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EYE ACCESSING CUES

Ap e r s o n s e y emo v e me n t s reflect and indicate their internal information processing. There is a standard convention but this only holds true for around 50% of the population. I t i s t h e r e f o r ee s s e n t i a l t oa s kq u e s t i o n s a n d c a l i b r a t e o t h e r p e o p l ea t t h ee a r l i e s t opportunity during your interaction. Assuming you are looking at the other person and observe their eyes moving in the following directions. VISUAL Construct AUDITORY Construct VISUAL Recall AUDITORY Recall INTERNAL DIALOGUE

KINAESTHETIC Visual recall

The person is likely to be recalling a mental image to represent what they are thinking. For i n s t a n c e , w h e na s k e d H o w ma n yr a d i a t o r s a r et h e r ei ny o u r h o u s e ? t h e ymi g h t c r e a t ea p i c t u r eo f t h eh o u s ea n dc a r r yo u t a w a l kt h r o u g h i nt h e i r h e a dc r e a t i n gv i s u a l representations of each room as they do this to count the radiators. Visual construct The person is likely to be creating (constructing) a mental image to represent what they are thinking. For instance, when asked to spell a word (eg. abracadabra) they might literally create the word by mentally writing the letters in sequence as they spell it. Auditory recall The person is likely to be recalling a sound that represents what they are thinking. For i n s t a n c e , w h e na s k e d Wh a t d o e s y o u r mo b i l er i n g t o n es o u n dl i k e ? t h e y mi g h t a c t u a l l y create the tone inside their head and hear it. Auditory construct The person is likely to be creating (constructing) a sound that represents what they are thinking.

Lesley Hunter (2008)

Practical NLP Factsheet Series

Internal dialogue The person is likely to be having some dialogue with themself inside their head (i.e. they are talk i n gt ot h e ms e l f ) .Q u i t eo f t e nap e r s o n s e y e s w i l l f l i c k e r b e t w e e nt h i s p o s i t i o na n dv i s u a l or auditory access points, which can lead to some rapid and apparently random eye movements as they move through their internal conversation. Kinaesthetic The person is likely to be recalling how an experience felt they are recalling an emotion that represents what they are thinking. This is the typical eye accessing cues model that is taught on NLP training courses. However it is simplistic and does not fully represent the complexities of the internal processing and searching strategies taking place. Remember it is therefore e s s e n t i a l t o c a l l i b r a t e e a c h individual in order to recognise their typical eye movement patterns. Some of the anomalies that may occur include:

Eyes go to the opposite side from the photograph - the person may have a left-handed preference. Eyes consistently go to one location first and then off to the others the person has a very strong lead preference that they need to access before they can understand what you ask. Eyes consistently do not go to one particular location at all the person may have blocked visual, auditory or feelings and so avoid that place. Eyes go to atypical locations t h ep e r s o nma yl o o ku pa n ds a y , I f e e l - this is a specific type of pattern. Eyes do not seem to move at all this means there is immediate access and no internal search is necessary. Alternatively, they may not have heard or understood what you h a v es a i d( g o e s b l a n k ) . Eyes moves back and forth the person is searching or scanning or they may be comparing two images. Eyes seem to go all over the place this may indicate confusion or an agitated internal state.

Further information: Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet Factsheet #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 Introduction to NLP Principles of NLP and our map of reality Developing sensory acuity and rapport (mirroring and matching) Representational systems Eye accessing cues Language patterns sensory language and submodalities Language patterns - Milton model Language patterns Meta model Setting well formed outcomes What makes people tick? Motivational strategies

Lesley Hunter (2008)

Practical NLP Factsheet Series

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