Neurolinguistic programming

Neurolinguistic programming or Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP is designed to alter human behaviour by "reprogramming unconscious patterns of thought", it claims to change the relationship between a person's mind and the language they use in order to positively alter their behavior.

NLP is communication framework that is highly commercialized and promoted for many different uses including to improve health. NLP is based upon the central hypothesis that each person has their own preferred communication style and their own mental representation of the world, and that if a person alters their communication style to match the preferred style of the person they are communicating with, they will be able to be more persuasive and effective at communicating.

Evidence
There is no agreed definition of NLP, systematic reviews have found very, very few clinical trials to assess either safety or effectiveness within health care. It remains controversial.

Pseudoscience
The use of scientific terms and vague concepts, combined with the lack of a solid evidence base to support it, has led to NLP being frequently labelled as pseudoscience. The creators developed it by studying the interpersonal actions and responses of several well-known psychotherapists.

The creators of NLP described it as follows:


 * "NLP is an attitude which is an insatiable curiosity about human beings with a methodology that leaves behind it a trail of techniques."


 * Richard Bandler (co-creator of NLP)


 * "The strategies, tools and techniques of NLP represent an opportunity unlike any other for the exploration of human functioning, or more precisely, that rare and valuable subset of human functioning known as genius."


 * John Grinder (co-creator of NLP)

ME/CFS
There is no evidence that neurolinguistic programming can effectively treatment ME/CFS, its symptoms, or any other neurological diseases or disorders.

A type of mind-body healing technique that is partly based on NLP is the controversial Lightning Process, which has had several poor quality clinical trials on ME/CFS published; these have led to concerns about ethics, and compliance to scientific and journal standards. The Lightning Process is a secretive, commercial technique that is claimed to treat a large number of different illnesses in at a "lightening quick" speed.

According to some former participants, of the Lightning Process they attend a group course where they are taught various techniques, and told to tell themselves that they are healed, and to tell others the same, and that simply practicing the techniques will heal their illnesses.

Cost and availability
NLP courses are widely available, and typically taught by coaches rather than medical practitioners or clinical psychologists, and is generally expensive. NLP books and self-help materials are also available and are unregulated.

Safety and effectiveness
The safety and risks of NLP in people with ME/CFS has not been established.

It is unclear what level of physical or cognitive ability a person with ME/CFS would need to have in order to be able to tolerate NLP without post-exertional malaise or a harmful increase in crease in symptoms. People with severe or very severe ME and possibly those with moderate ME/CFS may be unable to concentrate enough to take in the information and may not be able to perform the physical movements or mental techniques involved.

The Lightning Process which involves some components of NLP, has had safety concerns raised about it, including concerns about child protection and ethics,  and has been linked to an attempted suicide.

Learn more

 * Self-styled medical leaders defend “neurolinguistic processing” as legit treatment for ME/CFS - Brian Hughes
 * Chronic fatigue syndrome patients, long victimized by discredited research, turn to a dubious self-help program - David Tuller