*Enter the NLP wizard*

There is truth in everything you have heard so far, YET so far there has been no TRULY informed and neutral explaination of what NLP is.

*Crosses arms in an X and then seperates them to either side as he speaks*

Forget all the stuff you've heard about it being designed to anchor things to people's subconscious and manipulate them.

*Holds right hand in front of his chest for emphasis*

Yes that is a capability of NLP as you are currently witnessing. I sweep aside the negative conotations and I cement in the idea that that is only ONE capability of it. Let's get down to business, shall we?

You have been using the principles of NLP your entire life, whether you knew it or not. You used them when you were just a baby and unable to talk, yet capable of crying to let your mother know you had made a mess in your diaper, or that you were hungry.

NLP is merely the STUDY of language and the effects it has upon people, whether it be words, tonality, or body language. There is nothing evil about NLP, just as there is nothing evil about a gun. It is how it is implimented that causes it to have moral value; just as using a gun to hunt and feed your family is a noble effort, whereas using it to rob a bank and shoot a cop is a terrible crime.

NLP was created in the 70's by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of communication between people. It enables you to more completely understand what others are trying to communicate to you, as well as enhancing your ability to communicate your thoughts to them. This is done by studying the body language that they have and reading the signs that they unconsciously and consciously show in their actions, which often aren't represented in their words, as well a noting the tone changes when they are talking and the words that they use to communicate their thoughts. When you are talking to someone else, you use NLP to choose body language that helps to emphasise what you are trying to communicate (remember how I sweep my hands in an X as I tell you to forget something, it adds to that and helps you to remove those thoughts), as well as choosing the right tonality (not speaking loud to a person that is upset and instead matching their tone, then slowly raising it up until they feel better, which is a technique known as pacing and leading) and picking the best words to get your concepts across in a way that will connect best to the other person.

There are many many many books and media about NLP, with various schools of thought on how it can be applied, what is morally ok and what isn't. Some say anything is fair game and some say not to manipulate people with it. The trouble comes from the fact that there is no distinct line, because when I use my voice tonality to cheer up a sad person, I have manipulated them in a manner of speaking, so what really makes it so different from planting thoughts of having hot sex with you in her head? That's truly up to you to decide, as no one else can tell you where to draw that line.

There are many many many many many techniques that fall under the umbrella of NLP, just as everyone employs most of them in their day to day lives without being consciously aware of it. As I said, it is merely the study of communication and didn't re-invent the way we communicate, only took note of what techniques are most effective and emphasized the use of them over bad techniques. This is just like how you know many people that have good posture and get more respect than those that have bad posture. Unconscious use of NLP tools is unavoidable and so I personally suggest that everyone familiarize themselves with it, so that they are more capable of choosing how they desire to communicate.

I hope this has been informative and that all the negative stigmas about NLP, so that you can choose for yourself how to go about communicating with others and how effectively you would like to be able to do so.

Book reccomendations for NLP?
Title/Author?

I respectfully disagree.

Hypnosis can never make you do something you don't already want to do. I use patterns that are somewhat like this to remove mental blocks etc.. Does that mean I am a rapist? hell no.

I will agree this shit is powerful, thats why I use it, but unfortunately it can do some damage and should not be used to "get laid". you have the potential to give someone ultimate pleasure and to take advantage of that is completely emoral.

The main difference is that Hypnosis uses, almost exclusively, language; to elicit a state where you are very receptive to well phrased suggestions. Trance is a rather formal and prolonged experience

NLP does this as well, but in addition takes advantage of the subjective neurological pathways, and makes behavioral changes by manipulating those pathways. Trance is considered a naturally occurring phenomena and is recognized and taken advantage of when it spontaneously occurrs even if only momentarily.

You are correct in saying that all current research shows that hypnosis can not force someone to do anything they don't want to. The proper definition of hypnosis is a state of increased suggestibility.

However, NLP is not hypnosis. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is based on different theories entirely. Two of the most important assumptions behind NLP are

1. A human being can't know reality. They can only know their own perception of Reality.
2. This perception of reality dictates our interactions.

(more on this here: http://www.nlpu.com/whatnlp.htm)

When it comes down to the "Frobidden" patterns, these perceptions are altered. By altering a person's perception of reality, you are changing how they will interact under certain circumstances. My wording was a bit strong in the original post, however since people act differently under different perceptions of reality, and you are changing their perception of reality, you are changing the way they will interact with the given circumstances. This, for our purposes of this discussion, is making them do something.
That's what I was really trying to covey with the original post.

However, NLP is not hypnosis. Neuro-Linguistic Programming is based on different theories entirely. Two of the most important assumptions behind NLP are

1. A human being can't know reality. They can only know their own perception of Reality.
2. This perception of reality dictates our interactions.

(more on this here: http://www.nlpu.com/whatnlp.htm)

When it comes down to the "Frobidden" patterns, these perceptions are altered. By altering a person's perception of reality, you are changing how they will interact under certain circumstances. My wording was a bit strong in the original post, however since people act differently under different perceptions of reality, and you are changing their perception of reality, you are changing the way they will interact with the given circumstances. This, for our purposes of this discussion, is making them do something.