NLP History 4 - early models

The early work, especially the meta model, captured the attention of anthropologist, Gregory Bateson who became a major influence on the early intellectual foundations of the field, including Logical levels, logical types, double bind theory, cybernetic epistemology and cultural relativism (the axiomatic anthropological concept that meaning only exists within a context).

Bateson introduced the co-founders to Milton Erickson, at that time in his 70's, and recognized as the founder of clinical hypnotherapy and a near-legendary therapeutic genius in his own right. Bateson was lecturing at University of California, Santa Cruz, and was attached to the newly formed Kresge College where Grinder was also lecturing in linguistics. Bandler and Grinder met with Erickson on a regular basis, and modeled his approach and his work over eighteen months. In 1975-1976 they published a first volume set of patterns, Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson Volume I (1975), followed in 1977 by Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson Volume II, which together form the basis of the so-called Milton model, a means to use deliberately imprecise language to enable a person to work at an unconscious or somatic level rather than a cognitive level, to resolve clinical issues more effectively.

These early studies and models of patterns used by recognized geniuses, such as the meta-model and Milton model, formed the basis of workshops and seminars. Under the subject title of "Neuro-linguistic programming", they became increasingly popular, firstly with psychotherapists, then business managers, sales professionals, and new age practitioners.

As popularity for NLP increased, a development group formed around the co-founders including Leslie Cameron-Bandler, Judith DeLozier, Stephen Gilligan, Robert Dilts, and David Gordon (author of Therapeutic Metaphors, 1978) and made significant contributions to NLP. A collection of Grinder and Bandler's seminars were transcribed by Steve Andreas and published in 1979, Frogs into Princes.


Based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_neuro-linguistic_programming
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