Timeline 2

Elicitation of TimeLine 1

One of the first things to do when conducting TimeLine work is to discover how your client organises their submodalities of time.  It will be useful if you have also elicited an involuntary unconscious signal.  As you elicit a TimeLine, calibrate the client’s non-verbal behaviour.

Set the frame
Set the frame as the TimeLine being a mental construct.  Most people tend to organise time in a linear format with their past in one direction and future in another.

“Did you know your unconscious mind represents time spatially in relation to your body? In a moment, I am going to ask which direction your past is, and you will probably point to where is your past? Then I will ask you which direction is your future and you will point to where is your future.” Calibrate non-verbal behaviour.

Elicitation

Past

“As you think of your past, and all the unconscious memories that let you know who you are, and your conscious memories of times gone by, old jobs, friends, places you used to live and more recent memories as well, which direction is all of that? If I were asking you where is your past, where would you now point?” 

Future

“As you think of your future, and all the unconscious representation of things yet to happen and your conscious representations of things you know will happen, which direction is all of that. If I were asking you where is your future, where would you now point?” 

Present

“And the present, where is the present?”

Note:  Pay attention to the client’s analogue behaviour. Make sure you keep your body still so you do not overly influence your client’s response.

FIRST JOURNEY ON THE VISUAL TIMELINE

Ask the client to mentally explore the relationship between the past, present and future and if it connects as some kind of line. Explain to the client this is the TimeLine.
Create an induction with the following components:

Float high up, visualising your TimeLine reducing to a small size below.

Ask the client to float back in time and stop above the TimeLine at significant memory. *Stop above a past representation, looking down (Position A).  Float down into memory; experience it as if you are there (Position C).

Visit another significant memory, float back to position A above the TimeLine and look down. Go into the memory; experience the event as if it is now (Position C).

Continue with the above until the client has visited at least four memories, spanned out over their life i.e. early thirties, early twenties, mid teens, and about age 10,11, or 12. Calibrate how they associate.

Ask the client to float out to future and visit an event or experience one month from today. Ask the client to look at the experience from above, looking down (position A). Go into the event position at position C.
Repeat the above for 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and further if you wish.

Calibrate how the client associates to the future.

The purpose of the induction above is to give the client an experience of floating along the TimeLine and dissociating and associating to different representations.
The Practitioner can calibrate the client’s state and other non-verbal cues.

* New Practitioners may suggest positive memories. Experienced Practitioners will let the client free float.