Sometimes we (or another) seem unable to access a particular resourceful state, way of thinking, feeling, acting, relating, etc. If we cannot reach a desired resourceful state when we need, then we feel “stuck” i.e., at an impasse, without coping skills. To assist with this, we have three foci for accessing an inducing a resourceful state. We use these processes to move ourselves down “the royal roads” to state (Hall, 1995) of “mind” and “body”.

positive state
These include:

  • Remembering a state. We can use our memories to “recall a time when” we thought, felt or experienced the particular resource. “Have you ever X?”
  • Creating a state. We can use our imagination to wonder about “What would it look, sound, and feel like if…” In this way we can construct the components that make up the state. Using the “as if” frame will enable us to find information coded in various modalities and submodalities and to construct the resource state we desire.
  • Modeling a state in someone else, “Who do you know who thinks, feels, acts, relates, etc., in this resourceful way?” taking their place for a day, as you step into their body, looking out of their eyes, and you can be them for a while as you learn their strategy…”

Source: Sourcebook of Magic: A Comprehensive Guide to NLP Change Patterns