NLP and Intuition - James Rolph 
Every day each and every one of us evaluates a truly enormous quantity of information presented to us by our 5 senses - and we do so largely unconsciously. The results of these evaluations are either processed and utilised unconsciously or presented to our consciousness by way of 'intuitions' (or a bit of both).
Intuition is something that we all have - though some people trust it and rely upon it more than others. Recent research at Yale University has shown that the development of intuition in children begins very early on (pre-linguistically). By 6 months, children are able to assess someone's intentions towards them (based on third party observation of behaviour) and decide whether they are a likely friend or foe.
There are many examples of people who refine their intuition in their field of expertise to incredible levels.
In the book 'Blink - The Power of Thinking without Thinking', Malcolm Gladwell gives the example of a $10 million dollar sculpture purchased by the Getty Museum in California in 1983. The museum ran many scientific tests on the piece before purchasing it, all of which confirmed it to be genuine - which it was not! Italian art historian Fredrico Zeri was the first to notice - something wasn't right though he couldn't say why. Next to notice was Evelyn Harrison a leading expert on Greek sculpture; again it was just a 'hunch'. Thomas Hoving, former director of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art remembered that the word 'fresh' leapt immediately to mind the first time he saw it - a word he felt was incongruent with what the piece was claimed to be.
Each of these experts was able to sense intuitively that something was not right based on only the small amount of information available to them in the first instance of seeing the sculpture. Gladwell calls this 'thin-slicing', which is in essence the basis of intuition - reaching useable conclusions based on limited information.
In everyday life we are required to make intuitive judgements in almost everything we do and every decision we make - 'should I go by car or on the train?', 'should I trust this person'?, 'Mike is annoyed with me!' 'I can afford a bigger mortgage!'. In making big decisions you may pull in as much information as possible and do some conscious processing, but there is never enough information to predict the future absolutely so you must always make up the gap with intuition.
As Malcolm Gladwell's example demonstrates, intuition is a powerful tool indeed, but it can also backfire with horrific results (particularly in 'high stakes' situations). One example that could be given is that of the fatal shooting in July 2005 of Jean Charles de Menezes by police at Stockwell Tube - assumptions where made based on the intuitions of various members of the team responsible for the operation with terrible consequences for de Menezes (and his family).
Fortunately for most of us, it is rare that we are required to utilise our intuition in such life or death situations, but nonetheless this fallibility leads many to be untrusting of their intuition. Another factor is that can undermine trust is the unconscious element - intuition comes from beyond consciousness so how can we be sure it is based in sound foundations. And then there is paranoia: paranoia is essentially intuition gone awry (the mechanism still works perfectly, but something is amiss with the programming) - in this case one would be sensible in mistrusting it.
Those who trust their intuition totally and without question exemplify the flip side of the trust issue. Such people will often simply fail to notice or recreate reality to fit whenever their intuition leads them astray, and they will intuitively make the same mistakes again and again.
However much you trust or mistrust your intuition, it can be useful to consider the following key points:
- Intuition can be very powerful and useful.
- You cannot avoid utilising it (unless you can read the future).
- However good you think your intuition is you can train it to work better!
Intuitive Process
One way of modelling the intuitive process is to break it down into three distinct phases:
1. Perception of Data
2. Inference
3. Judgement
With all of these phases being governed and modulated at a higher level by 'maps of the world'.
1. Perception of Data
In gathering data our senses receive information and we actively filter out everything that is not recognised as potentially useful. In this sense, perception is an active process which explains in part how we create our own experiences. In my experience of a good wine, I will not receive as much data through my perceptual filters as an experienced wine buyer will. The wine is the same, but our perceptual filters are set differently and so our experience differs.
2. Inference
This is the level of drawing assumptions based on received data. If someone comes in from outside and they are totally wet and holding an umbrella, the data is simply that which has been stated. My assumption (inference) is that it is raining, which may or may not be true. Or if I see my friend with tight lips, narrowed eyes and a knotted brow (data) I may draw the assumption that she is angry (inference).
3. Judgement
Judgement is the process of ascribing value to the inferences, which can then form the bases for decision and action. Where inference is about the current state of affairs, judgement is about how it relates to the future. Judgements are essentially about good and bad, right and wrong, should and shouldn't, can and can't, will and won't. So if I infer that it is raining base on observed data, I may further conclude that I shouldn't go to the shops now (judgement).
