Types of representative systems. Types of an individual's representative system and their influence on the learning process The following types of representative systems are distinguished

AND . No less important in NLP is also a model that explains how our senses influence our perception of the surrounding reality.

Representative system

Representation is the process of human perception and expression of experiences, thoughts and ideas. A person can receive information only through the senses. Therefore, all our experience is formed by visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory and tactile sensations. These blocks of sensations are called representational systems.

Thus, a person perceives the world around him subjectively. Each of us has our own map of the world, and it will never fully reflect objective reality. Understanding this, we begin to understand other people more deeply, and we can present information to them in a form in which it will be perceived as accurately as possible. This way you can greatly increase the level of relationships and mutual understanding with other people, and make any communication very effective and mutually beneficial.

Types of representational systems

Humans have several basic representational systems that correspond to our senses.

Visual

Based on the perception of visual images. People whose main representational system is this are called visuals. They have a very strong imaginative memory and imagination, and the pictures that appear in front of their mental screen have a very strong influence on their feelings, emotions and inner world.

Any information is perceived by visual learners in the form of images, and if they have to perceive someone’s speech for a long time, they begin to get bored and distracted. The noise itself often bothers them. Therefore, when communicating with such people, you need to accompany your explanations with visual materials. Also, do not block the place where they are when communicating with them, otherwise they will feel discomfort.

In terms of percentage, the majority are visual, approximately 60%.

Auditory

Based on the perception of sounds. People who have this representative system most developed are called auditory learners. All information is perceived by them through the process of listening, and is stored in the form of sound impressions.

If such people are asked to describe their experience, they will talk a lot and at length, expressing their thoughts very clearly and clearly. Auditory speech can be very emotional. Since they try to dominate when communicating, this can be tiring and annoying. When communicating with such people, you need to structure your speech clearly and clearly.

The percentage of auditory students is approximately 20%.

Kinesthetic

Based on the perception of smells and tactile sensations. People whose kinesthetic system dominates are called kinesthetics. Such people really love tactile contact. They perceive any experiences, emotions and sensations best if they have the opportunity to touch something or do it with their own hands. During a conversation, they speak slowly, pausing to relate the words to their accumulated experience. When communicating with such people, it is best to be closer; they are more comfortable.

The percentage of kinesthetics is approximately 20%.

Digital

Based on subjective-logical perception and understanding of the surrounding world. People whose main representational system is this are called digitals. They use visual, auditory and kinesthetic systems equally. There are very few digital people among us.

Features of representative systems

There are no people with just one system. In reality, people constantly change their representational system, depending on where they are and what they are doing - reading a book or listening to the radio.

You can determine which representative system predominates in a person by his speech. Visual learners often use expressions: “it seems to me”, “I imagine”, “in my opinion”. Auditory learners use: “in other words,” “in other words.” Kinesthetics: “I feel that”, “let’s influence”, “get moving”, “put to work”.

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Despite its scientific-sounding name, a representational system is a fairly simple concept. It denotes the way of perceiving the surrounding reality that is most characteristic of a particular person.

Types of representational systems

There are several basic representative systems of a person that characterize his type of perception of reality. There are three main ones - visual, auditory and kinesthetic, but in their pure form they are quite rare, and therefore, along with them, mixed types based on them are also relevant. The leading representative system could be like this:

• visual representational system - perception, which is mainly based on visual images;
• auditory representative system - perception tuned specifically to the auditory channel of information;
• auditory-tonal representational system - perception, gravitating towards sounds and tonal sequences;
• auditory-digital representative system - perception aimed at symbols, words;
• kinesthetic representational system - perception aimed at the olfactory-tactile channel and also emotions and feelings.
• digital representative system of perception - perception aimed at subjective understanding of signals received through all three main channels.
• olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) representative systems - perception, directional and other specific systems, which are extremely rare and mainly in those who are deprived of vision or hearing.

The definition of a representational system is used in NLP - neurolinguistic programming. Knowing which channel a person is tuned to makes it easier to influence him.

Definition of the leading representational system

It is important to know this indicator not only about yourself, but also about your loved ones. There are many methods for diagnosing the representative system, from psychological tests that can be taken on the Internet to simple observations.

For example, in speech a visual person will describe colors, images, build pictures; The auditory learner will turn to the description of the sound environment, and the kinesthetic learner will turn to his own sensations. Visual learners do not perceive information by ear, but kinesthetic learners want to touch everything; For auditory learners, it is not important to see; they perceive sound information perfectly.

NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Language of the brain. NLP.

The article below talks about how our thinking works. It's hardly worth reading it just for fun. This is theoretical material for other articles with exercises. I provide links to it from the relevant sections.

After reading this article, it will be easier for you to perform these exercises:

How thinking works.

What are our thoughts? There are many different scientific answers, yet each of us is very familiar with what our own thinking represents. When we think about what we see, hear and feel, we recreate those sights, sounds and sensations within ourselves. We re-experience and reproduce information again in the sensory form in which we initially perceived it. Sometimes we are aware that we are doing this, sometimes we are not.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Let's realize how you think. Do you remember where you spent your last vacation?

