We experience the world through our five senses: eyes, ears, feelings, smells, taste and self talk. Inside our minds, we tend to re-present the world with our five senses. It has been observed that some people prefer different senses to create an internal representation of their experiences. Listening carefully to how someone communicates gives clues to how someone might represent their inner world.
For example, you might hear one person say, “That looks good to me,” while another person might say, “Sounds good” or “That feels about right to me.” Carefully listening to the predicates that someone is using can give you clues about how to more carefully communicate your ideas. For example, if you heard a person using visual predicates, you would want to illustrate your point to help the person “see what you mean.” On the other hand, if you hear someone using auditory predicates, you would want to help that person tune in to what you have to say by speaking loud and clear. If the person uses kinesthetic predicates, you might want to help them get a handle on your ideas by helping them understand how you feel about the situation.
For more information on how to effectively communicate or teach other people within their learning styles, contact William Wood CHt at 385-432-0729 or [email protected]. Visit me at www.northernutahhypnosis.com
I wrote this article as a part of a continuing education course I am taking at www.modernjedi.com