Some of the wild and crazy interactions that result from a state-upon-state structure. In a neuro-linguistic system, all kinds of things happen when we meta-state. A wide-range of new responses and consequences can arise. What do you want to do? What can you expect? [@ stands for “about”]
1) Reduce Painfully States. Some meta-states will reduce the primary state: Calm about anger Playfully belligerent
Thoughtfully fearful Experiencing pleasant tension
2) Intensify Or Magnify States. Some meta-states will amplify and turn up the primary state:
Worry about worry Loving love
Loving learning Unruffled resolution Anxious about anxiety (hyper-anxiety)
Calm about calm Belligerent Playfulness
Passionate about learning Compulsive @ being compulsive Appreciate the state of appreciation Boundless Joy
3) Exaggerate and Distort States. This increases the intensity factor. Generally, when we bring a negative state of thoughts-feelings to bear on another state, we turn our psychic energies against ourselves. Anger
about anger Defiant Courage
Love hatred of— Fear about fear
Hesitating to hesitate (talk non-fluently) creates stuttering
Sadness about sadness (depression) Mistrust of mistrust (PS: accurate)
4) Negate or Neutralize a State (so that a level collapses)
In doubt about my doubt, I usually feel more sure.
Resisting your own resistance Flexibly compulsive In procrastinating my procrastination, I take action and put off the putting off. Mistrusting mistrust
Ashamed of Shame Impervious to being offended
5) Interrupt States. It so jars and shifts the first state, it totally interrupts it. It can arrest the psycho-logic: Humorous about serious Intentionally panicking
Anxious about calmness Calmness about anxiety
6) Confuse States. By getting various thoughts-feelings to collide and "fuse" "with" each other in ways that we do not comprehend. Ridiculous about Serious
7) Contradict at Different Levels to Create Paradox. By shifting experience to a higher and different level; it explains powerful techniques as "paradoxical intention" Watzlawick (1984): "Kant recognized that every error of this kind [map/territory confusion error] consists in our taking the way we determine, divide, or deduce concepts for qualities of the things in and of themselves" (215). Bateson defined paradox as a contradiction in conclusions that one correctly argued from consistent premises.
The "Be spontaneous now!" paradox. Try really hard to Relax "Never say never"
"Never and always are two words one should always remember never to use." "I'm absolutely certain that nothing is absolutely certain."
Title of book: "This Book Needs No Title." (Raymond M. Smallya, 1980)
are never state-less! Sometimes in meta-stating, we experience a sense of “dissociation” in the sense of feeling not- in-our-body, merely spectating, apart, strange, etc. If we dissociate dramatically enough, it may result in amnesia (switching states rapidly and without reference frequently produces amnesia and other trance phenomena).
Sense of pain being over there Spectating about anxiety
Observing old trauma Ecology-checking value of resentment Have the ringing in your ears but tune it down until you don't quite hear it anymore
9) Seed A New Process/ Create Response Potential. Can get us to initiate the first step of a new experience, create a new emergent experience:
Courage to have courage Playful uncertainty
Learning how to learn Gentle anger Willing to become willing 10) Grab and Focus Attention/ Swish mind to provoke thoughtfulness in a different direction. As such it can arrest attention, overload consciousness, stimulate new thinking, and question axioms, beliefs, reasoning, memory, etc. (hence deframe). Calm about Anger Appreciative about Anger
Lovingly Gentle about Anger Resistance of Resistance
11) Entrance & Hypnotize. Create trance phenomena. Most people experience third-order abstracting and above as "trancy." It invites one to "go inside" so much that the "inward focus" of trance develops as one engages, consciously and unconsciously, in an internal search for meaning. We especially experience meta-stating that shifts logical types and sets up double-binds as initiating trance.
Rebel against thinking about just how comfortable you can feel if you don't close your eyes before you're ready to relax deeper than you ever have before, now.
I wonder if you're going to fail to succeed at not going into trance at exactly your own speed or whether you won't.
12) Gestalt Experiences to generate Gestalt States and Phenomena. States-about-states frequently generates gestalt experiences so that something new emerges from the process that we cannot explain as a summation of the parts, it partakes of a systemic and non-additivity quality.
Suppress Excitement — Anxiety Worry @ what X means — Existential Concern We experience our experiences— Self-Awareness, Consciousness
13) Jar Consciousness to Create Humor. The jolt and jar of state-upon-state often results in the gestalt of humor (Plato: that which we experience as "out of place in time and space without danger"). It tickles our fancy, delights our consciousness, surprises, amazes, shocks, etc.
14) Qualify, Temper, and Add Texture to States and Experiences. The higher level state qualifies the lower level experience inasmuch as it sets the frame for the primary experience.
Joyful learning An accomplished liar Devious negotiation Boring learning A charming lie Ruthless compassion
Cleverly courageous Courageously Clever Unspeakable Peace
Flexible compulsiveness Strict Standards
15) Solidify a State or Level.
To set up a frame that will solidify, and make permanent and solid the underlying experience.
Believe or value in X Take pride in X
Belief in your belief about X Pride of depression
Proud of jealousy Identify with X (make it your identity) (16) Loosen States, Frames, and Realities