Now figure it out - how did you remember this? Maybe a picture of that place popped into your head? Perhaps you said the name or heard the sounds that accompanied the rest. Or maybe you reproduced your feelings - the warm sun or something else.

Our thinking is such an obvious and banal action that we never think about it. Obviously, we simply had no need to be aware of these processes, right? It is more important for us to think about what we think, rather than how we think. However, right now it is important for us to realize how our thinking works. Understanding these processes provides us with the most powerful tools for personal change.

As we found out in the short experiment above, our thinking is a conscious or unconscious reproduction of the sights, sounds, sensations, tastes and smells that we have experienced. Let's call such reproduction, or rather what we reproduce, representations.

Representation is the repeated reproduction of what is seen, heard, felt.

We can use words to evoke these representations in ourselves and in others. When you read a fiction book, you are not aware of what is happening in your thinking. But rest assured, a good book evokes images, sounds and sensations in your mind with words. You re-experience what the writer says, recreating it all in your imagination. You represent it.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Read the next paragraph as slowly as you feel comfortable. Imagine what you are reading about:

Think for a moment about a walk in the woods. Trees tower above you, surrounding you on all sides. You see the colors of the forest around you, and the sun, breaking through the leaves of trees and bushes, casts shadows and creates a mosaic on the grass.

You pass through a ray of sunshine breaking through the cool canopy of leaves above your head. And, moving further, you begin to become aware of the silence, broken only by the singing of birds and the crunching under your feet when you step on dry branches, the rustle of your feet stepping on the soft carpet of the forest.

From time to time there is a sharp crack as you accidentally break a dry branch that falls under your feet. You reach out and touch the tree trunk, feeling the roughness of the bark under your palm.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Gradually you become aware of the gentle breeze caressing your face and notice the fragrant scent of pine resin wafting through the other, rougher scents of the forest.

As you continue your walk, you remember that dinner will be ready soon, and it will be one of your favorite dishes. And you can almost feel the taste of food in your mouth.

To make sense of this last paragraph, you went through all these experiences in your head that were conjured up in your imagination through words.

Perhaps you created this scene clearly enough to imagine the smell of the forest in an already imagined situation. If you've ever walked in a pine forest, you probably remember what it was like.

If this has never happened to you, then you probably constructed this experience from other similar experiences or from materials from television programs, films, books, or other sources. Your experience was a combination of memory and imagination.

Much of our thinking is usually a mixture of such memories and constructed sensory impressions.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

We use the same neurological pathways to internally represent experience and to directly experience it. The same neurons generate electrochemical charges that can be intentional. Thought has direct physical manifestations; the brain and body are one system.

If you really imagine that you are trying to eat a lemon, very real saliva will be released for this imaginary fruit.

With the help of the same sense organs, we perceive the external world and reproduce (represent) it in consciousness

In NLP, the pathways through which we receive, store and encode information in our brains - pictures, sounds, sensations, smells and tastes - are known as representational systems. That is, the channels, the ways in which you reproduce what you once experienced. Or imagine what you might experience.

There are three ways to remember or imagine what happened and what did not happen. You can remember or imagine an image. You can induce a sensation or simulate a sensation. You can hear a sound or create a sound.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

For example, think about the color of your front door. Imagine a pink elephant with green polka dots. Mentally touch the handle of your front door. Our pink elephant has a skin like velvet. Touch it: Hear your door open with a rustling or creaking sound. What if it made a sound like what happens when you run an iron across glass? What if you mentally drink kvass? Now try to simulate the taste of lemon with kvass? It turns out? These are representational systems - that is, ways of reproducing imaginary or real objects in your brain.

Representative systems.

We use all three representational systems all the time, although we are not equally aware of them. We tend to favor some representational systems (systems for reproducing images, experiences and sounds) over others.

For example, many people have an inner voice that arises in the auditory system and creates an internal dialogue. They list arguments, re-listen to speeches, prepare remarks, and generally discuss things with themselves. However, this is just one way of thinking. Other people use internal imagery very actively. They are simply captured by them. They think with the help of these images.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Representational systems are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to visualize a scene, have sensations associated with it, and hear sounds at the same time, although it may be difficult to pay attention to all three systems at the same time. Some part of the thought process will still remain unconscious.

The more a person is absorbed in his inner world, sights, sounds and sensations, the less he will know about what is happening around him, like that famous chess player at an international tournament who became so deep in the position that he saw with his mind's eye that, ate two full meals in one evening. He completely forgot what he ate the first time.

"Lost in thought" is a very apt description. People who experience strong internal emotions also appear to be less sensitive to external pain.

Our behavior arises from a mixture of internal and external sensory experiences. At any given time, our attention is focused on different parts of our experience. While you are reading this book, you are fixating your attention on the page of text and are probably not aware of the sensation in your left leg: until I mentioned it...

As I type this, I am mostly aware of my internal dialogue adjusting to my (very fast) computer typing speed. I will be distracted if I pay attention to external sounds. My creative thinking process will be disrupted, so I like to work in silence. Although, if this is not possible, I can adjust my attention in such a way that I will calmly write in a screaming crowd of Chinese. Already tried it :-).

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

There are few danger signals that would immediately grab my attention: sudden pain, my name spoken out loud, the smell of smoke, or the smell of food (if I'm hungry).

