1	Chapter 4 The “Self” Matrix
2	Figure 4:1
3	Meaning: The Creator of “Beingness” We have learned that within the Meaning Matrix, ideas are created. Meanings mostly lie in the unconscious. When we have an experience, we classify the experience, we link thoughts and feelings to it and we evaluate it. A key ingredient to blocking/ stuttering is the meaning the person gives to their sense of self due to the blocking/ stuttering.
4	Table 4:1 Meaning Frames I am flawed. I am broken. I am not enough. I am insecure. I am timid. I am shy. I am anxious. I am tense. I am ashamed. I am angry. I am abnormal. I can’t be enough. I am inadequate. I am foolish. I am worthless. I am embarrassed
5	Our Concept of “Self” We are not borne with a concept of “Self.” It develops as our cognitive ability develops. It is first formalized by our “caregivers.” We rely on our caregivers to define who we are.
6	“Self” and Perceptual Filters As a child, we had limited perceptual filters – beliefs, values, understandings, etc. For this reason, much of what we experienced and heard about our “self” went right into the unconscious. This proves to be both our blessing and our curse.
7	“Put away childish thinking.” Practically all issues that I deal with therapeutically with clients come from thinking patterns learned in childhood. Later we will look at the “Other” Matrix but now in the Self Matrix we must take a serious look at how much our concept of self is something we allow others to determine for us.
8	You are always “More.” Alfred Korzybski said that to identify ourselves with anything is the grounds for unsanity. He recognized the impossibility of identifying a person with anything tangible or intangible. “No matter what you think you are, you are more!”
9	Abstracting about Self – To have a sense of self, we must be able to think about (abstracting) about self: Who am I? What am I? What is my nature, purpose, destiny, value, etc.? Am I loved? Valued? Am I treated with dignity?
10	Facets of Self – Self-confidence Self-esteem Self-efficacy Self-definition Self-presentation Social Self Cultural Self Work/ Career Self Ethical Self Relational Self
11	Self Concept – If we think ourselves worthwhile and valuable, we will have a healthy Self Matrix. A healthy Self Matrix is the difference between feeling worthy, valuable, respectable and loveable in contrast to seeking experiences things in the world to obtain these experiences. The meanings we map out about self make all the difference in the world whether we live trying to be somebody or whether we live our lives as an expression of our somebody-ness.
12	The Intention Matrix Intention or “what we want” acts as a driver for determining the meaning of the other matrices including self. Blocking and stuttering are evaluated as being bad and unacceptable. This creates a driving urge (Intention) to not stutter.
13	Intentional Frames – I don’t want to look like a fool. I will not show my vulnerabilities and weaknesses. I will play it safe and create a sense of security because I am not like others. I can’t handle criticism. I’ve got to stop this!
14	Out of those Intentional Frames come the Self Frames: I am flawed. I am broken. I am not enough. I am insecure. I am timid. I am shy. I am anxious. I am tense. I am ashamed. I am angry. I am abnormal. I can’t be enough. I am inadequate. I am foolish. I am worthless. I am embarrassed
15	Trying to solve the problem make the problem worse. In trying not to block, the person will create self frames that, rather than encourage fluency, in fact almost guarantee blocking. By layering our minds with such negative images of our self, we will create a state of fear, anxiety, etc. that will almost guarantee blocking.
16	“Thingifying” “Self” Step One How do these concepts become so ingrained? The first step to make them “real” is to make a structure or “thing” of our concepts – firstly done with our movie. Of course, we already know these movies aren’t real.
17	“Thingifying” “Self” We then language it by turning the images and the words of our mind into a “thing.” We label it, name it, classify it as a thing – we turn a process into a static thing. In NLP this is called a nominalization from the Meta-Model of Language.
18	“Thingification” – Nominalizing” In nominalizing “self” one identifies oneself with a word – “I am stupid.” “I am worthless.” “I am anxious.” “I am insecure.” “I am ignorant.”
19	Finding Nominalizations Can you put the word in a wheelbarrow? If you cannot, it is probably a nominalization. Put the noun in the blank – “An ongoing ___________.” If it makes sense, it is probably a nominalization.
20	“Thingifying” “Self” Step Two The second way we make these concepts so real is that we layer one after another of them on top of each other. We know that when one thought is applied to another thought, the second thought will modulate the first thought. When we layer similar thoughts on top of each other, we have a gestalting effect. They get into the muscles. ® Figure 4:2
21	Figure 4:2
22	The Good News Both the nominalizing and the layering are all processes with structure. Neuro-Semantics provide the tools for accessing these conscious thought patterns and bringing the nominalized self to consiousness. Once at consciousness, reframing can begin.
