Cause-Effect & Complex Equivalence [Language Patterns]

In this article you will learn to use cause & effect, complex equivalences and a number of related language patterns.

Cause and effect

You imply that one causes the other. “If… then” statements.

• If you sit down, you will learn this more easily.
• When you sit here, you can start to feel.
• When you sit in this chair you will go into a trance / feel more confident.
• If you listen carefully, you will learn faster.
• If you allow your subconscious mind to find solutions to this problem, then you will see the desired results.
• If you want to get big and strong, you have to eat your vegetables.
• If you follow this training, you will have a happier life.
• The interesting thing is that your body automatically relaxes as soon as your eyes close.
• Don’t do X unless you want Y.
• Don’t sit there unless you want to go into a trance.
• Don’t move your foot unless you want to go deeper.
• If you continue to practice NLP on a daily basis, you will soon discover that you are even more helpful to your environment than you thought.
• When you speak to the public, you will find yourself feeling even more confident.
• During the interview, you may notice how much you have already gained in your confidence.
• And the moment you notice that things are becoming more and more natural, you could also realize that …
• When you realize that you already know how to do this, you will discover how anyone can communicate in this way with ease.
• When you sit you become curious.
• Someone will walk by, and that will make sure you have an even better experience.
• When you hear this, it is time to be quiet again.
• If I help you, you will learn this.
• Having your eyes closed makes it easier for you to enter yourself.
• As soon as you … you will … ” Once you discover the ease with which you can use this model, you will feel great that you can put so much effort into learning it now.”
• As you ask this question, you will begin to understand.
• As you read this sentence, you can come up with many additional examples.

An observant client can use the metamodel and ask, “Are you sure that’s the cause?” And: “How exactly does x cause y to happen?”

This is the ‘change chair’. Everyone sitting here changes. So you have to be prepared.

Cause & Effect can also be seen as conditionality

• You could, if you wanted to, …… ..
• Wouldn’t you like to discover the secret to strong persuasion if it only took you ten minutes a day?
• Wouldn’t you love to discover more about persuasive coaching if you knew it could double or triple your leadership skills in a short space of time?
• Would you love to take coaching from me if you were guaranteed to come out stronger than ever?
• Would you try NLP on more people if you knew there was no way to fail?
• Would you go to an NLP course instead of staying at home if you knew it could take you much further in less time?
• Wouldn’t it be much more effective to coach and convince people if you knew exactly how to do that?
• Wouldn’t you be very proud of yourself if you knew that you can use NLP for so many good things for the world? If you knew you had helped hundreds of people with your new skills?

Complex equivalence

You could drop this under cause and effect, but with complex equivalence the effect has already been set in motion. For example, you use the word “means.”

• Being here means that you go deeper and deeper into a trance / are curious.
• Being here means that you want to learn this.
• Because you will sit there, you will learn this more easily.
• Since we are here, you will learn a lot of new things.
• Being here means that you need to feel those skills that are inside you to accomplish everything you didn’t think was possible.
• This means that you already have all the skills in you.
• The fact that you are here to discover new things means that you are perfecting these skills very quickly.
• Being here means you can go into trance and hypnosis.
• The fact that you are listening to this means that you will easily understand it and use it in your life. It means that you are going to make changes in your life.
• You relax, so you will learn easily.
• Your question means that you already know the answer on an unconscious level.
• The fact that you spoke to me means that you have already taken the most important step.
• Nerves make you more relaxed.
• Your question means you already know.
• You know the answer. So you are competent.
• Practicing often means you are a better athlete.
• Breathing that way means going even deeper …
• The fact that you want to learn means that you will learn.
• Just being here means you are willing to change.
• What are you still a beautiful child.
• Asking this question means that you already know the answer.
• Getting this far means you can think of more examples of this pattern.

‘Loop’ – The more … the more …

• The more you immerse yourself in the NLP experience and the more you are willing to make mistakes, the faster and easier you will learn.
• Notice, the more you get absorbed in how good this feels, the more you allow yourself to become absorbed in your desire for more. The more you become absorbed in your desire for more, the more you become absorbed in how good this feels.
  And isn’t it very nice to experience those feelings alternately, back and forth, increasingly stronger, that feeling of how good you just feel, and your desire for more. You long for more and the good feeling of this moment.
• The deeper you breathe, the more you relax, and the more you relax, the deeper and richer the changes in yourself, and the richer the changes in yourself, the richer and more rewarding your life will be.
• Know that every time you breathe, you will not only relax but also live a happier, richer life …

Every time you do A, you will B …

• Because every time you practice a new skill like this, your qualities will be strengthened and you will enjoy it even more.
• Every time you squeeze this stone, you feel extra joy inside.
• With each breath you can relax even more deeply. 

Because … (you can) …

The word ‘because’ once led to significantly more sales at a telemarketing company when only that word was added to the script.

• Since you have had fun learning so many things in your life, you can know that you can appreciate and enjoy the process of learning, so you can look forward to how much you will enjoy this practice.
• And as you find yourself relaxing more, you can go deeper into that experience because your breathing gets deeper every time you breathe …. you go deeper …
• People can access their internal resources because the unconscious is a storage space of knowledge, memories and possibilities.
• In a restaurant: ‘Could our food come faster / with priority? Because we have to leave earlier. ‘

Causal modeling / Conjunctions/ Implied Causatives

Causal modeling  is a way of making sentences smooth by using a cause-effect construct.

• And, they are for, either, but, or, al
• And you notice your experiences …
• Implied causatives: while, during, before …
• And while your body relaxes, your subconscious mind opens up to new possibilities
  In your daily life …
• Breathe … And relax ….
  Breathe …. And relax ….
  Breathe ……. And relax …

Those were the language patterns again. All language patterns can be found in the milton model , of which this is a part.