External and internal objects can distract our attention, leading it away from something more important. I call this process. Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of where my attention is now directed, and to keep it where it is needed most now.

Submodalities.

We've talked about the three main ways of thinking: sounds, pictures and sensations - but this is just the first step. If you want to describe a picture you have seen before, then there are a lot of details that you could clarify.

Here you need to understand one thing. Let's take a photograph. What does it mean to describe a photograph? On the one hand, we can talk about what it depicts, right? Another way is to talk about HOW it is depicted. That is, talk about how the photograph was taken - is it black and white or color. What size is she? Is it framed or not? Clear or slightly blurry. We can mention where it is relative to us - directly in front of us, to the right, to the left, above or below. So, in our conversation we are NOT interested in what your internal images are about. It is important for us to know what they look like.

For example, think again about your last vacation and pay attention, become aware of how you represent this experience in your inner world (that is, how you remember it). Is this an image? Sound? Feeling? Or image and feeling? Or:

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Pay attention to the image. Is it color or black and white? This is a film, does it have movement? Or is this a frozen photograph? Is he far or close? These kinds of distinctions can be made regardless of what is shown in the picture.

Similarly, you might describe a sound as high or low, near or far, loud or soft. The sensations can be strong or weak, heavy or light, dull or sharp.

Thus we understand that there are three representational systems - images, sounds and sensations. And each of these systems can be described through its properties. We call these properties submodalities.

For example, an apple is a representational system. And its taste, sour or sweet, are different submodalities, just like weight. You can also pay attention to its color. Simple and clear, isn't it?

An exercise to better understand the submodalities of your representations.

Do the following and answer the questions to analyze the submodalities of your internal representations (This exercise helps you describe what your internal experience looks, sounds, and feels like).

Take a comfortable position and remember a pleasant incident from your life. Explore any picture that appears in this memory.

Do you see it as if with your own eyes (associated), or do you see it as if you were somewhere else (dissociated)? If you see yourself in a picture, you must be dissociated.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Is it colored? Is this a film or a slide? Is it a three-dimensional image or is it flat, like a photograph? By continuing to look at this picture, you can also complete its description.

Finally, notice any sensations or feelings that are part of this memory. Where do these sensations appear? Is it hard or soft? Light or heavy? Hot or cold?

Once again, if representational systems are modalities - ways of perceiving the world - then submodalities are the bricks from which these perceptions are built, what pictures, sounds and sensations are made of.

People have used NLP ideas throughout history. NLP did not originate when the name was invented for it. The ancient Greeks talked about sensory experience, and Aristotle spoke about submodalities, calling them differently when referring to the qualities of these feelings.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Below is a list of the most commonly encountered submodalities. We will need them when performing various exercises, since I provide a link to this article from those articles where this knowledge is needed.

VISUAL SUBMODALITIES.

· Associated (I see with my own eyes) or dissociated (I see myself from the outside).

· Color or black and white.

· Framed or unframed.

· Depth (two- or three-dimensional).

· Location (left or right, top or bottom).

· Distance from me to the picture.

· Brightness.

· Contrast.

· Sharpness (blurry or in-focus).

· Movement (film or slide).

· Speed ​​(faster or slower than usual).

· Quantity (single scene or many images).

· Size.

AUDIOUS SUBMODALITIES.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

· Stereo or mono.

· Words or sounds.

· Volume (loud or quiet).

· Tone (soft or hard).

· Timbre (fullness of sounds).

· Location of the sound source.

· Distance to source.

· Duration.

· Continuity or discreteness.

· Speed ​​(faster or slower than usual).

· Cleanliness (clean or subdued).

KINESTHETIC SUBMODALS.

· Localization.

· Intensity.

· Pressure (strong or weak).

· Degree (how large).

· Texture (rough or smooth).

· Severity (light or heavy).

· Temperature.

· Duration (how long it lasts).

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

This is by no means a complete list of the most common submodal distinctions that people make. Like a switch turned on or off, experience can take one form or another. For example, a picture cannot be associated and dissociated at the same time.

Most submodalities change gradually, as if they were controlled by a rheostat. They form something of a sliding scale, such as sharpness, brightness or volume.

Analog is a word used to describe those qualities that can change gradually within their boundaries.

Submodalities can be considered the most fundamental operating code of the human brain. It is simply impossible to think about something or reconstruct any experience without it having a submodal structure. At the same time, it is easy to be unaware of the submodal structure of experience. Until you pay conscious attention to it.

The most interesting thing about submodalities is what happens when you change them. Some of them can be changed with impunity and do not make a difference. Others may be critical of particular memories, and changing them completely changes how we view the experience. Typically, the impact and meaning of a memory or thought is more a function of a small number of critical submodalities rather than the content.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Once an event has happened, it is over and we can never go back and change it. After this, we no longer react to the event itself, but to our memory of this event, which can be changed.

Exercise.

Try the following experiment. Remembering some pleasant event. Make sure that you are associated with the picture and see it with your own eyes. Pay attention to how you feel.

Now dissociate. Get out of your body and look from the outside at a person very similar to you, who sees and hears what you saw and heard then. This will almost certainly change the way you view the event.

