Few days ago, I finished the unbelievable Unleash the Power Within seminar with Tony Robbins. In Day 3, he took me through the Dickens Process. This NLP technique just blew my mind. Let’s talk.

There are 3 areas worth highlighting: What’s NLP, Dickens Process and Tony Robbins.

1. What’s NLP?

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming and began in the early 70s when John Grinder, a Professor from University of California worked with Richard Bandler, an undergraduate with the objective of modelling behavioural patterns in human beings.

In simple words, NLP is about understanding how people structure their thoughts, how they feel, the language they use and behaviour to deliver their results.

NLP provides a methodology to model extraordinary performances achieved by successful leaders in different fields.

2. Dickens Process

The Dickens Process is an NPL technique. The name comes from the tale A Christmas Carol from Charles Dickens.

The bad guy in the book, Scrooge, is completely transformed by visions of 3 ghosts: Past, Present and Future. He had an emotional impact with those 3 visions that enabled him to change.

Once you identify what are the things that are holding you back from having the life you want and being your true self, then Dickens takes it to the next level.

3. Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins at Unleash the Power Within, uses the technique to help you move away from your limiting beliefs (your paradigms) to an empowering future. Of course, he didn’t create the technique but he certainly popularised it.

You close your eyes and Tony will ask you “What has your belief cost you in the past and what has it cost people you’ve loved in the past? What have you lost because of it?”. You’ll need to visualise it, hear it and feel it.

Then you’ll travel to the present and he’ll ask you the same thing. What is each of these costing you and your family/friends in the present?

Now, you’ll get ready for a trip to the future. What will each of those cost you and your people next year, in 5 years. You see it, hear it and feel it. But you go for more, you now think of those in 10 years. You stay there. The pain starts to become more real. So, you go for more. You’re now 15 years in the future, what’s happening there? You feel like you need to stop but then you go to 20 years and ask the same questions.

At this point you can see your massive limiting belief and all the pain that it brought to your life.

Final Thoughts

This was my first time doing it. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was some sort of guided meditation so I thought “OK, let’s do it”.

It turned out to be an emotional exercise where I saw myself in the mirror as well as all my circle in different moments of my past, present and future life.

At the end I could feel the pain coming from those limiting beliefs. It was like pain fuelling me to act. A Breakthrough.

This is definitely not an easy exercise. It only works if you allow it. If you don’t want to visualise, then nothing will happen. So, make sure if you ever do it, get a professional to guide you.