The concept of “The Deep Dive,” as explored in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Neuro-Semantics, has intrigued many since the release of the first book on the subject. People often ask about the origins, meaning, and practice of this approach. Essentially, the deep dive is a thorough exploration into a person’s mind to uncover what lies within and understand the workings of the mind.
To undertake such an exploration, having a functional and workable model of the mind is essential. With such a model, it’s possible to track the mind’s operations. Without it, this process is not feasible. Having a solid model allows for understanding how a person’s mind creates experiences, opening a doorway to modeling their expertise. This insight provides an “insider’s view” into how experiences work, which can then be used to enhance and improve the quality of someone’s life.
It is crucial to clarify that the focus here is on the mind, not the brain. Neurosciences often have limited insights to offer about the mind because their focus is primarily on the brain’s physical hardware and its influence on mental capacity, which mainly comes into play when neurological problems exist. In cases where neurology is normal and there is no neurological damage, the functioning of the mind typically does not require neurological information. Instead, what is needed is information about how the mind operates.
When a person encounters problems, these are often related to how their mind functions. This leads to considerations of how a person has learned to use their mind, how they think, and any cognitive distortions, biases, or fallacies that may hinder optimal mental functioning. For example, conditions like ADD or ADHD seldom have a neurological basis. More often, they result from not learning to focus by caring about the subject and being intentional.
Apart from neurological issues, the quality of the mind’s functioning depends on the quality of one’s thinking. This includes the ability for critical and creative thinking, as well as the capacity for meta-thinking, which allows individuals to monitor and correct thinking errors in real time.
Previous Attempts at Going Deep
Throughout history, there have been various efforts to explore beyond the surface of human experience and delve into the depths of consciousness. Sigmund Freud used archaeology as a metaphor for exploring the mind. He viewed depth as being “deep in the past,” buried in the unconscious, with thoughts and beliefs surfacing as verbal slips, dreams, or symptoms. Freud likened the mind to an iceberg, where only a small portion is visible above water, with the rest hidden beneath the surface. His approach involved “psycho-archaeology,” operating on the assumption that causes of behavior were rooted in the past.
John Watson, a key figure in Behaviorism, offered a different perspective, likening depth to a “black box”—inaccessible and impenetrable. His focus remained on observable behaviors: the stimuli that trigger responses and the responses themselves, hence the S–R (Stimulus-Response) Model.
Cognitive psychology, influenced by thinkers like Noam Chomsky, viewed depth as a “deep structure” accessed through surface structure, using transformational rules to infer deeper meanings. Later, George Miller and others revisited the black box concept, suggesting a TOTE (Test-Operate-Test-Exit) process to infer internal cognitive processes.
NLP founders took these concepts further, suggesting that what is “deep” in NLP is often hidden in plain sight, embedded in representational systems and sub-modalities. By focusing on these, NLP practitioners can bring unconscious material into conscious awareness. The TOTE model was expanded by incorporating representational systems to create a more explicit Strategy Model. Techniques from Milton Erickson further enriched NLP by using hypnotic language patterns to access the unconscious.
In Neuro-Semantics, depth is seen in thinking—whether conscious or unconscious—occurring in the “back of the mind” and at higher, often hidden meta-levels that govern consciousness frameworks. What is considered “deep” may not be immediately available but exists as a person’s frame of reference. These deep-seated programs or habits, formed over time, operate as ingrained ways of thinking, feeling, speaking, and acting.
These habits, hidden from everyday awareness, are considered “deep” because they are old patterns that initially served a purpose but may no longer be effective due to changing circumstances or personal growth. Updating these outdated habits or programs is often necessary.
This understanding underscores the purpose of the deep dive exploration in Neuro-Semantics: to identify and update old neuro-linguistic programs, uncover the structures by which people create their experiences, and offer more choices. Ultimately, the goal is to empower individuals to unleash their hidden potentials.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
- [Neurons] 2024 Neurons #36 THE ART OF THE DEEP DIVE by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
