Eric hasn't made any products... yet.

He'll be teaching the Sub-Modality Eye-Accessing Cues again as part of this program.

Since this thread has come up again I feel compelled to add something to it.

I attended the first 3 days of the 4 day SMEACs training last October. I experienced moments of heightened sensory acuity, the flowers seemed brighter, my mind seemed quieter, and the standard rep-systems eye cues now seem much more grossly obvious to me. In that sense I benefited from the training.

I also found Eric Robbie engaging as a trainer, and he gives the impression of being able to talk knowledgeably about almost anything. He also seems to care deeply about what he does and about teaching it well. There wasn’t a hint of the sales pitch about him. And his frequently expressed desires to prevent NLP from degenerating into a cult where devotees recite the “principles” and “core beliefs” without a moment’s thought is admirable. In that sense I am very glad he’s around, and I have benefited from reading many of his posts on this forum.

There are also people in this very thread, people I have met personally, people whom I like and respect, who all very much respect Eric’s work and/or like him as a person. I feel like I am not at all in good company then, when I add to this review that my one-to-one experience with Eric was much less than positive.

Eric had noted I was thinking too much during the workshop. As he put it, people like me, with my patterns, do not do well with the SMEACs installation. I was offered a one-to-one coaching session with Eric (via Chris Morris), which I was rather chuffed about getting actually. A free one-to-one session with “Britain’s most senior NLP trainer”. Eric told me some stories during this time, and gave me an exercise to help me walk through the streets of London that night with a quieter mind. I believe this session did help, and I was repeatedly getting a higher success rate at the acuity exercises the next day. However, in a private message to me, Eric told me he wasn’t sure, maybe I was getting it/maybe I was just getting lucky.

I found this feedback rather difficult to process. The teacher of a course has told me “my type” don’t do well on these courses, and despite private coaching and a measurable improvement in two of the exercises the next day, he has still expressed doubts that I’m getting it. I didn’t know what to think (Is there a joke there? Maybe think less!).

Unfortunately Eric and I had a personal disagreement in private which neither of us could resolve and I chose not to attend the last day. Whilst I cannot say I experienced the ability to really perceive submodality cues, I certainly left with a heightened sensory awareness. And despite the animosity between us, I continue to believe Eric is a good trainer.

One of the things that really stands out for me about Eric is that he's a lot more interested in teaching people than being liked. Usually those two things can co-exist very happily, as the vast majority of reviews about Eric's courses will testify - he's a lovely guy to be around - but every single time I've noticed a choice point where he could either help someone learn something important to them or he could win some brownie points by being a 'nice guy', he always prioritises the learning.

I personally think that marks him out as a great trainer. Most trainers always have one eye on the next sale or the next review or the next referral... as you say yourself, Eric doesn't work that way at all. When he thinks the best lesson for someone is to let them have it with both barrels, he'll do that congruently. And if you sit on the outside and see him do that with someone, you can tell easily that it's done with a big heart and a lot of love. He's a very warm person, very caring, and what I've learnt most from spending a lot of time with him is that he cares enough to do a good job for someone even if it means they'll go off and not think he's a nice guy.

I said to him at the time that you were going to end up writing a review and it was going to sting. He shrugged in a very characteristic way - you don't teach a course to get good reviews; you teach a course to help people move on and have more freedom in their lives.

So I don't want to go into all the details about your case because I don't think that's appropriate for a public forum, but I want to say for people who value my opinion that Eric was so on your team Joe - he was doing his best for you - and he went way beyond what I would have expected. He gave you extra coaching on the course, more during the breaks, he invited you to his hotel for a free personal session too - and when you got to the stage where you wouldn't try what he suggested any more, only then did he let you go - with a refund.

