elicit several instances of states and anchor them in the same
place. The state chosen for a particular stacked anchor can be the same or
different. In collapsing anchors you can use different resource states, in
chaining anchors the states used for each stacked anchor are usually the same.
Building a powerful resource anchor
Can you think of ....... .
A tirne when you felt totally powerful.
A time when you felt totally loved.
A tirne when you really felt you could have whatever you wanted.
A time when you felt you couldn't fail, when you could have it all.
A tilne when you felt really energetic, when you had a ton of energy.
A tune when you fell down laughing.
A time when you felt totally confident.
Michael Carroll, NLP Academy 1999/2000/2002
FOUR: Anchoring
NATURALLY AUDITORY ANCHORS
Intonation Patterns in th.e English language
The arrows indicate the tone of voice used in the sentence.
w w w =
>
w w W = Statement
---.> >
w w W = Command
>
How many other naturally occurring anchors can you think of?
Miehael Canoll, NLP Academy 1999/200012002