AppliedNLP as a 4th Way Path of Transformation

The idea of transformation has captivated the minds of people from ancient times to the present day. The ability to transcend the conditions and even the context of what is experienced on an ongoing basis is a fantasy that most people engage in at some time in their lives. Whether they approach the idea of self-transformation seriously or or in passing the “idea” of it still catches them and captivates them … if only it were possible.

Transformation in Ancient Times

The ancients practiced transformation as an integral part of their lifestyles. In almost every aboriginal culture there are “standard” practices of transformation. These are almost always based on or in relationship to communing with nature or nature gods. The concept of the “Vision-Quest” practiced by Native Americans is an example of such a practice. The “Dreamtime” of the Australian Aborigines is another. The shamans of the European plains had their own methods, as did the African, Asian and Polynesian shamans, witch doctors, medicine men/women and so on and so on. In each of these cultures there was an “approved” and established way of making contact with that which was beyond one’s self, a connection with that which is greater than self.

These early cultures had “specialists” who were responsible for keeping the connection open and alive, and also for guiding others to make the connection for themselves. Those who displayed an ability or inclination to go beyond the domain and range of “normal” conduct and behavior were often singled out for this role and marked as “special” for their ability to travel in the domain of the gods. These are among those we today would label as “special” for their dysfunction or limitations.

The path of transformation became more structured and ritualized as time moved forward. The role of the shaman became superceded by the role of the priests and priestesses. The defining difference in these roles were in the world of priests and priestesses only the “chosen” and “consecrated” could make contact with the gods, and did so on the behalf of the others. No longer was it appropriate or common for each individual to expect to make this connection for and by themselves.

With this change the gods became “local” as opposed to “universal.” These were gods of a particular people and/or place, who had a special relationship with those people and that place. These gods often required submission, obedience and sacrifice. Again, this became the role of the priests and priestesses – to transmit and execute the laws of the gods, retain control of the submissive worshipers and preside over the sacrifice. “G-d” was now separate and apart from the people.

There remained cultures and sub-cultures who worshipped outside of the strict control and ordinance of the priest and priestess class. Groups who retained a sense of communion with their god or gods. These groups worshiped in communion with one another, with all those who joined in operating in the role of priest and/or priestess. Each individual was able and responsible for making a direct connection with their god or gods. These groups were often referred to as pagan.

Transformation in the Modern Age

Then a new god arose and took precedence over all other gods in the “modern age.” This was the god of science. This god was the most jealous and vengeful god ever worshipped by any people in any place. This god demanded total and complete allegiance and the death of all other gods before it. This god transformed the religions of other gods into “theology” and worship of other gods into “philosophy.” This god rose to power and strengthened its control and dominance for the last five hundred years, coming to full maturity and of age in the last hundred and fifty – removing and replacing all other gods wherever its religion became the “official” one and its worship became the dominant practice.

The god of science allows for no possibility of transformation, except as prescribed by its rules and ethics. Transformation by the priests and priestesses – i.e.: scientists, doctors, psychologists … is allowed with the ultimate expression to date the unlocking of the genetic code and the potential for genetic engineering of the individual – and maybe even the whole species. The common expression of this god’s form of transformation is through the implementation of the tools of the priests and priestesses presiding over the creation and distribution of them – drugs!

To keep the unruly masses under control and submissive some of these remain available at the “street” level even today. The most notable of these drugs remain under strict distribution and economic control – alcohol and tobacco. These “legal” drugs are complimented by the tons of “controlled substances” obtained through the proper channels of the priest/priestess class or from improper channels in an underground/underworld network that operates at the periphery of the priest/priestess “official and authorized” distribution and control channels.

The Idea of Personal Transformation in the 20^th Century

All this for the singular idea of transformation – the ability to transcend the limits of personal experience as it is commonly known and perceived. The desire to discard the shackles that bind the individual to the world as they know it to be and experience it on an ongoing basis as it “Is.” The desire to pursue the quest that remains embedded embryonically in each individual to make connect directly with that which is greater than themselves. This germ, this idea, retains the kernel of desire that drives people to seek a way to transcend themselves and the experience that limits them.

In the later part of the twentieth century the desire for personal transformation and the means to attain it became again a primary quest for many people scattered and thrown together in unprecedented ways by two world wars and several hundred revolutions – political and philosophical. This quest opened up the possibly for those who retained access to the means of personal transformation to share and disseminate their learning more widely than had been accepted or acceptable before. Technologies like meditation, yoga and even intensive contemplation became widely known and practiced. More intense approaches like extensive fasting, eccentric movement and extreme activities became popularized.

People who would never, by socio-cultural, socio-economic position, have become involved in such things were now regularly practicing these forms of transformation – both on their own and with others who were like-minded. Yoga, martial arts, macrobiotics, meditation, fasts, dance, drumming, rock-climbing … all have become vehicles for personal transformation. What makes this so astounding, astonishing, remarkable and unique is that these practices are performed by people engaged in “ordinary” life. These practices which remained the province of the special caste of priests, priestess, shamans, monks, hermits and mystics in the past have come full circle back into the domain of ordinary life lived in the presence of others who do not necessarily share the same practice/s.