Dissociation from a memory robs it of its emotional power. A pleasant memory loses its charm, and an unpleasant memory loses its pain. In the future, when your imagination paints a painful scene for you, dissociate from it.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

To enjoy pleasant memories, make sure you are associated. You can change the way you think. This is an important point in the unwritten manual for using the brain.

Exercise.

Try the following experiment to change the way you think and determine which submodalities are critical for you. Critical - means those, changing which, you change your attitude towards the recalled events.

Think back to a specific emotionally charged situation that you can remember well - for example, some unpleasant memory from the past.

First, become aware of the visual part of the memory, imagine that you are turning the brightness control of the image, increasing and decreasing the brightness.

Notice how this changes your experience. Which brightness is more preferable for you? Finally, return the brightness to its original state.

Next, zoom in on the image, then zoom out. What changes in this case, and what position of the image do you prefer? Return it to the position it was in at the beginning. Now, if it was in color, make it black and white. If it was black and white, add color to it. Evaluate the changes, which ones are better? Return to the starting position.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Finally, try changing from associated to dissociated and back again.

Some, perhaps all, of the changes will have a profound effect on how you think about that memory. You may want to leave a memory with the submodality values ​​that you like best; you may not be happy with the submodalities that the brain provided you without your knowledge. Did you remember to choose them yourself?

For now, continue your experiment with other visual submodalities and observe what happens. Do the same with the auditory and kinesthetic parts of this memory.

For most people, an experience will be more intense and memorable if it is large, bright, colorful, close and associated. If this is the case for you, make sure you preserve your good memories this way.

Do the opposite with your unpleasant memories, let them be small, dark, black and white, distant and dissociated. In both cases, the content of the memory remains unchanged, only the way we remember it changes. Bad things happen and have consequences that we have to live with, but they don't have to haunt us. Their power to make us feel bad here and now has its origin in the way we think about them.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

The essential distinction to be made is between an event that actually happened and the meaning and impact we give it in the way we remember it.

Perhaps you have an inner voice that is nagging at you. Make it slow. Now increase its speed. Experiment with changing its tone. Which side does it sound from? What happens if you move it to the other side? What happens if you make it louder? Or quieter? Talking to yourself can be turned into real pleasure.

Changing submodalities is a subject of subjective experience that is difficult to convey in words. Theory is controversial, experience is convincing. You can be the director of your own imaginary film, and you can decide for yourself how you want to think, rather than being at the mercy of representations that seem to arise on their own.

Like TV in the summer, the brain shows a lot of repetitions, many of which are old and not very good movies. You don't need to watch them. Emotions come from somewhere, although the reason for their appearance may not be recognized. But even though emotions themselves are kinesthetic representations and have weight, location and intensity, they have submodalities that can be changed.

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Feelings are not completely involuntary, and you can go a long way before you choose the feelings you want to have. Emotions can be wonderful servants and harsh teachers.

Representational systems, access keys, and submodalities are important building blocks of subjective experience. It is not surprising that people build various maps of the world around them. They have different dominant and preferred representational systems, different synesthesias, and encode their memories using different submodalities.

When we finally use language to communicate with each other, it is simply amazing how we manage to understand each other.

Based on the book: Joseph O'Connor, John Seymour. Introduction to neuro-linguistic programming. The latest psychology of personal mastery. Not given verbatim. For better understanding, I translated many passages from technical NLP into a simple and understandable language for ME :-).

Topics of the article: NLP. Thinking. Representative system. Submodalities.

Facial expressions and gestures.

Today, you will find out what it is representative, human sensory system, And how people think and think, i.e. how each of us perceives and processes the information we receive, and how to find common ground through words.

How people think, think, using various sensory, human representational systems

To build relationships and understand each other, you need to know how people think- perceive and process the information received; which one do they use representative system for this.

All people have five senses - human sensory system; Basically, three channels for receiving and processing information are used - visual (vision), auditory (auditory) and kinesthetic (touch), taste and smell can be attributed to the latter.

For different people, one channel is more used than the others; in most cases, two channels for receiving and processing information are used: the first representative system, say, visual, is the main one, and the second human sensory system, for example, auditory, is secondary. The rest are less involved.

In this regard, each person uses the same turns of phrase in speech, corresponding to his representative system, i.e. we think in words and images designated by words, therefore how people think, that's what they say.

Visual (visual), auditory (auditory) and kinesthetic (tactile, sensory) types of human representational systems

The visual type uses verbs, adjectives and adverbs that refer to what can be seen (light, picture, dark, looking, etc.); auditory, auditory type, uses more words related to what can be heard (conversation, listen, sounds, crackles, etc.); kinesthetic type (touch, taste, smell), speaks in words related to what can, respectively, be felt, felt, touched, etc. (warm, cold, feel, feel, take, etc.).

Now it remains to determine the leading representative, sensory system, find out how a person thinks and thinks, and begin to use in a conversation with him the language that will be more understandable to him.

Well, if you speak the same common language of body and words, you will certainly be able to convey the necessary information to your counterpart and understand each other.

This method is used in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), also called the “Language of the Brain”.

