This chapter will explore a concept around three important mental states that are not part of NLP. The three important mental states belong to SomaSemantic Modeling®: GDS (General Desired State), GTS (Greater Than Self) and Intent. SomaSemantic Modeling® was developed by Dr. Joseph Riggio and builds on The Generative Imprint Model developed by Roy Fracer. These conditions play a decisive role in our mental and emotional well-being and can have a profound influence on our experience and behavior in various situations.
GDS, which stands for General Desired State, is about defining and striving for the general desired state. It involves identifying what is truly important and meaningful to us and what will make us emotionally fulfilled and satisfied. GDS helps us create a clear direction and motivation in our lives by defining our desired goals and states.
GTS, which stands for Greater Than Self, focuses on having a greater intention and purpose in our actions and goals. It’s about striving for something greater than ourselves and working towards creating a positive impact on the world around us. GTS allows us to find deep meaning and fulfilment in our lives by directing our energy towards helping others and contributing to the community.
Intent is a special NLP state that is a combination of GDS and GTS. It is a mental state where we have a clear and meaningful direction and intention for our actions and goals. Intent helps us focus our attention and energy towards achieving what we want in our lives, while contributing positively to the world around us.
In the coming sections, we will dive deeper into each of these mental states and explore their characteristics, application and techniques in NLP. By understanding and applying these mental states, we can achieve greater awareness, control and fulfilment in our lives by defining our desired states and purpose and working towards realising them.
6.2.2.1. GDS, General Desired State, the good state
When interviewing our managers, we always asked about a good state. That is, a GDS, General Desired State.
When we ask people about an excellent state in the context of leadership, a personal experience always comes up that brings back great memories. Such experiences have a number of anchors (see section on anchors). These are both visual anchors, which are images they see, auditory anchors, which are sounds the person hears. Emotional anchors, which are things the person feels.
An example is one of our models who experienced an excellent management situation where the person’s employee switched from having a big problem with their mum, who had fallen and needed help, to having two colleagues who drove to the mum’s house and helped, so that the mum and the situation around her was quickly put back in place. The model who told us this story had a number of anchors. Firstly, she smiled with both her mouth and eyes when telling the story. She also looked up towards her GDS point, which was 30 degrees up and 30 degrees to the right. There she could see the person she was helping when we asked about it. She could see the person smiling every time she saw them after Mum’s accident. She could also see the people who helped the mum. Next, the model had a GDS movement with her right hand every time she told the story. It wasn’t a fist pump, but it was close.
Through working with GDS, NLP can help create greater awareness, focus and fulfilment in one’s life by defining and striving for desired states and feelings. It provides a framework for identifying what really matters to us and how we can create a meaningful and fulfilling existence.
6.2.2.2 GTS, Greater Than Self
When we ask about GDS, we first ask if the model can think of a good situation that made the person happy. Every once in a while, an experience comes up that we call GTS Greater Than Self.
The difference between GDS and GTS is that GDS is where you remember yourself in a situation where you did a great task yourself.
GTS is where you experience something bigger than yourself. You can stand on top of a mountain and look out over a stunning landscape, or you can be at a family lunch where everything is just good, nice, beautiful and lovely.
In GDS you win, alone, in GTS you are in a situation that is bigger than yourself.
6.2.2.3 Intent
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) defines “Intent” as a psychological state characterised by a clear and focused determination to achieve a particular outcome or goal. It encompasses the thoughts, feelings and motivations that drive a person’s actions and decisions towards the desired goal. Intent goes beyond mere wishful thinking and represents a strong commitment and belief in the possibility of achieving the desired outcome.
In the state of Intent, a person’s mind becomes determined and they are more likely to persevere through obstacles and challenges. Their actions and behaviours align with their purpose and show a heightened sense of purpose and direction. This mental state often reinforces a person’s sense of agency and confidence, driving their motivation to make choices that bring them closer to their desired outcome.
