Certified NLP Coach and hypnotherapist, Dr Imneet Madan talks about how Neurolinguistic Programming offers a holistic approach to managing hypertension by addressing emotional imbalances and enhancing communication skills
Time lapse and the exchange of energies are conceptual phenomena that persist as we navigate the routines of our daily lives. In this abstract realm of energies, there is always the possibility of imbalance stemming from shifts in thoughts, actions, expectations, and realities. In quantum science, emotions are referred to as meta kinesthetics, signifying feelings about other feelings and experiences. Disharmony at this level can be the root of anxiety, which emerges as one of the leading causes of hypertension in today’s world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression and anxiety are common mental disorders affecting over 200 million people globally, accounting for 3.6 percent of the population. Locally, the Dubai Health Authority reports that about 30 per cent of Dubai’s adult population suffers from hypertension, equating to one in three adults. Louise Hay, in her exploration of the emotional causes of various illnesses, suggests that unresolved, long-standing anxiety can be a pivotal cause of hypertension.
Given the awareness of these facts, it becomes pragmatically sensible to acquire a life skillset such as Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), which adopts a strength-based approach, emphasising intervention before problems escalate into crises. NLP correlates neurology (thoughts), linguistics (language), and programming (behavior), focusing on enhancing communication with oneself and others, along with an improved understanding of external and internal emotional inventories using appropriate tools.
Renowned Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once remarked, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” NLP underscores this insight through Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 rule of non-verbal communication, where only 7 per cent of communication relies on spoken words, while 38 per cent is conveyed through voice tone and 55 per cent through body language. NLP employs meta models—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic—to facilitate deep listening, reshaping the experience of reality and its meaning through effective communication.
Regarding emotional inventory, its utility depends on what is absent. Thirty-two spikes on a cart gain significance only when a void is placed in the center. Voids can provide meaningful feedback and learning curves when reframed appropriately. “Reframing,” a powerful NLP technique, alters our perception of events, thereby changing their meaning, response, and behavior, shaping the overall experience.
“Anchoring” is the process by which any stimulus, internal or external, triggers a response. Resource anchors operate based on the neuroscience principle of “What wires together, fires together.” When a positive emotional state pairs with a trigger — sensation, sound, visual, or thought — they fuse together. With each subsequent trigger, automatic rewiring occurs, reinforcing the previously fused emotional state.
NLP instills a reformed way of life and belief systems. NLP tools highlight a growth mindset, where past anxieties are not seen as evidence of unintelligence, but rather as a springboard for stretching previously unidentified, yet existing, abilities within us. NLP, as a practice, guides us toward a life substantially free of physical diagnoses, opening portals to newfound perspectives and experiences.