Map of the World
Our map of the world essentially comprises of all our beliefs and prior 'knowledge'. Each of the above three phases is governed by this map just as a map may 'govern and modulate' ones choices in navigating a journey over unknown territory:
- Our 'map' sets or filters for perception
- Our map provides the reference for inference
- Our map gives us direction for our judgement
In the example from Gladwell's 'Blink' the intuitive experts all had rich enough 'maps' of the subject to facilitate the high quality of intuition demonstrated.
(Read more about maps and mapwork)
Developing Your Intuition
There are many approaches for developing intuition drawn from diverse fields of practice. The following is a foundation based in ideas from Neuro-linguistic Programming and Alfred Korzybski's General Semantics.
Quality of intuition depends primarily upon 2 factors:
1. Sensory Acuity
2. The intuitors map quality
Upgrading Maps
While the three phases of intuition (mentioned above) are governed by maps of the world, they also are instrumental in updating and upgrading those maps as we move through life. When our maps are upgraded, they represent reality (the territory) more functionally, providing a stronger foundation for intuition and personal choice. For some people this updating and upgrading process does not function too well, and for all of us it can be optimised. The first step is to set up a meta-position to your intuitive process.
A meta-position is a position of dissociated perspective on what is happening - it is simply noticing the process. From this meta-position you can make new choices and consider more possibilities - this in turn generates updates to your map of the world which governs the quality of the whole process. Let s take an example:
Sarah and Mike are going out for a drink
"Shall we give Tony a call, see if he's up for it" Mike asks Sarah
"Umm, no. Maybe not. I'm not in Tony's good books at the moment" She replies
"Oh, what have you done?" Asks Mike
"I honestly don't know, but he is p#*%ed of with me about something, he has been shirty with me all week"
Sarah has decided that Tony is annoyed with her based on intuition. She has observed some behaviour (data), made an inference (mike is annoyed with me) leading to a judgement (best to keep away from Tony).
If her intuition is good she is right - Tony is annoyed with her, staying away is good. But maybe:
- Tony is annoyed with her, communication would sort it out.
- Tony is annoyed with something else entirely.
- Tony is not annoyed at all (just worried or unwell or anything else).
Without a meta-position, Sarah cannot consider these other possibilities. This reduces the potential to update her maps effectively (by re-evaluating beliefs and knowledge) and to develop her intuition for the future.
(NOTE: Another key advantage of the Meta-Position is that it dissociates the 'operative' from emotionally charged inferences and judgements that may lead to un-resourceful states of mind and behaviours. It gives a little more space to consider options and make good response choices.)
Sensory Acuity
The meta-position also provides a perspective from which to develop sensory acuity. Sensory acuity is ability in perceiving data - the better your sensory acuity, the more information you pick up through your five senses. Taking a meta-position on what we are noticing (noticing what we are noticing) is the clearest way to intentionally develop sensory acuity. The most basic tool for developing sensory acuity and differentiation data from inference is calibration.
Calibration
Calibration is the process of more thoroughly testing data against inferences. In dealing with intuitions about other people, the inference phase is sometimes called mind reading. This is believing that you have knowledge about people's internal states (moods etc.) and thoughts based upon what you observe in their behaviour. For example, if I see my friend with tight lips, narrowed eyes and a knotted brow, I may draw the assumption that she is angry and in doing so I am mind reading. Mind reading is a useful ability to have (when you are reasonably accurate), the problem comes about when people are mind read in absolutes (Tony is angry) rather than in possibilities (Tony may be angry or feeling unwell or something else).
By dissociating from the process and assuming a meta-position we are better able to observe the data cleanly (without inference), and consider possibilities. We are then able to look actively for more information to give us a idea of what might really be happening with Tony. We could even ask Tony himself - If he tells us he is 'bloody angry' we will have calibrated what we saw 'tight mouth, narrowed eyes, tense forehead' with 'anger' - next time we see Tony doing this we can more safely infer (but not guarantee) that he is indeed angry. But we are not so safe to make that inference when we see the same behaviour in others. Calibration is a recognition that people are individuals - we treat them so by reserving absolute inference and judgement and considering possibilities and build up better maps as a result.
Going Further
NLP contains many approaches and exercises for developing sensory acuity and map building skills, and indeed the development of intuition to high levels is a hallmark of the best Practitioners and Master Practitioners. If you are interested in increasing your understanding of NLP and are unsure where to start, please call us on 01462 681675 to see how Resource Ecologies can help you out.