Intent isn’t just a cognitive process; it’s also connected to emotions. Emotions such as passion, determination and enthusiasm are often associated with a strong sense of Intent, reinforcing one’s drive to achieve their goals.
The emotional aspect of Intent can strengthen and sustain a person’s commitment and resilience during difficult times and help them stay focused on their goals. Furthermore, Intent affects the way people perceive the world around them.
It can create a selective focus on information and opportunities that align with their goals, while filtering out distractions that could hinder their progress. In this state, individuals are more open to new ideas, strategies and resources that support their ambitions.
While Intent can be a powerful tool for personal growth and success, it’s important to recognise that it also requires a realistic and adaptable approach. Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, circumstances can change and individuals may need to adjust their plan of action or rethink their goals. Being open to flexibility and learning from experience is essential to maintaining a healthy and constructive state of Intent.
To summarise, in the NLP context, Intent represents a focused and determined mental state where thoughts, feelings and actions are directed towards achieving a specific goal. It is characterised by a strong sense of purpose and determination that drives a person to make conscious choices that lead them closer to their desired outcomes.
You get into the Intent mental state by combining GDS and GTS. It also means that you have the determination and sense of achievement that comes with GDS while having the holistic view that comes with GTS.
6.2.3 Satisfaction cycle®
The Satisfaction Cycle® is a method in NLP which uses New NLP that helps the coach design effective questions and facilitates a reflection process to help a person or organisation identify the best possible goal. It is a visual model that helps to explore different areas of life or business aspects and allows you to uncover areas where there is potential for development and improvement.
In a business context, the Satisfaction Cycle® can be used to uncover how the organisation or individuals experience different aspects of their work or career. This can include aspects such as career development, work environment, leadership, work tasks, work-life balance and opportunities for growth and development.
Through conversations and questions, the coach guides the person or organisation to reflect on each section of the Satisfaction Cycle®. This helps to highlight the areas where there is a sense of dissatisfaction, challenges or need for improvement. The coach uses this information to tailor additional questions that more deeply explore the areas where the person or organisation wants to make positive changes or set new goals.
The Satisfaction Cycle® in NLP provides a structured framework for the coach and the person/organisation to explore and identify the most relevant and meaningful goals. It provides clarity on what really matters to the person or organisation and guides the process towards setting goals that align with their values and desires.
Once the relevant goals are set, NLP techniques are used to help strengthen motivation, remove limiting beliefs and develop effective strategies to achieve the goals. The Satisfaction Cycle® is a powerful tool in the NLP coaching process as it provides clarity and focus, helping to ensure that the goals set are meaningful and realistic.
- Present State: This section explores the current state or situation the person or organisation is currently in. The coach helps create a positive experience in the present state by identifying resourceful elements and strengths that the person or organisation can build on in the goal-setting process.
- Desired State: This section focuses on identifying the desired state or goal that the person or organisation wants to achieve. This is the final state where you want to be when the goal is achieved.
- Criteria: This identifies the representational systems that the person or organisation uses to define their desired goal. Representational systems include visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and other sensory modalities used to perceive and understand the world. By understanding the representational systems used, the coach can design goals and processes that align with the person or organisation’s unique way of perceiving and processing information.
- Solution Experience: In this section, the coach explores with the person or organisation the possible solution experiences by imagining that the goal has already been achieved. This is done by putting the person or organisation in the future where the goal is realised and exploring their experiences and representations in this state. This exercise helps create a strong emotional connection to the goal and can provide valuable insights into how the person or organisation will experience success.
- Process: This section explores the necessary steps or actions that need to be taken to achieve the desired goal. It involves identifying the specific steps or strategies to follow.
- Action: Here, concrete action plans are set out to realise the identified process. This includes defining what actions need to be taken, when they need to be taken and who is responsible for taking them.
Through the Satisfaction Cycle®, the coach helps the person or organisation identify, clarify and set clear goals that are aligned with their desires, values and systems of representation. The process helps to strengthen motivation and create an effective approach to goal setting, increasing the chances of success in realising the set goals.