I always say to people, if you just want a feel-good experience, go to a Tony Robbins gig or any big training where you'll be just another face in the crowd. You'll get the big chunk changes that anyone can benefit from. Eric doesn't do that kind of training and he doesn't claim to. He teaches very advanced material to small groups and the nature of that requires you to take a big leap into the unknown and try new things. If you aren't getting it, he'll zoom in on what you need to do to change that. You weren't ready to do things differently at that time, Joe. We only had four days and Eric had the rest of the group to consider too. I wish it had turned out happier because you know I like you and I wanted to see you overcome the block - but it didn't work out that time, and that's why I offered you the refund.

You're perfectly entitled to your opinion and to express it. That's what this forum is for - people reviewing courses they've been on and having their say about their experiences. I don't think anyone should think any less of you for doing that. I know this review has been a long time coming and it's fair enough to get it off your chest. I just want to put up my perspective too so people can take a balanced look at things. Eric's my good friend and we do business together, so I clearly have a loyalty here, but I also really believe in him not only as an exceptional trainer but also as a deeply caring person - caring enough to let himself be unpopular when that's what it takes to push through a change that will help someone. So I want to put that out there too.

I feel Eric Robbie is a highly evolved soul born ahead of his time and is going to go places. While he might have a short temper as you say he does Joseph....and who doesnt? If Jesus could take his belt and whip the money changers out of the Temple and curse the fig tree that later withered and died...what the heck...Eric is entitled to a few outbursts of this and that...given the long hours I would if I were he.... but I am biased I guess and just instinctively like him a lot ...so take me with a pinch of salt.


But Eric, here is a question for you. Why did Jesus always look up to heaven before he created a miracle?

I have always wondered why?


Are you aware that that Indian Yogis were aware of two eye positions that could cause the conscious mind to shut down?


Any comments? Eric?


Namaste,


Purple Mystic

Hi PM,

A longer reply later. But I do know I don't have a short temper, nor do I have a foul temper. And there is a difference between being on the receiving end of a deliberate and pointed message, and going on to make a judgement about the sender's character.

As to the looking skyward before miracles - a lot of what is commonly associated with JC is down to how various painters (who more often than not were getting their commissions and patronage from the church) have shown him. So they fed into the beliefs of the time.

BTW, if you want a dazzling and unusual depicition of JC as a passionate and sometimes confrontational young man, check out Pier Paolo Pasolini"s movie, The Gospel According to St Matthew (1964). It's from the 60s and in black and white, but it's quite a different take on the traditional JC story, to say the least.

Namaste, PM,

Eric.

Thank You Eric. The Gospels actually refer to Jesus looking up to Heaven and then giving thanks and breaking the bread and giving it to his disciples. Or the writers would say " he looked up to Heaven' and then you might get a description of a healing or a miracle.


That area is the visual area right? Could Jesus have spent the night ( they always said he spent the night in prayer) and his injunction was to 'pray as if your prayer has been answered' which I would interpret as visualizing your outcomes...since he did not have a word for visualizing etc etc? Could he have been using that particular in an 'alpha state' or looking up to Heaven...so that before he reached down to create a healing or a miracle he would have visualized or recalled the outcome visually? Just thinking aloud. Jesus freaks and Bible thumping rednecks please take my suggestions lightly....just thinking aloud.

I read your comment Eric and thank you. I shall get a hold of Pierre's movie of the life of Jesus.....it should be very interesting.

Shanti Shanti Shanti, may all Beings be Blessed.

Purple Mystic

Removed - see below

Joseph, I haven't met you and I was not there... I just point ot something I believe is not done or said enough in most NLP trainings. Some trainings are NOT for all types! Or to say it differently, not all trainings and training styles are for all people.

Whatever happened is not my business but I do think for example that DHE programs are not for everyone. If someone is the skeptical, analytical, non-adventurous, too detailed oriented... they can save some money and not attend a DHE program. If on the contrary someone is into jumping into the abyss, adventurous, maybe even a dreamer of possibilities then DHE is perfect for them.
Most times I know who will not enjoy or will critisize a DHE program from day 1. It doesn't matter if I am the trainer or if it is Bandler and La Valle, there are just some "types" that are not suited for that program.

