Representations and Projections

Representation is your current, internal, stable perception of an experience. Projection is a temporary, task-specific depiction of an experience—a metaphor that is isomorphic to the original. When you define how a situation looks inside your mind and what its submodalities are, that’s a representation. But if you draw that same situation on paper, that’s a projection.

Both approaches are used in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). For example:

• The subjective timeline is a representation; the timeline in the “Changing Personal History” technique is a projection.
• A phrase you hear in your head is a representation; the same phrase written on paper is a projection.
• Your internal map of values and their locations in “mental space” is a representation; a “values map” drawn on paper is a projection.
• Internal representations of places in mental space—like “convinced,” “doubtful,” “ready to believe,” “believe,” “don’t believe”—are representations; marking these areas on the floor with paper in the “Museum of Old Beliefs” technique are projections.
• The “Social Panorama” works with representations; Bert Hellinger’s “Family Constellations” work with projections (though constellations are not part of NLP).
• Changing the kinesthetic submodality of emotional arousal is a representation; showing this change as a scale on the floor in the “Adrenaline Barometer” technique is a projection.

More examples of representations include: internal beliefs with their foundations, your self-concept with its base, feeling emotions, or recalling a favorite melody.

More examples of projections include: visualizing codependency as a rope in the “Breaking Codependency” technique, representing goals or values as spheres in the surrounding space, drawing a person, or marking neurological levels with paper on the floor in the “Logical Levels Alignment” technique.

Pros and Cons of Each Approach

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Representation

• Pros:
  • Awareness of your current experience.
  • Ability to work directly with your current perception.
  • Immediate visibility of changes.
  • Greater control due to the above factors.
• Cons:
  • It can be difficult to become aware of your internal representations.
  • Gathering information takes time.
  • Uncertainty about the accuracy of your perception.
  • Impossible to demonstrate to others.
  • Challenging to make changes in less controllable modalities.

Projection

• Pros:
  • Translates experience into a more controllable modality—paper notes can be moved, people can be positioned in space, the “color” of a feeling as an image can be easily changed.
  • Allows you to show, at least partially, your internal structure to others, including a consultant.
  • Reduces the time needed to gather information.
  • Provides clarity and often a “physical” representation.
• Cons:
  • The main drawback: projections only work well if the projection is isomorphic to the representation, which is not always the case.
  • The client often isn’t aware of the process’s results.
  • Uncertainty in determining whether the desired outcome has been achieved.

Summary

Representations allow you to work directly with your current experience, offering greater control and awareness, but can be difficult to access and share. Projections make it easier to manipulate and share your internal experience, but only work effectively if they accurately reflect your internal representation. The choice between the two depends on your goals and the context of the work.