The History of NLP
The Development of NLP
NLP is a leading discipline within cognitive and behavioural sciences, explicitly and comprehensively dedicated to the study of human subjectivity. With the insights gained, NLP opens up effective and flexible pathways to goal- and solution-oriented change. Today, Neuro-Linguistic Programming is successfully used worldwide in coaching, consulting, psychotherapy, training, communication, management, education, and sales.
NLP originated in the 1970s in the USA and is based on the work of Richard Bandler (mathematician) and John Grinder (linguist). Their research began with the question: "What distinguishes a merely competent person from someone who achieves outstanding results in their field?" To answer this, they studied the strategies of highly gifted communicators.
Modelling Outstanding Individuals
Bandler and Grinder chose three outstanding psychotherapists as models:
- Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy
- Virginia Satir, founder of family therapy
- Milton H. Erickson, psychiatrist and pioneer of modern hypnotherapy
They analysed their language, non-verbal behaviour, and mental processes. From this emerged fundamental models of language and communication, such as the Meta-Model of Language. This process is known as "modelling": identifying and teaching the strategies of successful individuals to make them transferable to other contexts. This made it possible to understand excellence and apply it across diverse areas of life and work.
Interdisciplinary Influences
During their research, Bandler and Grinder drew on numerous disciplines and schools of thought. Insights from psychology, psychotherapy, linguistics, mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, and the works of Gregory Bateson, Alfred Korzybski, Noam Chomsky, Hans Vaihinger, Edward T. Hall, William Ross Ashby, and Michael Gazzaniga influenced the development of NLP. This broad interdisciplinary foundation helped NLP grow into a flexible and comprehensive set of methods.
Global Development and Application
Over the past decades, NLP has been continuously developed. Judith DeLozier, Leslie Cameron-Bandler, Robert Dilts, David Gordon, Charles Faulkner, and Steve and Connirae Andreas (all from the USA) have made substantial contributions to refining and expanding its foundations. In addition, many researchers around the world have added valuable insights and broadened the application of NLP.
Today, a wide range of models and methods is available, applicable to almost all areas of communication — from psychotherapy and education to teaching, negotiation, sales, leadership, coaching, and interpersonal relationships.