Submodalities

As you can see, NLP makes use of many different specific terms. One of them is the term submodality which is in fact very simple although it sounds a bit strange.

Submodalities are the specific characteristics of each of our sensory representational systems. Still doesn’t sound familiar?

Recall yourself an experience and use as many systems as you can to create its representation (the picture will be necessary).

Visual submodalities

Now as you have the picture in front of your eyes, think for a while and answer to the following questions:

  • How far from you is the picture? (we know that it is in your mind, but on the basis of its dimensions you can determine the distance)
  • In which place in the space is it? (on the left, right, at the top...)
  • What is the size of this picture? (if it is far it seems to be smaller)
  • Does this picture have limited dimensions (any frames?) or is it rather a panoramic view surrounding you from all sides?
  • Is it colourful or black and white?
  • Is it rather light or dark?
  • Sharp or blur?
  • Is it a movie or a photograph?
  • Does it have two or three dimensions?
  • Do you see it through your own eyes (association), or as an detached observer (dissociation)

Some of these submodalities may be difficult to catch as you may have opposed impressions. Sometimes the recollection of a feature may cause that the picture will start to move or will transform into 3D view. It doesn’t matter because the kind of representation is individual for everyone and all of them are good.

As you get used to creating such a visualisation in your mind, it will be much easier for you to distinguish between submodalities.

And now, what kind of auditory submodalities are you able to single out in your experience?

  • Is it accompanied by sounds?
  • What is their pitch?
  • Are they loud?
  • What is their tone?
  • What is the tempo?
  • Is it rhythmic?

As you can see (or hear) there are much less auditory submodalities than the visual ones. The picture has more characteristics than sound.

The possible difficulties in telling them apart may depend of course also on your main representational system. So, if you do not hear any sounds don’t add them by force.

Let’s don’t forget about another important representational system. Think of all kinesthetic submodalities you can find in your experience.

Do you feel temperature, pressure, weight or tension? In which part of your body does this feeling occur? Is it a pain (acute, scorching, piercing...)?

I’m sure you succeeded in listing most of these submodalities. Some of them were lacking, some came with difficulty, some of them –easily.

One may be tempted to engage also the senses of smell and taste. A lot of people see a sour face when they think about big, yellow juicy lemon. I would like to encourage you to experiment.