State elicitation is a fundamental skill used in many NLP techniques. It involves the ability to vividly access resourceful states, such as peak performance or calm, in a clear and strong way. Understanding the structure of these experiences is crucial for NLP modeling and anchoring, as well as for effectively shifting emotional or mental states.

NLP Anchoring

Successfully eliciting a powerful example of a desired state is essential for creating effective NLP anchors.

Managing and Shifting States

We naturally move through various emotional and mental states throughout the day. However, when caught in an unhelpful state, we may not have previously established a helpful anchor. Being able to quickly access a more useful and resourceful state is a valuable skill.

NLP Modeling

NLP modeling refers to the process of breaking down and replicating someone’s skills or behaviors. This involves identifying the beliefs, physiology, and thought patterns that underlie the skill. State elicitation plays an important role here because for effective modeling, the person must fully re-experience the state involved in their skill or behavior.

Association and Dissociation

When trying to understand how someone achieves success, it’s common to ask them to reflect “about” their success. This often puts them in a dissociated, analytical mode where they think abstractly rather than relive the experience. In this detached mode, they may provide theories instead of describing the specific “how” of their process.

By contrast, when someone is fully associated—reliving the experience—they provide detailed insights into their actual internal processes. For example, when asked what makes them a good speller, someone might say, “I always look up words I don’t know,” which is a conscious strategy. But if they re-enter their spelling state, they might describe visualizing the word in a certain spot or feeling a sense of certainty in their body.

The State Elicitation Process

The most effective states to elicit tend to be simple and distinct. Often, emotional experiences are mixed and need to be separated. For instance, receiving a package might bring feelings of joy and guilt simultaneously. A simple example could be the calmness felt waking up just before the alarm clock.

1. Get into an “uptime” state yourself if you’re helping someone else. This means being alert, focused on the other person’s experience, and sensing externally rather than turning inward or engaging in self-talk. If you’re eliciting states for yourself, this step isn’t necessary.
2. Ask about the desired state:
   • “Can you recall a time when you felt this way?” (e.g., “When I graduated, I felt invincible.”)
   • “What if you could experience that feeling right now, like having a magic cloak of confidence?”
   • “Do you know someone who is patient? What would it be like to step into their shoes and feel that patience?”
   • “Imagine being the most creative person in the world — what would that feel like?”
3. Match the state yourself. If the state to elicit is calmness, you need to be calm too. People naturally pick up on others’ emotional states—try calming someone by raising your voice or talking fast, and you’ll see it often backfires because our unconscious mind reacts to tone and energy.
4. Guide the person to re-experience the state fully. Use present tense and encourage detailed sensory exploration:
   • “What do you see? How bright or colorful is the image? How close or large?”
   • “What do you hear? How loud or clear? What kind of sounds?”
   • “What physical sensations do you notice? Where in your body? How strong are they? Are they moving or pulsing?”
   • “How are you breathing? Is it slow, deep, shallow?”
   • “What is your posture like? How balanced or grounded do you feel?”
   • “What are you saying to yourself? What tone, speed, and volume does your inner voice have?”
5. Amplify the intensity of the state by adjusting submodalities (details of sensory experience) across all sensory systems. For example, make images brighter and larger, increase movement sensations, or quicken the rhythm of inner speech.
6. Observe for signs that indicate the state’s strength or purity: changes in breathing, skin tone, posture, or facial expression. When eliciting for yourself, ensure the state is intense enough for your intended use, such as anchoring, which requires a peak or highly resourceful state.