If you have problems and no one, not even you can solve it, and if you can find one; maybe you can use the A-Team of solutions in a metaphorical representation. If you are hearing the tune of an America anti-hero series, so am I, its OK. Im OK, you’re OK.
This Newcastle NLP and Hypnotherapy Practice day will be exploring goals and outcomes using emerging and transforming metaphor; as well as any processes or explorations that are decided on the day.
One of my favorite books, which is an in-depth analysis of Metaphor is ‘Metaphors We Live By’ from Lakoff and Johnson. In a recent conversation this book was mentioned as a unsung source for so many advances not just in understanding metaphor but in using metaphor deliberately as a change tool.
An example in a further book by the same authors is what is up as a change tool for reaching a goal ( and that is moving out of stuck to journey towards that goal ) is a way of creating a metaphorical landscape that represents the journey with all of the obstacles and ‘issues’ that compose what is a real world problem.
The Source Path Goal Schema
If you imagine a metaphorical landscape and you ( or a vehicle or agent ) moving across or through or over the terrain towards your goal, starting from some known origin; You can create a metaphor as a representation to navigate.
Direct from the Philosophy in the Flesh ( 1999) this has the following articles:
- A trajector that moves ( you for instance or a representation )
- Starting point ( source location )
- A Goal ( the intended destination of the trajector )
- A route, from the source to the goal
- The actual trajectory of motion ( a path )
- The position of the trajector at a given time
- The direction of the trajector at that time
- The final destination ( which may not be the goal )
As you can see, this could be determined as a math equation of some object moving if such equations could be found. We are not math equations so moving to the representational field of metaphor can provide fresh insight and potentials for new movement within this metaphor field to be sure.
Additionally, again from PITF, some extensions or additions are: a vehicle ( or other representation ), the speed of motion, obstacles to motion, forces moving one along the trajectory, additional trajectors ( anthropomorphisations ) and so on. The idea being to create a metaphor ‘field’ representative of a journey or transformation towards some outcome.
Now this metaphor field, representing a journey towards a goal can be created consciously or equally this could be the contents of a dream or could be elicited from a coach. What is important is that once there is a such a field created it can be explored.
Gestalt and Jung in the Metaphor Field
In Gestalt work, you may be working on a dream with all of the dream elements, such as a hat, a hill or even a book can be given over to anthropomorphic exploration. No object or thing in a dream is inert. You can play that role as in identifying with a specific object in a dream. The idea in Gestalt is moving towards an integration of seemingly different parts.
So with this in mind, any element of your metaphor can be explored, identified with and potentially integrated into a greater whole.
Now as one structure for identifying with an aspect or object of the metaphor field representing a future goal we can use Jungs four functions of sensor, thinker, feeler and intuitor as a structured way of exploring the identification with a metaphor ( or dream ) object or aspect.
In addition to a metaphorical exploration of a goal or outcome there will be which ever topics or explorations are requested on the day. I look forward to seeing you there.
Sunday 17th March
9.30am to 5pm
Jesmond Dene Conference Centre
Only £20 for a full day of NLP Practice and Play
BOOK NOW
