After watching this video of Robert Anton Wilson, the question came to mind.

Is NLP a rebirth or rediscovery of Hermeticism?



Dave

Hermeticism and NLP are both distinct epistemologies, with different, though related, presuppositions. Nonetheless, NLP can be used to explore and model Hermeticism. Check out Jason Newcomb's book "The New Hermetics" for a good example of that.

What was it about Bob's rant that gave you the mental connection between NLP and Hermeticism?

PhilFarber wrote:

Hermeticism and NLP are both distinct epistemologies, with different, though related, presuppositions. Nonetheless, NLP can be used to explore and model Hermeticism. Check out Jason Newcomb's book "The New Hermetics" for a good example of that.

What was it about Bob's rant that gave you the mental connection between NLP and Hermeticism?

When he spoke about verification through experiment (direct experience) and then adjusting. Also where he speaks about correcting your own prejudices.

Dave

The_Mystic wrote:

When he spoke about verification through experiment (direct experience) and then adjusting. Also where he speaks about correcting your own prejudices.

Dave

Those are certainly aspects that NLP and hermeticism have in common. We could say that hermeticism is a common ancestor of both science and NLP, with science stressing the "objective" and NLP exploring the "subjective." In one branch of hermeticism (there were many), the presuppositions were summed up in a text called "The Kybalion":

Kybalion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The seven principles of the Kybalion, again, intersect with NLP in a couple places... but NLP is really not concerned with things like vibration, or the answers to cosmic questions. The principle of "mentalism", however, is quite compatible with "the map is not the territory." And we could stretch the idea of rhythm to some of the pacing and leading exercises of NLP, tho these are not necessarily encoded in the NLP presupps.

NLP has a bit more in common with another offshoot of hermeticism, the "scientific illuminism" of Aleister Crowley, which, like other similar "magick" practices, is based in personal experimentation in the subjective laboratory of our own mind.

PhilFarber wrote:

The seven principles of the Kybalion, again, intersect with NLP in a couple places... but NLP is really not concerned with things like vibration,

Huh! Well, vibration (and especially circling) may not be part of NLP, but it certainly factors into Richard Bandler's later work (NHR, in particular). Disappointingly, he never mentions Hermeticism as an influence, but now I know!

Chris Johnson wrote:

Huh! Well, vibration (and especially circling) may not be part of NLP, but it certainly factors into Richard Bandler's later work (NHR, in particular). Disappointingly, he never mentions Hermeticism as an influence, but now I know!

He certainly mentions Robert Anton Wilson as an influence... so hermeticism might be an influence via Bob.