Where knowledge of human representational systems and understanding of how people think is useful

Knowledge and understanding of human representational systems, that is, an understanding of how people think, can be useful in almost all areas of life: in personal, family, child-parent relationships; and in business, commerce when concluding contracts and making transactions; and at work, when communicating with colleagues and superiors; and at school, university, when interacting with teachers... in general, wherever people need to understand each other.

Don't forget to define your representational system first, for example, by recording your conversation on solving a problem and listening to it; or read your letters, text documents, essays; or think about what you prefer to do in life, and which sensory channel it corresponds to; You can simply write down words related to different human sensory systems in three columns, and see which column has the most words.

How to determine a person's representational system if he doesn't talk much

How to determine the leading sensory system of a person by his speech is generally clear, but what to do and how to find out the main representative system, and what does a person think if he speaks little and is not very sociable?

Observing our counterpart, more precisely the direction of his gaze, and leading questions will help us with this.


The fact is that when you ask your interlocutor a certain question, his gaze, while he is thinking about the answer, will automatically move in some direction, which will tell us about his favorite representative system, along with the words that he uses more often.

We use the direction of gaze to determine the representative system, and find out how a person thinks and thinks

There are two types of questions to ask to determine a representational system:

1) A question that activates memory;
here pictures, images, sounds and sensations that have been stored in a person's memory are recalled.
2) A question that activates the design process.
Here the imagination is turned on, new images, sounds and sensations are designed and created.

Visual representational system

If you ask a visual question, for example, what color is the wallpaper in your interlocutor’s apartment, then his gaze will direct upward and to the right of you, i.e. he remembers the visual image.

If you ask a question and the person has to come up with, imagine an image, for example, what a blue crocodile looks like, then his gaze will move up and to the left of you.

If his gaze is unfocused, motionless, or the person is looking into space, then this is also visual processing of information.

If a person moves his gaze from side to side and it is directed upward, then, most likely, visual construction is taking place.

These examples are typical for most people, but there are exceptions; to clarify what is happening, it is necessary to ask several different questions.

Auditory (auditory) representational system

Questions on the auditory representational system also ask two types, memory and construction.


In this case, when an auditory memory is affected, for example, what your car horn sounds like, your gaze will move to your right ear.


When a person constructs and imagines an auditory image, for example, when asking what your mobile phone would sound like like a child’s cry, he will move his gaze to your left ear.

The most common people are those with a visual and kinesthetic representational system.


Kinesthetics works together with the physical sensations and emotional feelings of people, therefore, both the recall of sensory images from memory and their construction, for example, what a dog or rhinoceros feels like, will be accompanied by the same direction of gaze - down and to the left of you.


When your counterpart directs his gaze down and to the right of you, he is in an internal dialogue, that is, talking to himself.
You can check this by asking your interlocutor to tell something to himself or ask what he would think in some situation.

The most common sign of identifying a leading representational system is the first direction of gaze when asked a neutral question; Of course, you need to use these techniques in conjunction with the words the person uses.

Automatic use of these methods and techniques, understanding each other and finding a common language, is possible only after some practice.

I wish everyone psychological well-being and finding a common language in communication and interactions!

psychologist-psychanalyst Oleg Vyacheslavovich Matveev
Psychological consultation on personal issues

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If you understand how a person perceives information received from other people, you can find a lot of nuances and features in this issue. What is effective when communicating with some people may be completely ineffective when communicating with others. Some people understand us perfectly, but we can try to “reach out” to others for a very, very long time, and often our attempts will remain unsuccessful. While some wonder why their interaction with others does not bring the desired result, others apply knowledge about the representation of information in their daily lives, i.e. about those features that differ in presentation and perception by different people.

In our previous two lessons, we introduced you to the basic techniques of neuro-linguistic programming. But they concerned precisely the linguistic aspect of this area of ​​practical psychology. And very little has been said about the impact of neuroprocesses on the human psyche and perception. The presented lesson is dedicated to this topic.

From this lesson you will learn about what representational systems are and what role they play in NLP, as well as what methods of transferring experience and types of perception systems exist (visual, auditory, kinesthetic and others). The article will also present methods for determining the leading modality (the main representative system) in a person, including various diagnostic methods, such as tests, special questions, observations, etc.

Human representational system

To begin with, it should be recalled that representation should be understood as the process of representing and expressing certain experiences (thoughts, ideas, etc.) by a person. And a person, receiving information coming to him from the outside world, always relies on his senses. The human body is equipped with a huge number of sensitive receptors, which are the only way to receive information. To put it simply, all human experience is formed by the following sensations (modalities): visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory and tactile. Besides them, there are others, but they play a secondary role. These modalities are called representational systems in NLP.

Receiving information through our senses, the brain encodes it and then represents it in the form of corresponding data, feelings and emotions, even a small part of which can accommodate a whole range of possible meanings. And a person already evaluates and systematizes these data and values. In short, this is how the process of perception works. But here we should take into account the main presupposition (truth that is not subject to discussion) of NLP - “The map is not the territory,” where the map is a person’s perception of reality, and the territory is objective reality itself. It turns out that the way a person perceives the information received has only a subjective meaning, not reflecting the objective state of affairs. Each person has his own map, which is the basis of his perception, and this map, due to its individuality, will never become a reflection of the truth. But, knowing that each person has his own map, you can successfully use this, which, in turn, allows you to understand people on a deeper level and convey information in the form in which it will be perceived as accurately as possible. You can also influence a person’s map, thereby changing it.

