Clinical Application of Meta States

by

Dennis K. Chong & Jennifer K. Smith Chong ©

In this essay, the male pronoun applies to either gender. The nominal pronoun applies to the first author. The plural pronoun applies to both authors

 

 

Since the work META-STATES by Michael Hall, we have applied his concepts in clinical practice with critical consequences that index its value. We take this opportunity to cite here a case example to share the unusual worth of what he has written.

 

 

 

 

 

          The problem for every clinician is gathering information that is accurate-to-fact.

                How well he does this will depend on:

1.             how fine and sharp his neuro-linguistic instincts are

2.             how apt and exquisite his neuro-semantic intuitions are and how well-formed the  metalanguage that he uses.

 

In our work, we use the WWF-metalanguage from the work Power and Elegance in Communication. We ask the reader to test the worth of his metalanguage by comparing his questions with those used here.

                In this essay the cipher MQ followed by the numeral stands for the meta question 1 then 2 and so on.

                Every new patient is asked to complete a data sheet. The consultation is based on the information provided by the patient in the data sheet.)

 

We now begin with what the client wrote in the data sheet. When you read it, you will have exactly the same information that we had at the beginning of the consultation. Once you have read it, we ask you apply your neuro-linguistic instincts and your neuro-semantic intuitions together with the metalanguage to decide what would be your first question. Now, please read on and read our first question.

               

? stands for the question posed to the client.

 

A stands for the patients answer.

 

 

Case NO LBF20199

PERSONAL INFORMATION & BACKGROUND: Very hard on myself, always have negative thoughts and become anxious. Started to become worse in last year University. Seem to have trouble communicating too with husband.

 

HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM: University degree in phys. ed & psychology at York. Went on world trip when came back married & completed last years of University after. Found position at photo lab. Continued studying to make career in photography. Good family life (most problems with mom). Stable home.

If the problem can be solved, WHAT DO YOU WANT? Become more confident in myself and my abilities. Become better at communication with family.

 

THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

?              Are you a perfectionist

 

 

A             In some senses yes. Have to do it right.

?              Do you hear a voice inside you that tells you so?

 

 

A             Yes

?              Specifically whose voice is it>

 

 

A             My mother’s.

?              What is it saying?

A             You have not done this right!

                It could be done better.

                Everything has to be done over.

                Do it again.

MQ1 How do you feel about hearing this tape loop in your head?

 

A             Very angry.

                I don’t like it.

MQ2 How do you feel about being angry about this tape loop?

 

                Tired and exhausted.

                There is so much wasted energy

MQ3 How do you feel about feeling tired from all this wasted energy from being so angry at this internal voice loop of your mother’s voice?

A             I hate it.

MQ4 How do you feel about hating being tired and exhausted from wasting all this energy spent on being so angry at this internal voice loop?

A             Nothing else

 

 

?              You are stuck at hate?

 

A             At my mother.

MQ5 How do you feel that you hate your mother for being tired and exhausted from all the wasted energy spent hating her internal voice loop?

A             A little guilty

 

 

 

MQ5 How do you feel about feeling a little guilty for your hating your mother for being tired and exhausted from all the wasted energy spent on hating her internal voice tape loop?

A             Nothing.

 

COMMENTARY

This question was inferred from her claim that she was hard on herself.

She confirms the induction.

This question was inferred out what she had written in her data sheet. She confirms it

 

This next set of questions are standard ones out of Pragmagraphics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is information is content in nature and is invaluable.

 

 

This is the first meta question for the first meta state.

 

 

 

From here on the next syntax of meta questions logically emerge.

 

 

 

 

From our neuro-semantic intuition we do not think this answer is it.

We therefore pose to her an open ended question

 

 

 

 

Now this answer is critical and significant.

This “little guilt” speaks volumes.

 

 

 

Here we stop the syntax.

 

 

 

The scan of meta states as cited above were completely in the patient’s unconscious awareness. However, in positing the meta questions they were brought to conscious awareness.

