NLP Patterns: Methods for Breaking Behavioral Patterns

“I have a phobia.”
“In NLP, there are no phobias — in NLP, there are patterns. You need to break the pattern!”
— Frank Farrelly

If we want to change behavior — a process often referred to as a “pattern” in NLP — we can use several fundamentally different approaches: break the old behavior, add a more successful new one, or first break the old and then add the new. In NLP, it is more common to add new options, assuming that a person will use these new choices. However, sometimes the main focus is on breaking the pattern — for example, if someone has a phobia or an addiction, their primary desire is to get rid of it. Moreover, after breaking the old behavior, we can leave the search for a replacement to the unconscious mind.

A pattern is something that repeats in behavior regardless of context.

So, I had the idea to focus specifically on the topic of breaking patterns — to look at the different ways and methods to do this. But before we continue, let’s clarify our terms:

• If there is nothing left after breaking the pattern — for example, there was an anchor, it was broken, and now there is no reaction to the stimulus — this is destruction.
• If one pattern is replaced with another — there was an anchor, but now there is a new reaction to the stimulus — this is replacement.
• If new patterns are added to the existing one — so a person can react both in the old and new ways to the same stimulus — this is addition.

Of course, this division is very conditional, but let’s use it as a basis.

Examples of NLP Techniques

• The Collapse Anchors technique breaks old connections.
• The Swish Pattern first breaks the old pattern, then installs a new one.
• The Six-Step Reframing technique adds new behavioral options without breaking the old ones.

In NLP, after breaking a pattern, practitioners usually help the client come up with something new to replace what was destroyed. This can be an instruction to the unconscious or a specific “creation” pattern — for example, after the “Threshold” pattern, it is recommended to use the “Swish” pattern.

What Patterns of Breaking Patterns Exist?

Here, the term “pattern” is used in two senses: what we are breaking, and what we are using to break it. What can be broken: anchors, beliefs, goals, strategies, identity, mission, meta-states. You can break either connections (anchors, beliefs) or “constructions” (mission, goal, identity). For example, you can’t destroy a state, only transition to another one.

Submodalities

• Imagine the situation drawn on glass and then break the glass.
• Push the situation off into infinity.
• Shrink it to a single point.
• Turn the sound down to a minimum.
• Paint it over in black.

Swish Pattern

First, imagine how you currently see the situation, then quickly switch to a new image, and then distract yourself. Repeat this 5-7 times. If there is nothing in place of the old image, the old process has been destroyed.

Threshold Pattern

This can be used to break compulsions. Take the compulsion, identify the critical submodality, and intensify it until you cross the threshold and your brain stops perceiving the object as real. By the way, Bandler suggests using the threshold pattern for decision-making — intensify your dissatisfaction with yourself (for example, by recalling unsuccessful situations) until you say to yourself, “Enough!”

Meta Model Patterns

There is an interesting pattern for working with generalizations: look for the opposite example.

• “You’re always late.”
• “Has there ever been a time when I was on time?” — a typical language pattern.

There is also something like a threshold pattern — hyperbolization: “Always, always, always!?” This is worth considering, as among language patterns, there are only conditional analogs (frame expansion). In general, many reframing techniques can be viewed in terms of crossing a threshold.

Anchors

The collapse technique destroys anchors. A good sign is when there is no reaction to the old stimulus.

Meta-States

In relation to an event, person, or thing, experience complete indifference.

Fast Reversed Associated Re-experiencing

As in the “Fast Phobia Cure” technique, this also destroys anchors.

Reframing Techniques

Many reframing techniques simply destroy beliefs, especially those that show the belief doesn’t work or its consequences are unacceptable, but do not offer new options.

Presuppositions

You can insert a command for destruction, such as, “You understand that you are no longer able to do this.”

Well-Formed Outcome Destruction

Take the points of a well-formed outcome and ask why they cannot be achieved.

Limiting Beliefs About Achieving Goals

Create limiting beliefs (or destroy supporting ones) such as: the goal is unnecessary, the goal is fundamentally unattainable (hopelessness), the goal is unattainable for me (helplessness), I am not worthy of achieving the goal (worthlessness), I can only achieve the goal with someone’s help (dependency). You can create these using presuppositions or belief creation strategies. You can destroy them using reframing techniques.

Beliefs can be destroyed not only through reframing, but also by following a belief destruction strategy — as in the “Museum of Old Beliefs” technique. Apparently, this can also be done purely verbally, as long as you identify the convincers for destroying the belief.

Common Mechanisms for Breaking Patterns

• Collapse of opposites: collapse anchors, language paradoxes
• Destruction of structure: reversed re-experiencing, swish pattern
• Erasure: meta-state of “indifference,” submodalities of erasure — removal, painting over, etc.
• Destruction command: various language commands — in presuppositions, embedded messages, direct suggestions, etc.
• Motivation for destruction: show that the pattern doesn’t work or its use is not ecological.