In general, to be more specific, knowing about a person’s map and his peculiarities of perception, as well as about his map and his peculiarities, you can maximize the level of mutual understanding with others and make any communication as effective, mutually beneficial and productive as possible. And one of the main ways to influence oneself and others is precisely communication based on representative systems. We will talk about them further.

Types of representational systems

NLP distinguishes several main representative systems, each of which receives information only in its own way, and then activates certain behavioral mechanisms. This whole process is controlled by the human central nervous system. For example, when we see something, the brain transmits what we perceive to us in the form of an image. When we hear something, the brain transforms it into sounds. Some internal sensations turn into feelings and emotions. And then, when we remember any information, our brain sends a memory signal, and the memory is expressed in approximately the same form in which it was stored. It is on these principles that work with representative systems is based. It should also be noted that there is a direct relationship between representative systems and the mental and physiological characteristics of a person, based on the analysis of which it is possible to determine a person’s personality type and its inherent traits. So, let's consider the types of representative systems.

Visual representational system

The visual representational system is based on the perception of visual images. People with such a system (visuals) organize their vision of reality through what they look at. What such people see and the pictures that arise in their imagination has a direct impact on their emotional state and inner world.

SIGNS. You can identify a visual person by a straightened neck/back, as well as by an upward gaze. His breathing is shallow and, in most cases, chesty. When perceiving an image, visual learners may hold their breath for a moment until the picture takes shape. Their lips may be pursed and appear thin, and their voice is often loud and high-pitched. Any experience is remembered by visual people in the form of pictures and images, so when they have to take in someone’s speech for a long time or just listen to something, they begin to get bored, and the noise itself often disturbs them. When communicating with such people, you need to provide visual support for your speech. In percentage terms, visual learners account for 60% of all people.

APPEARANCE. Visuals, as a rule, have a thin build, tall stature and a slightly elongated waist. Correct posture is often maintained. When interacting with them, it is advisable not to block their view of the place where they are.

Auditory representational system

The auditory representational system is based on the perception of sounds. People with the presented system (auditory learners) perceive information through the process of listening. All information is perceived and remembered by them, mainly in the form of sound impressions.

SIGNS. You can recognize an auditory person by their eyes that often move in different directions. The breathing is rhythmic and even, but reflecting his internal experiences. If you ask such a person to describe some of his experiences, then, first of all, he will think about how to express it in the form of sound. The auditor speaks for a long time and a lot, expressing his thoughts very clearly. However, his speech can be very impulsive. Often dominates the conversation and often tires. He is particularly sensitive to sounds and often talks to himself. When communicating with an auditory speaker, you need to try to structure your speech more competently and accurately. As a percentage, auditory learners account for about 20% of all people.

APPEARANCE. The body type of most auditory people is somewhere between thin and obese people. During a conversation, they often gesture and point to the ear area, and also lean forward, as if trying to be closer to the person with whom they are communicating. But when sounds arise in their own consciousness, on the contrary, they will deviate back. They monitor the rhythm of their speech and the timbre of their voice.

Kinesthetic representational system

The kinesthetic representational system is based on the olfactory-tactile channel of information. Such people (kinesthetics) really love tactile contact. Any experiences, emotions and sensations are best perceived by them if they have the opportunity to touch something and feel it physically.

SIGNS. You can recognize a kinesthetic person in a person, first of all, by his eyes: his gaze is often directed “down to the right.” The breathing of a kinesthetic person is abdominal and deep, but depending on the sensations he experiences, it will change. The lips are, in most cases, soft and full, and the tone of voice is low, deep, sometimes hoarse and slightly muffled. During a conversation, a kinesthetic person will speak slowly, taking long pauses while searching within themselves for relevant information. Kinesthetic learners account for about 20% of all people.

APPEARANCE. If the perception of kinesthetics is directed inward, then, most likely, outwardly this will be expressed in the fullness and roundness of the body. If the perception is directed to the outside world, then this will reflect strength and muscularity. Most kinesthetics move rather slowly. To encourage them to be active, you often need to show physical contact - clap or encourage them in some way. And when communicating, it is recommended to be closer, because Kinesthetic people prefer intimacy.

Digital representational system

The digital representative system is based on subjective-logical perception and comprehension. People using this system (digitals) function at a meta-level of consciousness, which includes data received through the visual, auditory and kinesthetic systems. Any information they perceive is reflected in all manifestations of the systems discussed above.

SIGNS. You can understand that a person is digital both by the movement of his eyes, which can often be directed downward to the left or move from side to side, and by his thin and compressed lips. His breathing is uneven and characterized by short sighs. If we talk about posture, then the shoulders are usually straightened, the neck is straight, and the arms are crossed on the chest. The voice often sounds monotonous, and the person speaks as if “automatically.” Only a small percentage of all people fall into the digital category.

APPEARANCE. Considering that people with a digital representational system include the properties of people with visual, auditory and kinesthetic systems, it is quite difficult to determine their exact external characteristics. We can only say that outwardly they may look completely different.