The “Fourth Way” Path of Transformation and AppliedNLP

This idea was popularized back in the first half of the twentieth century by a wandering philosopher, monk, mystic, Sufi teacher – Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff. He spoke about the particular ‘brand’ of teaching he was offering as a “fourth way” or path of transformation that could be practiced and followed within an ordinary life, by ordinary people. This path did not require someone to drop out of their life to pursue transformation, but to pursue transformation within their life. Since this time there have been other “fourth way” teachers who have come to popular awareness and recognition. This path appeals to those who remain attracted to and connected with their life with others, the desire to remain “in” the world. Yet even today it remains challenging to find a guide book or guide for pursuing an “fourth way” path.

When approached with the intention of transformation the technology of NLP provides the basis for pursuing and experiencing such a “fourth way” path. When approached with both a sense of reverence of self and that which is greater than self the technology of NLP contains the essence of what is necessary to experience transformation – while remaining in the world, as opposed to dropping out or away from it.

AppliedNLP as presented in the Mythogenic Self™ Process developed and designed by Joseph Riggio, which is derived from the Generative Imprint™ Model by Roye Fraser, is one such approach. The essential difference being an orientation to the “excitatory” premise or “what’s possible” – an organization around possibility as opposed to limitation. This is unique in the world or NLP, which was and remains concerned and connected to the resolution of problems or to put it more formally the resolution of ill-formedness. Specifically, NLP as it is most commonly presented, regardless of the name used, is directed at the semantic level of consideration. This ultimately confines and limits it to the manipulation of the symbol forms, such as language, that create and influence the perception and experience of the individual.

Describing a “Fourth Way” Path of NLP

When the technology of NLP is approached from an orientation that regards well-formedness as the primary domain of consideration the result and outcome shifts considerably. While ill-formedness is both recognized and acknowledged, its resolution is not the primary goal or intention of the implementation of the technology approached in this way. The primary goal and intention is to establish a position of wellformedness that transcends any consideration of ill-formedness. Rather than operating at the level of thinking, or epistemology, and the manipulation of symbols this approach operates at the base of level of personal experience – “being” or the fundamental state of experience that the individual operates at/from. This level of experience, the ontological level, is the starting point of personal transformation and the tool-set of NLP provides the basis for its exploration, utilization and ultimately its manipulation and creation.

However using the “traditional” approaches of NLP which are focused on the manipulation of symbols – e.g.: language, submodalities …, doesn’t allow for the immersion into this domain of ontology that is required for transformation along a “fourth way” path. This approach, the “fourth way” path of transformation, is about an essential reconstruction of the nature of personal reality beyond the constraints of moments in space-time. To use the language of General Semantics, beyond the binding of space-time. This approach to using the tool-set of NLP as a “fourth way” path of transformation requires a “resetting” of all the boundary conditions that were imprinted and reinforced through conditioning that the individual holds to be true – or to be “real.” This transformational approach requires a means of complete release from and letting go of all such boundary conditions.

AppliedNLP as a Soma-Semantic approach to “Fourth Way” Transformation

The approach of AppliedNLP as presented in the Mythogenic Self Process model is a soma-semantic approach. It addresses and reveals the interface between the mental and bodily references that are held to “create” or “sustain” the concepts of what is “real.” One of the major premises of this approach is that the primary and vital references are stored physiologically NOT cognitively, and therefore a cognitive/epistemological approach will not “reset” the boundary conditions, but merely reset the conditional presups within the existing boundary conditions.

Essentially what is being presupposed and presented in this model as a “fourth way” path is the concept of playing with the boundaries, not within the boundaries. This was also an essential characteristic of the system presented by Gurdjieff and also those he studied from and with.

What is presumed within the AppliedNLP model is that what people who pursue it want for themselves, and also with others, is the ability to create “new” realities. This is essentially different from having better, more efficient or more effective strategies for dealing with the existing reality. Instead of addressing the resolution of problems and the structure of ill-formedness, AppliedNLP uses the tool-set of NLP to transcend these conditions and go to where the “problem/ill-formedness” isn’t. In this shifting of the domain of consideration wellformedness is found and integrated into the operating position of the individual as the baseline from with they live and experience their lives.

When this is done well the result is the transcendence of the individual’s originating perception and experience, and a transformation of the fundamental operating position for their life. This approach is a “way of life” operated through a strong and deep perceptual filter and sort which is radically unlike the application of techniques in the resolution of problems or ill-formedness. The outcome of learning to live from a “fourth way” path of transformation is that in an instant the entirety of reality is transformed – instant by instant by instant again.

© 2003 Joseph Riggio and AppliedNLP • All rights reserved.