Perception filters

Our brain is a self-referential system, as described by Maturana and Varela, which essentially serves itself and its development. This new neurobiological view, which has gained traction in the last 10–15 years, states that we construct our own reality. Through the selective use of our senses and the processing of what is perceived in the form of inner dialogues, images, thoughts, and feelings, we create our own individual reality, shaped by our perception filters. In NLP, a distinction is made between neurological, social, and individual filters of perception. In all three filtering systems, the processes of deletion, distortion, and generalization are at work. In this way, our nervous system attempts to organize and categorize the immense amount of sensory impressions and thus the world.

Neurological filters

The neurological filters describe the filters to which we are subject due to the limitations of our nervous system. For example, our nervous system is unable to perceive whole classes of signals (e.g., ultrasound waves). Other signals are misinterpreted. We share these filters with nearly all other people.

Social filters

Social filters are conditioned by language, society, social structure, culture, rituals, and customs. We share these filters with members of a social group, our nation, and similar communities.

Individual filters

Beneath these lie our individual filters (meta-programs, values, criteria, belief systems, convictions, memories, expectations), which arise from our personal experiences and learning processes. These filters apply only to the individual and are thus dependent on the respective inner values, beliefs, and moods. Individual filters determine what is psychologically deleted (repression), distorted (projection), or generalized (belief system) to adapt it to the internally prevailing structure of reality. The social and individual filters can be made conscious and changed or transcended as needed through NLP methods.

Further thoughts

Richard Bandler said about this:

“It is as if we live in a continuous trance, and since these processes usually occur automatically like in hypnosis, we must 'de-hypnotize' our consciousness to gain better access to new choices and experience more personal freedom.”

This model of a trance-reality bears great resemblance to the Hindu concept of 'Maya' or the Buddhist concept of 'Samsara'. Don Juan Matus, the main character and shaman in Carlos Castaneda's books, speaks of the bubble of perception. An old Zen proverb expresses this thought with the following sentence:

“When a pickpocket meets the Buddha on the road, he sees only his pockets.”