There's something about perception

People constantly receive signals. These stimuli may have an external origin (what you see, hear, feel, smell en taste) or an internal one (your own thoughts and emotions). At any given moment your brain processes millions of these signals. However, only a small fraction reaches your conscious awareness.

A lot of information is being withheld by some sort of 'filter'. This filter operates as a lens. Some things are in focus, other are not. Furthermore, the lens distorts all information that comes through. Meaning is derived through the distortion of filtered information.

The way your perception lens filters incoming information is determined by your own mental models, that are constructed with past experiences and your thinking style. Your personal construct is your unique representation of reality. We call this your 'Model of the World'.

Your Model of the World is an internal representation and distinct from reality itself, even though your mind will find it hard to make that distinction. This is why you will hear NLP coaches say: "The map is not the territory."

You operate not from reality but from your representation of reality. Your Model of the World determines your behaviour, feelings, actions, communication and language.

Coaching exercise: explore different mental models
Groups of 2 or 3 people
Duration: 15 minutes
Procedure:

• Person A tells a short personal story or anekdote
• Person B repeats the story in his or her own words
• Discuss differences and similarities

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