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NLP Controversy

Since its birth, some decades ago, neuro-linguistic programming has been the subject of controversy among the scientific world. Even today, there are many those that see NLP as a protoscience. This is because it mainly consists of purported knowledge that has not yet been thoroughly evaluated by the scientific community. Even among reputed authorities from the fields where NLP has drawn its inspiration from, opinions are split, from some concluding that it is actually a pseudoscience with no practical application and no benefit, to others stating that it is a breakthrough in the science world and has strong benefits.

Another controversial aspect of NLP is its fundamental nature as a science. Most would agree that NLP shows proof of "something", but also that a further inquiry into the substance of neuro-linguistic programming is needed to accurately place it withing the scientific standards. The majority of reports, however, describe NLP as best resembling a cognitive science, this being the termed used to refer to NLP by people like George Lakoff, one of America's most renowned linguists. However, it is also stated the findings of such a scientifical field are largely abstract concepts with many metaphorical accents. More skeptical reviews even go as far as stating that the main beliefs of NLP are completely false and therefore cannot be relied upon. Many other adversaries of neuro-linguistic programming also claim that NLP has failed to show an appropriate level of efficiency, especially in controlled studies on the methods it makes use of. The preferred representational system (PRS), on which NLP practitioners rely heavily for interpreting and utilising to their advantage one's personal experience, has received particular criticism. Some scientists claim that rigorous research reviews have found this system of relying on one's choice of words and direction of eye movements to interpret thoughts and past experiences completely false.

Furthermore, successful cases of NLP therapy are explained by part of the scientific communicty by things such as the placebo effect, social pressure, and superficial symptomatic, rather than real treatment. It is also believed that apparent successes are overestimated to the advantage of neuro-linguistic programming, while failures are usually ignored or downplayed.

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