L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
BIOGRAPHY
L. MICHAEL HALL, Ph.D.
L. Michael Hall is a modeler of human excellence and self-actualization. Since 1992 Dr. Hall has focused on modeling “the highest and best in human experiences.” This modeling focus arose first from his studies of NLP and later in his re-discovery of Maslow’s original modeling of self-actualizing men and women.
Dr. Hall’s Modeling Projects
The first modeling project was on Resilience and from that modeling experience Michael discovered, and articulated, the Meta-States Model. As a modeler of positive psychological experience, he has modeled numerous experiences including resilience, creativity, writing, leadership, coaching, self-actualization. Dr. Hall has created many models that make up Neuro-Semantics —Meta-States, Matrix Model, etc. and he co-created the Axes of Change model and the Meta-Coach Training system.
Education and professional Background:
Biblical language and literature, Master’s Degree: focus on Koine Greek; Ancient Hebrew.
Counseling Practice, 1979- 1996; LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Colorado.
Psychology degree: Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, minor in psycho-linguistics, Union Institute University. His dissertation integrated four psychotherapy models (NLP, REBT, Reality Therapy/Control Theory, and Logotherapy) using General Semantic formulations.
Dr. Hall and NLP:
L. Michael Hall worked with Richard Bandler for four years during which time Bandler wanted to rejuvenate the Society of NLP. Unfortunately, that never occurred. From his notes he wrote two books about NLP (The Spirit of NLP, 1996; Becoming a More Ferocious Presenter, 1996) and he then transcribed two books for Richard (Time for a Change; Applied Neuro-Dynamics, unpublished).
After discovering the Meta-States Model, the International NLP Trainer's Association (INLPTA) recognized Dr. Hall for developing "The most significant contribution to the development of the NLP model in 1994/5." This recognition was for his introduction and development of the Meta-States Model.
Two years later, in 1996, Richard Bandler filed the 90 million dollar lawsuit against the field of NLP in the United States. Listing eight people to the lawsuit, and “200 John Does,” this lawsuit devastated NLP in the United States leading to Trainers and Practitioners closing their training centers and dropping reference to NLP in their work. This explains the current (2009) diminishing of NLP in the US— just a handful of Training Centers are left, and very few NLP trainings.
The Bandler lawsuit against Grinder, Andreas, et al. threatened to deprive the entire community from using “NLP” and any reference to NLP. This led Drs. Hall and Bodenhamer to trademark and register “Neuro-Semantics” in 1996. At the same time they founded “The International Society of Neuro-Semantics” (ISNS) as a new approach to teaching, training, and using NLP. The objective was to take NLP as a model and field to a higher level in terms of professional ethics. Today Neuro-Semantics is one of the leading disciplines within NLP pioneering many new developments and demonstrating a creativity that characterized NLP when it was new and fresh.
With Meta-States launching a whole new domain for NLP in 1995, Neuro-Semantics arose, first as a model and discipline, and then as a community. The Meta-States Model enabled Hall and Bodenhamer to begin to re-model NLP itself and to create new and/or extended models. This happened because the Meta-States Model provided the first formal explanation of how NLP patterns worked.
The historical development of Neuro-Semantic Models:
1997 Hall and Bodenhamer remodeled Time-Lines, Sleight of Mouth patterns, and Meta-Programs in the books: Adventures in Time-Lines; Mind-Lines; and Figuring Out People; also Patterns for Renewing the Mind.
The Founding of Neuro-Semantics
Dr. Hall founded Neuro-Semantics upon the work of Gregory Bateson (Steps to an Ecology of Mind) and Alfred Korzybski (and his primary source, Science and Sanity; 1933 / 1994). Studying and writing on the work of Korzbyski in Anchor Point, NLP World, Rapport and other NLP journals in 1990-1996, Michael created a training program “The Merging of the Models: NLP meets General Semantics” for trainings in London in 1996 and 1997. Invited by Denis Bridoux and Dr. Philip Nolan, the Merging of the Models gave birth to many of the key distinctions in Neuro-Semantics.