In addition to the above, there are also two other representative systems - olfactory (olfactory) and gustatory (gustatory). But these systems are very poorly distributed and people who have them are quite rare. These systems are observed mainly in those people who are deaf or blind. For these reasons, they are almost never considered in NLP.

To summarize this section, it is very important to note that there are no people with any one representative system. In real life, people always (consciously or subconsciously) change them based on the situation. Depending on what is perceived at a given moment in time, a person can process one manifestation visually, and approach the second from an auditory position, and vice versa.

Speaking about the effectiveness of defining representative systems, it must be said that one of the most important laws of NLP is the following: what a person says when describing any of his experiences can have not only a metaphorical meaning, but also literally reflect the processes occurring in his mind during the representation of data . It follows from this that any representative system is directly related to speech manifestation. For example, if a person tells you: “I imagine this the same way as you,” then most likely he feels the need for visual images when communicating. And in order to “join” it, you need to visualize a picture of what is being discussed and express it verbally. If a person says: “I feel with my whole being.... ", then continuing a conversation with him, being tuned to the position of an auditory or visual person, will be extremely ineffective, because no attunement will occur. Here you need to talk using words that are close to sensations and physical contact. Only in this case will it be possible to find mutual understanding.

The words that a person most often uses during a conversation, based on sensations and reflecting his perception, are called predicates (see below in the text). Skillful use of predicates facilitates rapid attunement with another person. It is this attunement, i.e. adjusting to the other person, joining their perception, map, worldview and model of representation of experience is most important in establishing a mutual connection. After all, when we speak to a person in “his” language, we become closer to him and closer to him. And people, as a rule, enjoy communicating with people like them.

But, as already noted, for effective communication it is important not only to know about representative systems, but also to be able to determine the main one.

Definition of the leading representational system

Despite the fact that a person perceives any information he receives with the help of all representative systems, he uses one of them much more often and more intensively than all the others. It is this system that is called leading. And in order to determine which system is it, there are several effective methods in NLP.

Firstly, as mentioned above, any representational system is reflected in the movement of a person’s eyes, the pace of his speech, the timbre of his voice, his posture, neck position, gestures, arm and body movements, favorite poses, as well as body type. To understand which system is leading, you only need to know the signs of each of them (see above in the text) and be able to identify them when communicating with people and observing them. An example is the eye positions characteristic of each system, called ocular access keys.

People with a leading visual representational system will have a defocused gaze directed straight ahead when visualizing; when forming a visual image, their gaze will be directed up and to the right, and if a person is remembering something, their gaze will be directed up to the left.

People with a leading auditory representational system will direct their gaze to the right when forming sound images, and to the left when recalling them.

People with a leading kinesthetic representational system will direct their gaze down to the right when experiencing bodily sensations and emotions, and down to the left when conducting internal dialogue.

And secondly, because the determination of the leading perception system is carried out on the basis of observation of a person in the process of interaction with him; the analysis of his speech and the determination of the most frequently used predicate words, which we recently mentioned, should be carried out most carefully. Below are the predicates that are most typical for people to use each of the systems.

Visual system

• Nouns: perspective, aspect, picture, illusion, point of view, nuance, position, etc.
• Verbs: describe, imagine, look, clarify, manifest, observe, notice, show, display, illustrate, see, etc.
• Adjectives: wide, narrow, blurry, clear, open, distant, small, clear, foggy, etc.
• Statements: “I imagine”, “In my opinion”, “It seemed to me”, “You see”, “Shedding light”, “Bringing clarity”, etc.

Auditory system

• Nouns: intonation, timbre, voice, dialogue, whisper, echo, song, sound, tonality, symphony, harmony, conversation, conversation, etc.
• Verbs: discuss, listen, ask, call, remain silent, express, speak, expound, mumble, etc.
• Adjectives: unheard, deaf, silent, speaking, melodious, dumb, noisy, sonorous, loud, etc.
• Statements: “Saying differently”, “They set the tone”, “I want to hear”, “You can say”, “Mutting the dialogue”, etc.

Kinesthetic system

• Nouns: tension, heaviness, contact, load, breathing, movement, fatigue, vigor, weight, influence, etc.
• Verbs: touch, feel, sense, hit, squeeze, balance, perceive, move, etc.
• Adjectives: unbearable, sensitive, soft, immovable, heartfelt, hot, unbalanced, hardy, dumbfounded, etc.
• Statements: “I feel that”, “Influencing the situation”, “Holding on tightly”, “Carrying a heavy load”, “Let’s make an impact”, etc.

Naturally, these are not all words and expressions, identifying which one can determine the leading representative system of a person. In fact, there are a great many of them and there are countless different variations. It is important to simply learn to determine the basic line that a person adheres to in his statements. Better yet, learn to compare these predicates with the physiological manifestations that characterize each of the systems. Then it will be much easier to draw a conclusion, and the likelihood of its accuracy will increase significantly.

But in addition to the above-mentioned features, which are worth observing when communicating with people, aspects of a person’s life and activity can also speak about a person’s predisposition to a particular representative system.

