Can anyone describe what is actually taught in Silva Mind Control?(now known as Silva Method).

Two, what are indications that a teacher, trainer or 'guru' is making covert use of Neurolinguistic Programming?

Silva Mind Control does seem to be controversial.

You might look over some of the following links to get a better take on what it is and how it might be prolematic--


[www.silvamethod.com]

[skepdic.com]

[www.culteducation.com]

Wow. Silva Mind Control. This takes me back...

corboy -- Dunno if you have already satisfied your interest in Silva, but it is a basic course in self-hypnosis along with various applications like awakening without an alarm clock. You learn some simple techiques for relaxing into a mild trance ("going to level") and from there do ESP exercises like sensing the health of a stranger.

Back in the seventies it was a no-frills course with reasonable hours, no psychological confrontation and no proselytization. Oddly enough it is a grandfather to est via Mind Dynamics. Some of the Silva exercises appeared in the est Training, but they've since been stripped out of the Forum.

From visiting the Silva web site I'd say they've updated the Silva course but I'll bet it's still pretty down to earth compared to so many other programs out there.

>Two, what are indications that a teacher, trainer or 'guru' is
>making covert use of Neurolinguistic Programming?

Listen for odd, abrupt pauses and changes in tone or tempo when teacher is speaking. "You don't have to [i:dfdb703503]help me with the dishes.[/i:dfdb703503]" (The embedded command is "help me with the dishes.")

Notice if the teacher imitates the posture, tempo or tone of others. (We all do this unconsciously, so it's tricky.)

Listen for questions that elicit emotional states. "How would it feel if you____?" Or instructions to picture things in different places in the visual field. "Imagine you can see _____ in the upper right."

For more info and a good time buy a deck of Zebu cards: [www.deeptrancenow.com]

that Silva is down to earth at all.

My therapist has 20 years experience treating persons with dissociative/trauma disorders and has special training in trance and PTSD/dissociative disorder therapy.

He winced and uttered a very heavy groan when I offhandedly mentioned Silva Method. My therapist has been around the block and would not react that way if he had not seen or heard of casualties.

The librarian at my practice center and the person I go to for Chinese medicine treatments are both 25 year veterans of the human potential movement and they too went green around the gills and looked horrified when I offhandedly mentioned Silva Method.

All three of these people are highly discerning, well trained, and have had extensive involvement in spiritual psychological exploration.

It very much appears that Silva is anything but benign. It seems to crop up with some frequency in the 'pedigrees' of various cultmeisters.

Any time nonprofessionals teach and are taught powerful forms of trance induction, you're going to have trouble.

What worries me most about NLP is how mainstream and widespread it is becoming in mental health circles without being tested or critiqued, it seems to be becoming accepted as mainstream and legitimised by default.

In the UK I see NLP offered as 'therapy' everywhere, and it has become hugely popular in public college circles as part of their (government funded) Adult Education or Further Education subjects in recent years.

It is taught alongside psychology and counselling as if it carried equal intellectual or scientific or medical validity, including the College where I used to teach, Westminster Adult Education Services [www.waes.ac.uk,] where it has been a very popular and fashionable 'flavour of the month' for a few years.

Not enough people are questioning NLP in my opinion, and their is not enough knowledge in the public domain, the media, local government circles and the teaching, social welfare and medical professions (mainstream and 'alternative'), for example, of the valid criticisms of NLP being widely used to induce dissociation, manipulation and trance.

Chris

I live in a 'New Agey' part of the USA and constantly see adverts for NLP being offered on a walk in basis to non-professionals.

Imagine offering classes to lay persons on how to compound IV narcotics. The Feds would crack down in seconds.

But you can peddle powerful methods of trance induction to non professionals and no one says a word.

My therapist is greatly perturbed that licensing guidelines in our state are so lax for hypnotherapists.

'Problem with too many hypnotherapists is that they are into power and will take you places you should not go' he sighed heavily, shaking his head.

There are some "good" things in NLP, in my experience. I have done some courses with Richard Bandler, and he is a crazy beast, but he had SOME valuable things to say, in my opinion.
BUT, the NLP "field" is full of charlatans, and "get rich quick" types of people, who make HUGE CLAIMS so that they can charge HUGE PRICES.

Tony Robbins was one of the first NLPers to get rich off NLP through manipulating people.
NLP is full of overblown claims.

In my view, the parts of NLP with any psychological value, are all contained in any Cogntive Therapy. These can be gleaned from a general book on NLP. No need for an over-priced rip-off "course".
NLP is full of a lot of garbage, and manipulation, and outright lies and exaggeration as well.

Stay away from those people advertising NLP everywhere. These guys just want to get RICH...QUICK...from YOU.

Here's a little "inside info" proclaiming that NLP is dead.

[www.tonyrobbins.com]

Coz

Original question may be old; the issue stays relevant.

I knew people involved in both in the 1980s.

I read Jose Silva's book, and it seemed harmless and like what doctors say about most natural remedies: can't hurt, might help.

All I remember is him describing the difference between people like his wife who are primarily visual (an NLP term he didn't use) all hyped up and in a hurry to get out skiing, and people who process a different way, like himself, moseying around getting ready for skiing, no big rush.

Nothing wrong with that!

And him recommending saying "Cancel, cancel" after you catch yourself in a "negative" (let's just call it painful or harmful) thought.

I don't know that it works, but self-awareness about one's own thinking and making choices about it seems useful.

It seems all about controlling one's own mind.
If people out there did otherwise, then - charlatan alert!

On the other hand....

The same group hosted a life teacher I knew for 33 years, and though his classes weren't about using NLP, he brought it up often, had studied all the way through with Richard and Leslie, talked about it a lot, and was a genuine master - as in extremely skilled mastery, not some title you buy after a few weeks of expensive classes - probably surpassing them.

He said that:
(1) It only worked at the brain firing pattern level, powerful enough, but lots of us believe that there is more to us than only a brain and body that dies.
(2) They taught only technique, no value system - or ethics.


After maybe 15 years, I was there when he told us all that after all his NLP experience, he was warning us away from it and its practitioners. He said, "NLP is done without ethics, it is misused, it is doing harm, it is black magic. I officially withdraw all endorsement."

This was someone who, with his skill, could probably have had groupies (disciples? Hey there, Gary's harem over at Access Consciousness!) or gotten rich and famous off it.

Last tidbit: I paid one time only to go to the woman then second to Leslie Bandler for one private appointment. She name-dropped "my friend Leslie" in a high-schooler like manner. I have never seen even a simple master's-degree college counselor get emotional and upset, so unprofessionally like that, at something I said.

Or... is it something I refused to be manipulated by?

Waaay back when, JackSF wrote:

"Listen for odd, abrupt pauses and changes in tone or tempo when teacher is speaking. "You don't have to [i:dfdb703503]help me with the dishes.[/i:dfdb703503]" (The embedded command is "help me with the dishes.")"


Politics aside; do you mean like this? Watch A.M. @ 3:02 for what i would consider to be a glaring example:

"and......... I'm asking you... and I'm begging you... to have the courage....to lead....because ... I think that you could be an instrumental part of the solution for this country...and the fear that we're feeling as parents; ...the..............not knowing....where....to go to feel safe because it's everywhere now......"

Did she actually try this on Cruz?!? Or was her target the viewers of this debate?
(Again, nevermind the politics. Watch the speech patterns!).

[youtu.be]

I've also heard it referred to as "conversational" or "covert" hypnosis.

[en.wikipedia.org]

I have been on the receiving end of it. It actually made me feel spacey, and a little physically ill.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2020 06:37AM by kdag.