Author and Publisher
Dr. Hall is known as a prolific writer, having authored 40 books in the field of NLP, many of them best sellers through Crown House Publishes (Wales, UK) and many of them translated into numerous languages: German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Arab, etc. While it took Michael eight years to write his first book (1985), after the discovery of the Meta-States Model in 1995, he remodeled the “accessing personal genius” pattern from Grinder and DeLozier. Then he used that new version to create his own highly focused states for reading and writing. That was the last year he experienced “writer’s block.” Since then, he has averaged three books and more than 100 articles every year.
Meta-States Books
Secrets of Personal Mastery (1999)
Meta-States (1995, 2000, 2008)
Dragon Slaying (1996, 2000)
The Matrix Model (2002, 2003)
NLP: Going Meta (2002)
Meta-States Magic (spiral, 2003)
Mastery Skills TM (2004, combining APG and LPG)
Winning the Inner Game (1999, 2006)
Games Slim People Play (2001)
Games for Mastering Fear (2002)
Games Business Experts Play (2002)
Games Great Lovers Play (2003)
NLP Books
Speak Up, Speak Clear, Speak Kind (1987)
MovieMind (2003)
User’s Manual –Vol. I (2000)
User’s Manual – Vol II (2002)
The Source Book of Magic (1997, 2002)
Source Book, Vol. II (spiral, 2004)
Mind-Lines (1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005)
The Spirit of NLP (1997, 2000)
Figuring Out People (1997, 2001, 2006)
Meta-Detective Board Game (2003)
Sub-Modalities Going Meta (1999, 2005)
Communication Magic (1998, 2001)
Becoming More Ferocious (1997)
The Structure of Personality (2001)
Self-Actualization Books
Instant Relaxation (1999)
Persuasion Engineering Simplified (2002)
Patterns for Renewing Mind (1997, 2007)
Languaging (1996)
Christian Based Books
Over My Dead Body (1996)
Apocalypse Then (2000)
Training Manuals
Stroke of Genius Series–-
APG: Accessing Personal Genius (also, Coaching Genius)
LPG: Living Personal Genius
Learning Genius
Selling Genius
Writing Genius (Prolific Writing)
Winning the Inner Game Series
Games Fit and Slim People Play (2001)
Matrix Games
Meta-Masters: Master Practitioner
LPG: Living Personal Genius
Emotional Mastery
Self-Actualization Training Manuals:
The Ultimate Self-Actualization Work (2007)
Unleashing Leadership (2009)
Future Directions
Where from here? While researching Maslow, the Human Potential Movement, Esalen, etc., Dr. Hall discovered The Secret History of NLP. Namely, that Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, and Gregory Bateson worked together in the early years of the Human Potential Movement at Esalen in southern California. There they lived and articulated the premises of Maslow’s and Roger’s Self-Actualization Psychology. These premises were later put together and incorporated into what is now known as “the Presuppositions of NLP.”
This positions NLP as a discipline within the larger frame of the Human Potential Movement and presents a new and fuller picture of NLP. NLP is not merely a self-improvement domain regarding how to “run your own brain” or to “manage your states.” It is much more and much larger. NLP as a child of the human potential movement is about unleashing the highest and best potentials in people. Finding that has now led Dr. Hall to use Neuro-Semantics to launch a New Human Potential Movement. This also reveals that NLP arose as a venture from two movements:
1) The Cognitive Psychology Movement led by George Miller, Karl Pribram, Eugene Gallanter, and Noam Chomsky (1956).
2) The Positive Psychology (Growth; Humanistic, Self-Actualization Psychology) that Abraham Maslow pioneered that gave birth to the Human Potential Movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
Having articulated the content of Self-Actualization Psychology, Dr. Hall is now applying this to individuals and organizations, including Companies, cultures, and nations. Future directions is about applying the models of unleashing potentials for leaders, politics, and governments.
www.neurosemantics.com
www.neuro-semantics-trainings.com
www.meta-coaching.org
www.self-actualizing.org