23	Patterns for Re-Defining “Self” Perceptual Positions Meta-Stating Acceptance, Appreciation, Esteem for Self Re-Imprinting Past Imprints: Creating a New “Self” – “It is never too late to have a happy childhood.” Change Personal History Change Personal History Using Meta-States The Swish Pattern Meta-Stating Hesitation The Drop-Down-Through to Rise Up Creating a New “Self” Narrative
24	Perceptual Positions First Position – seeing, hearing, feeling from our self; in our body Second Position – seeing, hearing feeling from the other’s perspective Third Position – seeing, hearing, feeling from outside self & other – objectivity Fourth Position – seeing, hearing, feeling from the systems perspective Fifth Position – seeing, hearing, feeling from a universal or God perspective
25	Figure 4:3
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27	Perceptual Positions Pattern First Position – associate into your body. Second Position – go into the body of the other person. Third Position – dissociate from the event. Fourth Position – view from the system. Fifth Position – move way out to the universe
28	Self Acceptance Figure 4:4
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30	Self-Esteem Pattern Access the three “A’s” resource state – acceptance, appreciation, awe/ esteem. Amplify each state and apply each individually to your concept of self. Discover a needed context for esteeming. Apply your powerful self-esteeming state from #2 to the needy state of #3. Imaginatively put into your future. Does any part of you disagree with this new concept of your self? (ecology check)
31	Re-Imprinting: Creating a New Self Once we map out a “trauma,” the trauma can come to function as belief and identity imprints that lead to limiting beliefs. “Imprints” themselves can involve positive experiences as well as negative. Imprints may involve single or a series of experiences. Imprints, as beliefs, also work self-fulfilling.
32	Re-Imprinting Continued One of the best mechanisms for discovery of the imprint comes from anchoring an imprint feeling. The anchored imprint becomes the guide to find to find past memories. By finding the imprint experience and re-coding it (people involved) with the resources, new perspectives develop.
33	Re-Imprinting Pattern Identify the problem. Locate the experience. Using a time-line travel back with the emotion. Break state and review the experience. Finding the positive intentions in the feelings or belief. Identify and anchor the needed resources. Apply the resources. Associate to and relive the imprint experience. Receive the resources. Review and future pace.
34	Change Personal History Because the past exists in our mind and does not exist in the external world, it has no real existence other than in mental and linguistic reality. Such memories are always changing. All of this makes the dynamic processes of remembering very personal. Just because it happen doesn’t mean we must default to it. Instead, let’s set empowering frames.
35	Change Personal History Pattern Access problematic memory. Search back through time for the original event. Break state and discover needed resources. Apply resources to problem memories. Break state and then test. Future pace.
36	Change Personal History Using Meta-States Identify the problem event. Take an observer’s viewpoint (Second Position) of that experience. Gather learnings about the event from the observer position. Return to the present and fully access the resources. From the observer meta-position, transfer the resources. Come forward through your history with the added resources. Return to the present and run an ecology check. Future pace. (See Figure 4:5 ®)
37	Figure 4:5
38	The Swish Pattern The Swish Pattern directionalizes the brain. The Swish Pattern affects a rewiring of our old responses and wires in new responses to the same trigger. The pattern is an especially generative pattern since it enables us to program our brains to go in certain directions.
39	The Swish Pattern Identify experience to be changed. Identify the internal representation to this experience. Develop a desired outcome picture. Link the two representations using size and brightness. Swish the pictures. Swish five times. Test Swish using size & distance if # 4 doesn’t work.
40	Meta-Stating Hesitation Identify the hesitation. Anchoring confidence. Collapse the hesitation. Meta-state the hesitation with confidence. Anchor more confidence resources. Future pace and confirm. Quality control for alignment.
41	The Drop-Down Through Identify the experience and emotion you want to transform. Step into that experience. Drop-down through the experience. Confirm the emptiness. Meta-State each problem state. Test.
42	Caveats About the Pattern Assist the client in imagining going through the bottom if stuck. For intense trauma, use another pattern first to soften. Track the person’s states all the way down. End when there are no emotions.
43	Creating a New “Self” Narrative Discover your story: “Up until now the story of my life has comprised a story of ...” “If I described the plot that the narrative of my life has enacted...” Say aloud, “Up until now... I have thought, believed, felt, acted....” Step aside from the story for awareness and ecology. Make up a new story that would be more empowering. Externalize the old story to tear it apart (de-frame it). Counter-example the un-storied to create a new narrative. Step into the new story to thicken its plot.