Exercises involving submodalities (SMs)

The effects of submodalities have can be experienced only in exercises. Please do these exercises if you want to learn more about submodalities.

The following exercises are to be considered as important preliminary exercises for the successful application of other submodality techniques.

1. Establishing SMs

A goes into a positive state. B queries the submodalities with the help of the SM checklist and notes them.
A goes into a less enjoyable state, which he (later) wants to destress. B here also queries the SM and notes them. Interrupter.
B ensures that A returns to good state. Now compare the SM of the pleasing with that of the less enjoyable state. Which essential differences are visible?

Tips for querying SMs

If you help your A to visualize the experience, you can, for example, ask the following questions:

Visual::
What do you see? Do you see yourself or are you part of the scene (associated - dissociated)?
If dissociated: Is it rather a still picture or a film?
If a picture: Is it framed or rather unframed? Is it rather near or far away? etc.

Auditory:
What do you hear?
Is it more like voices, noises, sounds or even silence?
If a voice: Where do you hear the voice coming from? Is it rather high or low? etc.

Kinesthetic:
If associated: What body feelings are associated with this experience? Where in the body do you feel that? Does this sensation have a temperature?
If yes, rather warm or cold? etc.
If dissociated: Does this person have physical feelings about this experience in this image?
If so, where in the body do you feel it? etc.

Important: Distinguish exactly between body sensations (= kinesthetics) and emotions (= meta-feelings)! Meta-feelings are evaluative emotions in which the information flows in from all senses. Kinesthetic sensations are exclusively specific body sensations such as e.g., warm sensation in the chest area. Meta-feelings are used in the SM work only as a check for the effect of certain SMs (= reaction to the sensual representation of an experience).

2. Establishing "critical submodalities" and intensifying a positive experience

A takes the positive experience from the previous.

► Exercise: Now, one at a time, change the SM of this state, paying attention to the following:
Does the meta-feeling change?

If yes: in the direction of K- or K ++? That is, it getting worse or better?
Do other submodalities automatically change as well?

If yes: You have found a critical submodality!
C notes the results.

Now return the SM to the starting position and change the next one.

After finding the person’s "critical SM", you take the SM that led to K ++ and change it. How has the experience now intensified for A?

3. Establishing "critical submodalities" and mitigating an unpleasant experience

A again takes on the rather unpleasant state from the first exercise.

Now, one at a time, change the SM of this state, paying attention to the following:
Does the meta-feeling change?

If yes: in the direction of K- or K ++? That is, it getting worse or better?
Do other submodalities automatically change as well?

If yes: You have found a critical submodality!
C notes the results.

Now return the SM to the starting position and change the next one.

After finding this person’s "critical SM", you now take the SM, which led to K neutral or K +, and change them. How has the experience changed for A now? Pay attention to the Ecology.