Understanding the NLP Communication Model

My dear friends, I want to share a simple yet powerful image that explains the NLP communication model—a concept I studied under the incredible Dr. Matt James, one of the most inspiring teachers I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning from.

Every second, we are bombarded with 22 billion bytes of information through our senses:

• Visual (what we see)

• Auditory (what we hear)

• Kinesthetic (what we feel)

• Gustatory (what we taste)

• Olfactory (what we smell)

• Intuition/Instinct

However, our brain can only retain 127 bytes per second! To manage this flood of information, we delete, distort, or generalize based on our past experiences. What we do accept gets filtered, creating an internal representation (I/R) of the world around us.

For example, if I say the word "chair," an image immediately pops into your mind—that’s your I/R of a chair. There are so many different style of chairs imagine many different interpretations exist when we deal with abstract concepts like love, freedom, or success!

Here’s how this process works:

• Our I/R (internal representation) influences our emotional state.

• Our emotional state affects our physiology (body).

• All of these elements shape our behavior—and vice versa.

These filters and representations are shaped by our past experiences, beliefs, education, rituals, and strategies—all of which play a crucial role in how we perceive and interact with the world.

Understanding how our brain processes information gives us power over our perceptions, emotions, and ultimately, our actions.