What else to pay attention to when determining the leading representative system:

• How a person describes his experiences, experiences, memories;
• What does a person like to remember most, what moments of his life do he remember more than others?
• A person’s appearance: is he neat, how good does the person look, what attention does he pay to his appearance;
• Favorite items;
• Favorite ways to spend time, interests, hobbies, hobbies;
• What does a person like more: watching movies, listening to music, reading books, playing sports;
• Favorite way to relax, i.e. what does a person do if he has a free minute;
• Preferred way to obtain new information: video, audio, books;
• Orientation in space;
• Desire to communicate by phone, Skype, email;
• The furnishings in the apartment and the interior of the room in which the person lives, etc.

Moreover, all these indicators are important not only in relation to those people with whom you have to communicate at work or other everyday affairs, but also in relation to your loved ones and yourself. After all, identifying them will not only help you learn to communicate more productively, but will also have a huge positive impact on your own state and mood in everyday life, the inner world of dear people, the microclimate in the family and your attitude towards life in general.

Recommendations for using knowledge about a representational system

And at the end of the lesson, we provide several useful practical recommendations, which you can try and get results from in the very near future.

1. First, identify your leading representational system. Find tests to determine it (there are a lot of tests on the Internet) and take them, observe yourself, your thoughts during the day, reactions, ways of conducting dialogue. Mark the words that you often insert into your speech. This will help you get to know yourself better. You can then apply this knowledge when communicating with others and can guide those you communicate with on how to interact with you more effectively. You will also be able to find the methods of obtaining information and ways to relax that are most suitable for you. After all, nothing has such a beneficial effect on a person and his psyche as doing something to which he is initially predisposed.

2. As you know, the vast majority of people in the world are visual people. Use this knowledge to your advantage: always, when communicating with new people, focus on those methods of influence that affect people with a visual representational system. Use more figurative expressions in your speech, give bright colorful examples, create pictures in people’s imaginations of what you are talking about. Also keep a certain distance from people, giving them room to see. Once you use pre-prepared techniques, you will be able to make the correct assessment with certainty and evaluate the effectiveness of your communication and impact. And if your predictions do not come true, you should resort to using other techniques.

3. Having at least approximately defined the leading representative system of a person, try not to use predicate words that do not correspond to his type. What will be extremely effective for a visual learner will not be suitable for an auditory, kinesthetic learner, etc. If you find that what you say is not having the desired impact, then most likely you have defined the system incorrectly and you should resort to experimenting with new words.

4. When communicating with people of each representative system, try to adjust the pace of your speech and the volume of your voice to them. With kinesthetic learners you should speak slowly and not very loudly, because... it fits their “characteristics.” This is necessary so that the information flows smoothly, otherwise they simply will not understand anything from your speech, even if they try very hard. It's a little easier with audio, because... they are subconsciously tuned to auditory perception and what you say will immediately fit into their minds. But here it is important to speak not too slowly and not too quietly, because... the original message will lose its momentum and you will have to start over. Visual learners generally do not perceive what is said to them very well. Therefore, regardless of the pace and volume of your speech, try to resort primarily to the use of visual characteristics. Better yet, show them what you are talking about - then the information will hit the nail on the head.

5. Eyes very well reflect a person’s thought processes, because... Controlling eye movements is a rare ability and few can boast of it. Knowing this fact helps not only to determine the leading representative system, but also to identify lies. Remember, a person who is uncomfortable will either always look away from yours and try to avoid it. Or, on the contrary, he will not look away, looking into your eyes, trying to seem overly honest. Observe which direction the person is looking when talking to you: very often, if a person is lying, he will look down to the left, conducting an internal dialogue with himself and, most likely, trying to come up with something. If a person looks up and to the right, it means that he is creating some kind of image in order to then voice it to you. Looking to the right, a person selects suitable phrases, and looking down to the right, a person feels some emotions determined by the context of your conversation. Such methods of detecting lies are often used by specialists in intelligence agencies.

6. Knowledge about representational systems is very convenient to use when raising children., because a correctly identified leading system will help build a strategy for influencing the child, following which the process of upbringing itself will bring him only pleasure, arousing interest, and will not be a burden for the parent, because will happen easily and naturally. By influencing the child’s representative system, you can improve your performance in school, determine his predispositions and send him to the appropriate section, learn to explain complex things in a very simple and understandable language, and also avoid misunderstandings and, as a result, tense situations in the family.

7. And, of course, the topic of the professional sphere of activity cannot be ignored. Knowing the leading representative system, for example, your boss, with whom your relationship is not going very well, you can change the situation to your advantage, solve pressing problems and even get a promotion or increase in salary. To do this, you need to learn how to express your thoughts as correctly as possible and convey them in such a way that they are extremely clear. Moreover, the boss himself may not even realize that he was directly influenced by you.

8. The same applies to business: by influencing the representative systems of your colleagues and potential partners, you can resolve controversial issues to your advantage and conclude promising contracts, convincing people of the uniqueness of your project. Today, the heads of many successful companies and corporations use such knowledge from the field of NLP in managing their companies and interacting with partners and employees.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that representative systems are an integral part of the personality of every person, and knowledge about them is a powerful, effective tool for improving communication with other people and one’s own life. The main thing is to put them into practice and hone your skills.