Is Eric short-tempered? Not with me or the times I've seen him at work but maybe certain types of behavior can get to him.
Most people who have attended my programs think I am nice, but there has been a few times.... and you know what, that is being human and responding as a human and not a machine. You will think whatever you wish to think about my reply but I am simply pointing out usually there is a LOT more to reactions that just reactions.

Have to go Richard is waiting at the restaurant.

Would a visually impaired person be able to attend this event?

Last summer, I attended SMEAC training with Eric Robbie. I wrote a review of it for this site. It was great. The people were great. There was a good mix of both sexes and a good mix of experience.

I found Eric to be at some times impatient, but not always unfairly so. On other occassions he showed great patience. In a social context (in the pub after!) Eric was a very interesting person to listen to.

In September, I had a small altercation with Eric on this group. In fact, it was the very thread that apparently caused Eric to acuse Joseph of being rude on. At the time, there was a potential for me to take certain comments very personally (I think that, at one stage, I was being acused of being a stalker!) and perhaps retaliate and perhaps that thread would still be alive today with insult and counter-insult (being "very NLP", eh?). Instead, I chose to take a different look, a "meta position", at the argument and I came up with a different point of view.

A few months ago, at the weekend with Michael Perez, I met Joseph Kao. I found Joseph to be a really nice guy. Very witty and entertaining in a social situation (again, in a pub!) and interesting to listen to. (Oh, and a pretty good hand magician too)

At that time, Joseph related to me his experience of what had happened with Eric. I found it difficult to accept because, even though I had had my contre-temps with him, this was very removed from my training experience with Eric. Of course, I only have a short amount of experience with him but I do have some personal references from the likes of Chris and Gabe.

Someone else mentioned something to me about that training where Joseph met Eric, apparently it was, if not completely, mostly attended by men. Therefore there was a very different dynamic than the course that I had been on. I don't think that I would have fancied teaching that one!

So, we have two men who have had an online altercation then meeting in person with all their presuppositions and that meeting taking place in a room full of testosterone. I'm suprised that they are not best buddies by now.

I think that one of the reasons that I like the presuppositions of NLP is that they generally make a lot of sense. The meaning of the communication is the response that you get and neither of you guys is getting a great response right now - do you think that you will? Is there any sense in anyone posting further on this thread? What will anyone learn to their benefit?

They might learn this or that about Eric or Joseph but will it be the truth? What each of them thinks about each other is their truth and I don't believe that anyone can shake that. But what Joseph thinks about Eric is not my truth and neither is what Eric thinks about Joseph. I would bet that most people who train with Eric think that he is a really good trainer and that most people who meet Joseph think that he is a pretty cool guy. So, what's the point?

Joseph, I have an exercise for you to close that loop. Focus on this problem for a brief second and then say out loud, "fuck it". Then get on with having a really cool life.


Cheers,


Stephen

A very kind-hearted friend of mine spent the afternoon discussing this matter with me, and finally helped me to see this in a different light, magical lady that she is. I'm afraid I'd really lost my ability to trust myself in all of this - I was just stuck in a loop. I'd waited a long time for that loop to close by itself, and attempted various methods to close it myself, but in the end failed. Thus, in a very negative state, I got sucked into the above.

What happened between Eric and I was a private disagreement. It left me with a whole bunch of stuff to process, and in the end I just didn't know how to resolve it in my mind, hence the public posting. But thankfully, I am now in a better state about this than I have been since it happened, and I don't think a public forum is the place for it. I guess sometimes even after being trained in NLP and hypnotherapy you need a bit of outside help!

I don't think Eric Robbie's training career deserves to be tarnished because of how the two of us interacted in private. In the training room Eric was pleasant to all, myself included. He even gave us an excellent suggestion for cooking scrambled eggs, which I still use from time to time, and he works his hardest to ensure people get what they came for.

Joseph.