Appendix 14 · free
A note on science and sources.
A book should first be read, then checked. But it must be checked.
What NLP is, in one sentence, without decoration
NLP is a set of craft observations about language, state and change, coming out of the work of Richard Bandler and John Grinder in 1975 — and it is not accepted as science.
Serious literature reviews have not confirmed its claims. The criticism has shown that it rests on outdated metaphors about the brain, contains factual errors, and that the number of quality studies which failed to replicate the results is larger than the number that succeeded. In serious sources NLP is described as pseudoscience.
And one more thing: Bandler and Grinder claimed that NLP could treat phobias, depression, tics, psoriasis and short sight, often in a single session. Those claims did not survive examination, and this book does not repeat them.
Why the book exists anyway
“Not science” and “doesn't work” are not the same thing, and the two get mixed constantly.
Many things are not science and do work. Talking to someone who listens works. Writing a goal on paper works. Walking works. None of that needs to be called science in order to be useful.
This book uses NLP as a craft, not as a theory. What you can check in thirty seconds — take as craft. What asks you to believe — take as a hypothesis.
What is verified in this book, and what is opinion
| Part | Status |
|---|---|
| Meta model, Milton model, Sleight of Mouth, levels, submodalities, anchoring, perceptual positions | taken from the literature and workbooks, translated and simplified |
| Descriptions of the stages (0–12, 12–18, 18–25, 25–35, 35–45, 45–60, 60+) | the author's synthesis — not a scientific study, a craft observation |
| “Traps” (part IV) | the author's concept; it does not exist in the literature |
| “Raw beginning” and “birth” (part VII) | the author's concept; it does not exist in the literature |
| “Our ten sentences” (appendix 2) | the author's list, from conversations |
| Claims about “eye access signs” | rejected in this book — not confirmed in research |
| Criticism of NLP as pseudoscience | taken from serious reviews and encyclopaedic sources |
What is written in italics is the author's opinion. Everything else should be checked.
Sources
Classic literature (read and checked)
- Bandler, R. & Grinder, J. — The Structure of Magic I (1975) and II (1976)
- Bandler, R. & Grinder, J. — Frogs into Princes (1979)
- Dilts, R. — Sleight of Mouth: The Magic of Conversational Belief Change (1999)
- Dilts, R. — Changing Belief Systems with NLP (1990)
- O'Connor, J. & Seymour, J. — Introducing NLP (1990)
- Andreas, S. & Andreas, C. — Heart of the Mind (1989)
- Hall, L. M. — The Spirit of NLP
Working material (translated and used)
- The Priority Academy / Graham Nicholls — NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner Certification (CTAA accredited), 22 sections, ~170 lessons, 18 h 50 min of video
- 25 workbooks from the same course: belief discovery; breaking limiting beliefs; detailed personal history; the dynamics of change; eye access signs; Kolb's learning model; the learning circle; methodology of change; modelling representational systems; starting the mind; neurological levels; perceptual positions; questions about purpose; quantum linguistics; the RESOLVE model; the SMARTER model; Satir's communication categories; Socratic questions; submodalities; the intelligent mind; timeline; the list of values; the values workbook; well-formed outcomes
- (translated 18 October 2026, by a local model, reviewed by hand)
The dark side (source for part IV)
- Goleman, Barret — NLP Dark Psychology: how to analyse people, notice hidden emotional manipulation, detect deception and defend yourself from toxic people (machine translation, 2020)
- The book was used as a source of themes and techniques, not as a translation. Its classification of persuasion moves served as the basis for chapter 15, which was completely rewritten and adapted to our context.
Scientific criticism
- Reviews and encyclopaedic sources on neuro-linguistic programming: its history (The Structure of Magic, 1975), its influences (Satir, Erickson, Perls, Bateson, Chomsky), its commercialisation, and the scientific criticism
- Sharpley (1987) — a review of the research
- von Bergen (1997) — methodological shortcomings
- Druckman (2004) — review
- Witkowski (2010) — a critical analysis
What this book does not claim
It does not claim that NLP heals. It does not claim to replace therapy, medicine or treatment. It does not claim to be science.
It claims one thing only: that a conversation can change how a person sees their situation — and that this can be learned. Everything else in the book is an elaboration of that sentence.
Working version · October 2026 — written in parts on purpose, so that each part can be changed without touching the rest.