If, ab init, it was possible to infer and posit to her, “You hate your mother!” we are quite sure she would have denied it in the most forthright of terms. However, by unmasking her meta states we were able to:

1.             Determine the full nature of her analogical ontology.

2.             Find out which was the most critical meta state in the hierarchy of her meta states.

Her ontology may be seen as the set of meta states that are anchored to each. In this diagram the cipher R is meant to indicate an anchor. We may diagram her meta states as follows:

 

The above cluster of meta states is the client’s SEMANTIC STATE. In recognizing this we now can appreciate the critical part meta states have in neuro-semantics. The aggregate of meta states define whether the semantic state is a well-formed one or not, congruent or incongruent. They will clearly be incongruent if the secondary track has a critical significance for the client as a function of his HOPs5 .

                All semantic states consist of their unique hierarchy of meta states. However, there are two points in the hierarchy, in this case, in which there are two subsidiary meta states. These secondary meta states are adjuncts to but not core to the central hierarchical track.

                In finding “hate mother,” the clinician now knows that in the therapy of this case, just dealing with the internal tape loop would be insufficient and wanting. From the work  Modularity of Mind by Fodor, it is clear that this meta state, “hate mother,” has to be addressed especially as she has only “very little guilt” about it.

               

The clinician has to set the conditions for the deletion of such an ill-formed and potentially debilitating meta state. It is not permissible nor legitimate to infer that when the internal loop is dealt with, it would necessarily and automatically entail its elimination.

               

We are quite sure that if we had not enquired into the meta states we would never have determined the true semantic state of this client and we would never have found the clinically critical meta state of hate.

 

For this case and the many others since, we are indebted to Michael Hall’s contributions to the field of Neuro-Semantics. We are sure that, in time, the fields of Philosophy, Psychology and Psychiatry will stand with us to acknowledge his singular contribution to the field of Neuro-Semantics and especially to the field of Applied Neuro-Semantics, i.e. Neuro-Semantic Programming - as this case paper shows.

 

 

 

 

References:

Alfred Korzybski: Science and Sanity The International Non-Aristotelian Library Publishing Co. 1980

David G. Mandelbaum(Editor): Selected writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture, Personality University of California Press 1949

Dennis K. Chong & Jennifer K. Smith Chong: Power and Elegance in Communication C-Jade Publications Inc. 1993

Dennis K. Chong an Jennifer K. Smith Chong: Don’t Ask WHY?!  C-Jade Publications Inc. 1991

Dennis K. Chong & Jennifer K. Smith Chong: HYPNOSIS, The Science and The Art, Volume 1 (manuscript in preparation)

Dennis K. Chong & Jennifer K. Smith Chong: The Knife Without Pain C-Jade Publications Inc. 1994

Dennis K. Chong & Jennifer K. Smith Chong: THE METALANGUAGE of Paul Watzlawick, John Weakland and Richard Fisch, THE META MODEL of John Grinder and Richard Bandler The NLP Connection Volume XI No 1

Dennis K. Chong an Jennifer K. Smith Chong: THE METAPROGRAMS and THE EMPs  ANCHOR POINT Vol. XI No. 11 page 41 -44

Jerry A. Fodor: The Modularity of Mind The MIT Press 1987

John Lyons: Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics Cambridge: University Press 1971

Michael Hall: META-STATES Empowerment Technologies 1996

Noam Chomsky: Aspects of the Theory of Syntax MIT Press 1976

Noam Chomsky: Language and Mind Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich Inc. 1972                

Paul Watzlawick, John Weakland and Richard Fisch: CHANGE   W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. 1974

Noam Chomsky: Syntactic Structures Mouton & Co. Publishers 1975

R. Jacobs & P Resenbaum: English Transformational Grammar John Wiley and Sons 1968

Richard Bandler & John Grinder: The Hypnotic Patterns of Milton H. Erickson M.D. Vol. 1 Meta Publications 1987

Richard Bandler, John Grinder & Judith DeLozier: The Hypnotic Patterns of Milton H. Erickson M.D. Vol. 2 Meta Publications 1988

Richard Bandler & John Grinder: The Structure of Magic Science and Behaviour Books, Inc. 1975

Ronald Langacker: Language and its Structure Harcourt, Brace and World Inc. 1968