A Response to “Breakthroughs and Meltthroughs” by Steve Andreas
From L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
In reading over the Breakthroughs and Meltthroughs article above and its critiques, I am concerned with what I perceive as numerous misrepresentations. I am left to assume due to the number of these that Mr. Andreas wants to find fault with Meta-States. I do not believe that he understands to (sic) overall context of Neuro-Semantics and its consistent emphasis on ecology, balance and systems checks that dominate the trainings where concepts like this are covered. Steve has never attended a Neuro Semantic training and this explains the lack of understand (sic) of the overall context of Neuro-Semantics and its pervasive influence (sic) on ecology, balance, mindfulness, and systems checks.
The Meta-State Belief Change pattern is misrepresented inasmuch it is assumed (erroneously so) that the ecology is not emphasized before we begin, we “check the ecology” of a limiting belief to make sure it is not (sic) toxic and not (sic) sabotaging. “All the ecology is in the preparation step” is instructed in regard to this pattern. “So make sure you choose a really great belief, one that is well-formed, balanced, and ecological.”
In recent trainings during 2003 in San Francisco (NLP of California), Paris (PNL Repere Center), England (John Seymour Associates), Johannesburg (Institute of Neuro-Semantics, Africa), etc. the very first thing done with this pattern is to emphasize the importance of ecology in the preparation step. This includes asking about positive intentions, meta-modeling the belief, exploring what the person means, the states that it creates, and so on.
From the review, he does not seem to know or realize that the Meta-Yes pattern for changing a belief is presented after we describe and discuss the meta-levels of a belief and how that differs from a mere thought. This is based on the Bateson and Korzybski distinctions about “logical levels or types” which I have written extensively about in NLP: Going Meta (2002) and in numerous articles on the Neuro-Semantic website www.neuro-semantics.com
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The pattern doesn't start until we have had a conversation with a person that meta-models the limiting belief and that finds the right words for an enhancing belief, we access two primary states of confirmation and disconfirmation. These are expressed and summarized in the words, “Yes” and “No” respectfully. (sic) That a video may exist where it appears sufficient time was not spent doing that with a given person does not mean that ecology is not emphasized. “An exception does not make a rule.”
There are many kinds of negation. I wrote an entire chapter on eight kinds of negations in The Structure of Excellence: Unmasking the Meta-Levels of “Sub-Modalities” (1999). The negation of “making up your mind” to stubbornly refuse something is the kind of “no” or negation that the pattern works with. And in this pattern, there is a digital shift of either/or processing that we're working with. This is similar to the digital shift of either/or processing in Steve's “Thresholding Pattern,” when a person goes over threshold, something snaps.
Without an understanding of meta-stating, of the reflexivity that exists within Meta-States, and of the levels of states, I am not surprised that the process is mis-understood, and mis-perceived thoroughly.
Additionally, the “incongruent no” as it is referred to, or the yes that Andreas criticizes is not “incongruent” in the way we actually work the pattern. It does not represent the hundreds of people who I encounter every year. From a presuppositional point of view, that he labels it in this way does not make it so.
When the Meta-No or the Meta-Yes is referred to as being used “out of context,” it again shows that it is not understand (sic) in regards to the basic meta-stating process. It is in that process that we take a thought, feeling, or physiology of a state, or a piece of that state, access it, amplify it, and then apply it into a different context. This is the heart of the meta-stating process, something we all do anyway, and what we do with intentionality, ecology, congruency, and mindfulness in Meta-States. Again, merely announcing that I “take it out of context” does not make it so.
The assertion that the process is digital is another misunderstanding. It is an analog process. We ask people to increasingly experience the state, to experience it more and more. That's an analog process, not a digital one.
Further, the critique that we do not “respect” the intentionality of the old limiting belief shows a lack of understanding of the process, an attempt to understand the process from a very limited source and using one very old tape. This does not represent an honest seeking first to understand before critiquing.
Andreas inserts his understandings of words into my words and then criticizes that interpretation. “Thinking and saying” for me (and I emphasize “for me”) includes the VAK of the movie playing in the mind. That Steve doesn't interpret it that way is perfectly fine. That he projects his meanings into my words and then criticizes his interpretations of my words saying things like “since Hall's process is entirely verbal” is not acceptable. That conclusion is his, not mine and as a matter of fact, does not accurately represent me.
